Baseball wins a wild one!

Last year, when the Advance Hornets traveled to Oran to take on the Eagles in a district semi-final game, they threw sophomore Dawson Mayo and Oran countered with senior Thomas Trankler. It was a nail-biter, as the Eagles scored in the sixth for the only run of the game after a lead off walk to Layne Johnson, a sac bunt by Trankler and an RBI single by Preston Hahn.  Yesterday, a lot of the names were the same, it was the same inning that was pivotal, the final results were the same, but how we got there was completely different; as the Eagles claimed an improbable, come from behind 14-11 victory.

Drew Reischman got the start for Oran and struggled out of the gate.

The first batter grounded out back to the mound on the first pitch, but the next 3 reached on a walk, error and hit batsman.  Reischman was able to strike out the next two, to escape with no damage.

 A revamped  Eagle line up seemed to provide a spark against the now junior, Mayo.  Reischman drew a four-pitch walk to start things.  With one out, Hahn, hitting in the three-hole reached on a error and when Clay Sauceda walked, Oran had the bases loadeded.  Blake Overfield hit into an RBI ground out and Layne Johnson legged out an infield single for 2-0 lead after 1.

More control issues haunted Reischman in the second.

After recording his third strike out of the game to open the frame, he hit the next batter.  Out number two was recorded on a strike out, but after that, back to back singles, a walk and another single plated 3 to give the Hornets a 3-2 lead before inning ended.

The offensive merry-go-round would continue in the home half of the second.

Jacob Shoemaker walked to lead off but was erased in a fielder's choice ground ball hit by Reischman.  Cole Priggel then clobbered the ball to the center-field fence for a game tying RBI triple.  Hahn walked and Sauceda hit a ball that was misplayed on the infield that allowed Priggel to score the go ahead run.  Hahn would score on Overfield's line double into the right-center field gap. Johnon's ground out to short would score Sauceda from third and the Eagles had regained the lead, 6-3, after 2.

Neither team would score in the third, as the only base runner for either side was a two out walk issued to Advance.

It appeared as if the Hornets had broken the game open in the fourth inning when they sent 11 to the plate and scored 7.  Four of the first five reached on a walk, single, a hit batter, a strike out, and another walk and Reischman's day was done, well, on the mound it was done (more on that later).

Blake Overfield came in to relieve from his second base position, where he had started the game.  Reischman moved to short and Hahn from short to second.  Overfield allowed 3 singles and a runner reached on an infield error before retiring the side.  Oran trailed 10-6.

Advance recorded what looked to be, at the time, an insurance run in the fifth.  After a lead off walk, the next two were retired.  But a hit batter and two more walks forced in a run and it was time for another pitching change.

Clay Sauceda, making only his second mound appearance for the Eagles, headed to the bump.  Overfield went back to second and Hahn donned the tools of ignorance.

Sauceda threw one pitch, inducing a ground ball to Blake Schlitt at first who tossed to the pitcher covering to end the inning.

Oran got that run back in the bottom of the fifth.  Tanner McVay walked for the third time to open the inning.  One out later, Shoemaker walked for the second time to make it 1st and 2nd.  Reischman hit an infield single to load the bases.  Priggel then drove in McVay with an infied hit.  The next two were retired though and the Eagles trailed 11-7 heading into the sixth.

Sauceda allowed only a two out walk in the top half of the inning, leading to the dramatic events in the bottom half.

A ground out started the inning but after that, the wheels fell off for the Hornets.  Johnson singled to left and advanced to second when McVay was hit by a pitch.  The bases were loaded when Schlitt coaxed a walk.  Shoemaker then picked up his first RBI of the spring season with an infield single and the Eagles trailed 11-8.

With one out and the bases loaded and Oran down by three it was time for Reischman to pick his team mates up.  He drilled the first pitch he saw, clearing the right-center field fence for a grand-slam home run to give the Eagles a 12-11 lead.

Oran wasn't done.

Priggel singled to center and Hahn walked bringing Sauceda to the plate.  He would face a new Advance pitcher as Mayo's day was done.   Sauceda would load the bases after taking a walk and then  both Priggel and Hahn would cross the plate following an error on a ball hit by Overfield.

During the long Eagle at bat, they sent 12 to the plate, Johnson warmed up in the bull pen and he came on to pitch the 7th.

Apparently, Johnson wanted no more excitement as he set down Advance in order on three straight strike outs to end the game.

Sauceda was awarded  the win in relief, going 1.1 innings, allowing no runs or hits.  He walked one and struck out one and improved to 1-1 on the year.

Johnson picked up his first save striking out all three he faced.

At the plate both Reischman and Overfield knocked in 4.  Johnson and Priggel had 2 RBI apiece, while Shoemaker added 1.

Priggel had 3 hits on the day.  Reischman, Overfield and Johnson had 2 each.

McVay reached base four times on 3 walks and a hit batsmen.

Oran improved to 3-5 overall and 2-0 in district play.

They will host Woodland on Monday at 4:30.