Baseball walks-off against Saxony

The Oran Eagles had a lead against the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders at home on Tuesday but gave up a big inning and then had to rally to pick up a 7-6 win.

Drew Reischman hit a one-out shot over of the left field fence in the third for the game's first run.

In the fourth, the Eagles plated two more.

Denver Elfrink, singled, advanced on a wild pitch and then a passed ball before Austin Eftink walked. Elfrink scored and Eftink moved to second on the second wild pitch of the inning.  Reischman drove home Eftink with a double to right-center.

The fifth frame belonged to the visitors.

The Crusaders used 3 singles, 2 walks, and a double to score 5 and take a 5-3 lead.

That was the score heading into the bottom of the 6th and once again Reischman was in the middle of things.

Eftink drew a lead-off walk, moved to second on Drew Mitchem's sacrifice bunt.  Reischman drove in another with a two-out single to left to cut the deficit in half.  Layne Johnson then singled to right to move Reischman to third.  Johnson took off for second on a pitch home and as the catcher threw down, Reischman raced home to tie the game on a perfectly executed double steal.

Saxony was not done, however.  They worked a walk to open the 7th and after two strikeouts, back-to-back singles propelled the Crusaders back on top.

In the bottom half, Oran used back-to-back singles of their own by Todd and Cole Priggel and a wild pitch to get runners on 2nd and 3rd with no one out.  Elfrink then lifted a sac fly to left to tie the game.  Eftink was intentionally walked to set up a possible double-play.  With two down, Jacob Shoemaker wrangled a free pass to load them up.  Then on a 3-1 pitch, Reischman saw the ball sail over the catcher's head for ball four to force in the game-winning run.

Reischman finished the day 3-4 at the plate, drove in 4 with a homer and a double.  He also got the start on the mound, he did not figure in the decision.  He went 4 2/3 gave up 5 runs, all earned, on 6 hits, he walked 4 and struck out 6.

Johnson went the final 2 1/3 picking up the win to improve to 4-1 on the year.  He allowed 1 earned run on 3 hits, 1 walk and struck out 6.

Cole Priggel had two singles, the only other Eagles with multiple hits, as the team improved to 8-2.