Two Out Heroics

WOLVES GET EXTRA INNINGS 6-5 VICTORY OVER LIFEWAY

LINCOLN — One run was all Lincoln needed and the Wolves didn’t get it despite loading the bases with no outs in the seventh inning.

In a testament of heart Lincoln players demonstrated both tenacity and resilience as the Wolves cashed in when they got another opportunity in the bottom of the eighth inning to slip by Lifeway Christian, 6-5, on Monday, March 11.

Down to their last out, leadoff hitter Ian Jackson battled through a 2-2 count on a called strike two. He calmly took ball three and ball four to get aboard with a walk, keeping Lincoln alive.

Noah Moore (2-for-5, RBI) gave Lincoln a second consecutive quality at-bat fulfilling the dreams of Wolves’ baseball fans. A passed ball on a 1-1 pitch allowed Jackson to move into scoring position by taking second. Moore then pounded an RBI single into center field, bringing Jackson home for the winning run and a 6-5 Lincoln victory as the hometown crowd roarer its approval.

Before those heroics, first, the Wolves had to get through Lifeway Christian’s batting order in the top of the eighth. Lincoln coach Reed Mendoza called upon his seasoned senior, Caleb Lloyd, to do the job. Josh Jetton (3.2 innings, 2 runs, 4 hits, 2 walks, 1 strike-out) began the seventh by walking the leadoff man.

Mendoza inserted Lloyd and after issuing a walk settled down to strike out 3 straight Warriors. He fanned Zach Dodge, Martin Grisham, and Ant Potter, the last two on called strike threes.

Lloyd and Jetton walked to start the bottom of the seventh inciting Lifeway to intentionally walk Sterling Morphis to load the bases and play the percentages hoping for a force-out.

The gamble worked with Lifeway pitcher Reece Crowder doing a number on the Wolves. He got out of the inning with two strikeouts aided by the Warriors catching Lloyd trying to steal home and throwing him out at the plate. The other two base runners advanced to second and third, but that was all for nil and the contest went into extra innings.

Still, Lloyd was on his horse. He struck out Kalel Langford swinging at a 1-2 pitch, then threw ball one to Crowder.

At that juncture Lifeway coach Matt Klamm called time and told Langford to get reset in the batter’s box.

“Reposition yourself, try to get

where you can see,” Klamm said.

Lifeway soon realized their worst fears with Lloyd striking out Langford catching him looking at a 2-2 offering. Conner Floyd was up next and Lloyd zinged another 2-2 pitch past him for a strike-out to end the inning with the score still tied at 5-5.

Lifeway changed pitchers bringing in Dawson Crowder, who induced Cade Redfern to fly-out deep to shallow center. Dawson Crowder struck out Tyrell Rich on a called strike three as Lincoln began the bottom of the eight with two outs.

Then came the heroics from Jackson and Moore.

The comeback was the second for the Wolves within the game.

Lincoln left two runners on base to the the fourth and Lifeway added a run in the top of the fifth on an error to go up 4-2. Jetton minimized the damage by getting consecutive Warriors to pop up in the infield leaving 2 runners stranded.

Jackson drew a one-out walk and Moore singled into right field. Lloyd reached on an error to load the bases for Jetton. Jetton (1-for-2, RBI) took one for the team absorbing a wild pitch with his body to score a run. Sterling Morphis drove in the tying run with a single. With two outs and the bases still loaded Jasper Terry (1-for-3, RBI) swung and missed at the first pitch, then took 4 straight balls to walk in the go-ahead run and Lincoln led 5-4.

Lifeway almost never got to extra innings. In the top of the sixth, Reese Crowder hit a high pop-up that landed just inside the backstop which Moore, playing catcher for Lincoln, just missed on a valiant effort.

“You’ve got another life,” said Lifeway’s first base coach.

Reese Crowder took advantage to draw a walk scoring the tying run on Floyd’s well-hit triple into the right corner for the Warriors.

Neither team scored in the seventh.

Lloyd achieved 6 strikeouts in 2 innings of work with 1 walk to earn the win for Lincoln.

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Lincoln sophomore Noah Moore makes a big block while playing catcher to hold a runner at second during the Wolves’ 6-5 eight inning victory over visiting Lifeway Christian Schools, of Rogers, on Monday, March 11. Moore drove in the winning run when he singled into center field.