ECC scores in home half of 7th to walk off vs. Punxsy baseball

ST. MARYS — The Punxsy baseball team had a pair of two-run innings at Elk County Catholic on Monday, but each time, the Crusaders punched back, and in the bottom of the seventh they tacked on one more for a walk-off win, 5-4.

Jordan DePrator was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom half of the seventh to get things rolling for ECC, and after Dominic Zambanini singled to move him to second, DePrator came around to score on a hard-hit single to the left side by Joe Tettis, sealing the victory.

Punxsy struck first with two runs in the top half of the first inning, but ECC answered with three in the home half. Neither team scored again until the sixth, when the Chucks took a 4-3 lead, but one in the bottom of the sixth tied the game and set up the thrilling finish for the home team.

Carter Savage had a double and an RBI to lead the Punxsy offense, with Zach Dinger, Dakota Long, Ashton Stonbraker and Josh Tyger each singling once and Long and Dinger also picking up RBIs.

Savage earned the start for the Chucks and worked 3-2/3 innings, allowing three runs on a hit and three walks and striking out five.

Tyger relieved him and allowed a run on two hits and a walk in 1-1/3 innings, and Isaac London was charged with the loss, pitching the final 1-1/3 and allowing one run on two hits, while striking out two.

The Chucks’ two-run first inning started with a one-out single up the middle by Tyger, and after he moved up to second on a passed ball, Tyger scored on a single to right field by Long.

After a walk to Stonbraker put a pair on the pond, Long moved to third on a passed ball and scored on an RBI groundout by Savage.

In the top of the sixth, it was Stonbraker opening the action with a one-out single, and when Savage doubled to left, Stonbraker’s courtesy runner Justin Miller advanced to third.

Then, after Miller scored on an error, Dinger hit one to center deep enough to bring Savage’s pinch runner, Peyton Hetrick, in to put Punxsy ahead 4-3.

ECC’s biggest spark came in the bottom half of the first inning when, with a pair of runners on base, Zambanini belted one over the left-field fence putting his team ahead 3-2 at the time. Luke Ginther picked up the other RBI in the sixth when he walked with the bases loaded to tie it 4-4.

Punxsy (3-5) will play next at Hollidaysburg on Wednesday.