Shelby baseball scores comeback win over `23 MOAC champ
As Yogi Berra said ‘it ain’t over till it’s over’
Shelby Whippet boys baseball scored 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to complete a 3-2 comeback victory over Highland on Tuesday evening at the Whippet Athletic Complex.
The Whippets, down to their last strike, scored all three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to complete the comeback over last year’s Mid-ohio Athletic Conference champion.
With one out, Karsen Homan drew a walk. After a strikeout, Tanner Hartz lined a two out, two strike single to right field to move Homan to second.
Travis Sloan then hit a deep fly ball to left field that was misplayed. Homan and Hartz were both running in the play. Homan scored easily and Hartz slid in home to tie the game at two, Slone hustled his way to second base on the throw home.
Nic Eyster then smacked a line drive to right center gap to score Slone and send the Whippets home with the victory.
“The best part about baseball is that there is no clock, you have 21 outs to play with and we were able to grind out that 7th inning and get a huge team win,” Shelby coach Jon Amicone said.
“I’m just very proud of our guys, that was a determined team we saw out there today and they went out and earned a tough win,” Amicone said.
Eyster also picked up the win on the mound, throwing a complete game five-hitter. Eyster allowed two runs (one earned), walking two and striking out six.
“Nic did a great job of keeping us in the game. He was able to get some big outs when they had runners in scoring position to keep us in the game” Amicone said about Eyster.
Highland got on the board first, scoring a run in the top of the second. With two outs, Garber reached on an error and Collins lined a double to left field to make the score 1-0.
The Scots would score their second run in the third inning. Sears walked, stole second and third, then scored on a sacrifice
bunt to make it 2-0.
The Whippets collected four hits for the game, two coming in the deciding seventh inning.
Eyster smacked two base hits and had the game winning RBI. Hartz lined his base hit in the seventh and Maverick Noel lined a base
hit to right field in the bottom of the third.
The Whippets, now 4-0, 1-0 on the season, were set to travel to Highland on Wednesday afternoon.
The Whippets are scheduled to travel to Madison on Friday and Perkins on Saturday.