Walk-off hit batter gives ECC 6-5 win over Brookville
With the scored tied at 5-all, bases loaded, and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, ECC senior Colby Nussbaum was hit by a pitch, scoring teammate Gideon Cronk to give the Crusaders a 6-5 walk-off win over the Brookville Raiders on Friday afternoon at Berwind Park.
The Crusaders held a 5-2 lead headed into the seventh inning, but the Raiders rallied with three runs to tie the game and force extra innings.
Lance O’Neill started on the mound for the Crusaders and worked the first six and one third innings, giving up 12 hits, walking one, and striking out four. Charlie Geci took over for the final one and two thirds innings, giving up one hit.
Brookville also used a pair of pitchers in the game. Owen Fleming started the game and worked the first three and one third innings, giving up five hits, walking three, and striking out five. Sam Krug worked the final four innings, giving up two hits, walking three, and striking out five.
Brookville threatened in the opening inning, with Sergio Sotillo hitting a one-out single and Jack Pete joining him on base after being hit by a pitch. However, with Fleming at bat, Sotillo was caught stealing third for the second out, and then Fleming hit into a fielder’s choice for the third out, bringing ECC up to bat for the first time.
ECC was also able to put a pair of runners on base, with Matthew Gilmore being hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the inning and then Nussbaum joining him with a one-out single. However, a flyout and a lineout ended the inning.
Back-to-back singles to lead off the top of the second gave Brookville another pair of base runners, but a double play and a groundout kept the Raiders off of the board. Jacob Ruffner drew a two-out walk for the Crusaders in the home half of the inning.
The Raiders scored their first run in the top of the third. Carter Kessler hit a one-out single and then scored on a single by Sotillo, making the score 1-0 in Brookville’s favor.
ECC responded with three runs in the home half of the inning to take the lead.
Frankie Smith hit a one-out single and then Nussbaum walked to join him on base. A double by O’Neill scored Smith and moved Nussbaum to third. Nussbaum and O’Neill both went on to score on a two-out single by Patrick Forster, making the score 3-1 in favor of the Crusaders.
Brookville put another run on the board in the top of the fourth.
With two outs, Luke Burton reached base on a dropped third strike and Dante Morey entered the game as a pinch runner. Landen Marrara singled to put runners on the corners, and then a single by Krug scored Morey to trim ECC’s lead to 3-2.
The Crusaders answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
With one out, Cronk walked and then advanced to third on a double by Gilmore. A dropped third strike put Smith on first, loading the bases. A sacrifice fly by Nussbaum scored Cronk, making the score 4-2, and then Gilmore scored as O’Neill reached base on an error, pushing ECC’s lead to 5-2.
ECC maintained that lead until the top of the seventh when Brookville staged their rally. Sotillo hit a oneout triple and then scored on a single by Krug. Fleming reached on an error, and then Kai Kaltenbach singled, loading the bases. A single by Ladd Blake scored both Pete and Fleming, tying the game at 5-all. A double play brought ECC back up to bat without giving up any additional runs. O’Neill hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning but was left stranded.
The game went to extra innings tied at 5-all and Brookville put a pair of runners on base in the top of the eighth with one out, but ECC got out of it with a double play.
That set the stage for Nussbaum’s walk-off hit by pitch in the bottom of the inning.
With one out, Cronk singled and then Gilmore and Smith drew back-to-back walks, bringing Nussbaum up to bat.
The Crusaders are scheduled to be back in action at home on Monday when they host the Johnsonburg Rams in a 4:15 p.m. game at Berwind Park.
Brookville 5
Carter Kessler 4-11, Sergio Sotillo 5-1-3, Jack Pete 3-1-1, Owen Fleming 3-1-1, Kai Kaltenbach 4-0-2, Ladd Blake 4-0-3, Luke Burton 4-0-0, Landen Marrara 4-0-1, Sam Krug 3-0-1. Totals 34-5-13.
ECC 6
Matthew Gilmore 3-1-1, Frankie Smith 3-1-1, Colby Nussbaum 2-1-1, Lance O’Neill 4-1-2, Wyatt Brem 4-00, Patrick Forster 4-0-1, Chase Simbeck 4-0-0, Jacob Ruffner 3-0-0, Gideon Cronk 2-2-1. Totals 29-6-7.
Score by innings R
Brookville 001 100 30 5 ECCHS 003 200 016