Crescent-News.com - True walk-off for Blackbirds

By CHUCK MARTINEZ
martinez@crescent-news.com

With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Pettisville's Harris King drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home the winning run and give the Blackbirds a 5-4 victory over Archbold in district ACME action on Saturday at Defiance High School.

The victory gave the Blackbirds a spot in Saturday night's losers' bracket final against Patrick Henry.

At press time, Pettisville held a 3-2 advantage after pushing across a run in the top of the seventh inning with Patrick Henry coming up to bat in the bottom of the frame.

The winner is scheduled to play Defiance today at 5:30 p.m. for the right to advance to next week's state tournament.

After rallying in the sixth inning to tie the score at 4, the Blackbirds got out of the top of the seventh unscathed as hurler Quinn Nofziger finished off the Streaks with his second strikeout of the day.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Nofziger continued to be a thorn in the side of the Blue Streaks.

Nofziger headed to the plate with two singles, a double, a stolen base and a run scored already on the ledger, but in his first at bat against Archbold reliever Cory Walker, Nofziger fell behind in the count 2-2.

As the third strike headed toward the plate, Nofziger flicked the bat head out late in an attempt to stay alive. What the left-handed hitting Nofziger got was a slow dribbler down the third base line. Archbold third baseman Corey Wyse scooped up the ball cleanly, but the speedy Nofziger was a step ahead of the throw at first to give the Blackbirds a base runner with still only one out.

"We did what we had to do in that inning I guess," recalled Pettisville head coach Paul Bishop. "We were making their pitcher throw strikes. We were patient and our guys were waiting for their pitch."

Jordan Klopfenstein followed with his second single of the day to give the Blackbirds a runner in scoring position. Walker, who came on in relief in the sixth inning, responded by getting Clay Norris to fly out to shallow right field, as the runners stayed put at first and second.

Now with two outs, Phillip Roth drew a six-pitch free pass to first to load the bases for King.

King was 0-2 with a sacrifice heading into his seventh-inning at bat, but he showed patience as he waited for Walker to throw him a hittable pitch.

Walker quickly fell behind King 3-1 before working his way to a full count with a fastball over the outside corner.

Walker's sixth pitch in the at bat, however, missed its mark as Nofziger crossed the plate with the winning run.

"We knew this was a game that could come down to one key play or one break, either way," admitted Archbold head coach Kevin 'Scoop' Miller. "That was uncharacteristic of us, but I tip my hat to Cory, he threw a complete game two nights ago to help us get here and he was going on life support, but he gave us everything he had and I'm proud of him."

Before the climactic seventh, the teams battled back-and-forth as they responded to the other's rallys.

Pettisville opened the game in its half of the first with a double and a stolen base by Nofziger as Klopfenstein's follow-up single made it a 1-0 ball game. Two batters later Phillip Roth brought Klopfenstein home to give the Birds a 2-0 lead.

In the fourth the Streaks responded.

David Dominique, who opened the inning with a single to right, came home on a Steven Kinsman single while Kinsman also crossed home on a fielder's choice by Trey Westbrook that knotted the score at 2.

In the sixth it was Archbold's turn to take the lead.

RBI singles by Kinsman and Tyler Bernath gave the Streaks their first lead, 2-0.

Kinsman ended the day with a pair of singles, while scoring once and driving in two teammates.

Pettisville managed a pair of base runners, off of Archbold starter Ben Miller in the Birds' half of the sixth, forcing the Streaks to bring in the lefty Walker.

Walker got one quick out, but Zane Miller and Jared Avina had a single and double, respectively, that brought home a pair of Pettisville runners to re-tie the game at 4 and set the stage for the seventh inning.

"You have to give Pettisville credit," said the Archbold skipper. "Some of those hits they got were with two outs and it got them back in the ballgame and then they were able to etch out that run in the seventh."

Linescore

Archbold 000 202 0 - 4 5 1

Pettisville 200 002 1 - 5 8 4

Winning pitcher: Quinn Nofziger (7 innings, 4 runs, 5 hits, 2 strikeouts, 2 walks).

Losing pitcher: Corey Walker (1 1/3 innings, 1 run, 4 hits, 0 strikeouts, 2 walks). Other: Ben Miller.

Leading hitters: (Archbold, 5 hits) - David Dominique single, 2 runs; Steven Kinsman 2 singles, run, 2 RBI. (Pettisville, 8 hits) - Quinn Nofziger 3 singles, double; Jordan Klopfenstein 2 singles, run; Zane Miller 3 singles, RBI; Jared Avina double, RBI; Jacob Rupp double.