By CHIP MAXEY

cnsports@crescent-news.com

COLDWATER -- Patrick Henry is quickly becoming this year's State ACME comeback kids. That's been the case with the Patriots through two games of the tournament.

On Saturday, PH used a nine-run seventh inning to rally past Vandalia 11-4. On Sunday, the Pats built an early lead but lost it only to come-from-behind to win a slugfest over Perrysburg 10-9 and advance to the winners' bracket finals on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Northmont rolled over Lima Bath 14-3 in Sunday's late contest and will be the next opponent for PH.

"We just kept chipping away," said Patriot head coach Ben Botjer. "We told them not to panic and they didn't. We just kept plugging away."

Trailing has not been a problem for PH, which just six weeks ago captured the Division IV state baseball title.

"We've been getting down early in the game but that doesn't affect us," stated outfielder Luke George. "We're a confident team, we know that we can hit the ball and score runs. We know we're going to get the job done in the end."

That happened after the Patriots fell behind 9-5 in the fourth. In the bottom of the frame, George led off with a double to right and one out later Cody Meyer walked. Austin Bower then hit a bomb to right-center field to trim the deficit to 9-8.

"It was a big momentum-shifter," said Bower of his three-run shot. "They had it with the seven-run inning but we took it back. We kept battling."

Said Botjer: "That got us right back in the game. We knew from there that we could beat those guys."

The Patriots took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth. Mitch Leonard hit a one-out single to right-center and stole second. George then reached on an error bringing Chris Boyer to the plate. A two-strike check-swing hit to right scored Leonard to tie the game.

"I knew with two strikes on me I had to slap the ball somewhere," noted Boyer. "I didn't mean to do it (like that) but I put the ball in play."

"That's what he had to do with two strikes," stated Botjer. "He found a hole and got another RBI."

Following a bunt single by Meyer, Bower was hit by a pitch to score George for the third time in the game, the sixth RBI in the contest for Bower.

"We were teeing off on the first pitcher," stated Botjer on getting back the lead. "It took us a few innings on the second guy but we came around."

After the Yellow Jackets went up 1-0 in the top of the first, the Patriot bats exploded. A Perrysburg error put Leonard on second and George hit a ground ball off the second-base bag to tie the game. Boyer hit a single and Meyer, was safe at first on a bunt to load the bases.

Bower then laced a hit to right-center field to score both George and Boyer and put the Patriots up 3-1. Tyler Phillips walked to load the bases again before a Brian Kline sacrifice fly scored Meyer to make it 4-1. Bower made it 5-1 when he scored on a Josh Almanza fielder's choice.

"We had the pitcher timed up pretty good," said Boyer. "If we jump out early we're good for the rest of the game."

Perrysburg (23-4) didn't throw the towel in as they came right back with seven big runs in the top of the second. Three straight hits and a walk cut the PH lead to 5-3 before an out was recorded in the inning. An RBI ground out cut the lead to one before Blake Schmenk drove in Renner to tie the game.

Taylor Dimmerlinger put the Jackets up with a triple down the right-field line before Zach Hefner walked to put runners on the corners with two outs. Troy Mugler then ripped his second double of the inning to left-center to score Dimmerlinger and Hefner to put Perrysburg up 8-5.

"They were good hitters and they hit the ball all game," said Boyer.

In the fourth, Perrysburg increased its lead to 9-5 when Alec Schmenk led off the inning with a home run.

But the never-say-die Patriots were far from finished.

George and Leonard combined to reach base seven times in the game and score five times to help lead the Patriots to their 16th win in 21 games.

"That's what Mitch and I do - get on base and then they hit us in," said George of Boyer and Bower. "They've done a good job of hitting us over or hitting us in."

The top of the order has been huge admitted Botjer.

"They do what they have to do," the PH coach said of the first five hitters. "They do what we ask them to do. Austin has been coming up with some big hits and Cody had some huge bunts for us."

Kline, Saturday's winning pitcher, came in and shut the door on Perrysburg in the final two innings, allowing only one runner to pick up the save.

"He was huge," said Bower. "He always pitches well for us in any type of game. He's just a bulldog out there."

Added Boyer: "He's always clutch for us. We have a lot of confidence in him. He throws a lot of strikes and hits his spots."

It was enough to put the Patriots one win away from the state finals.

"He's the most underrated player, he does everything," concluded George on Kline. "He does the small things that get things done."

Linescore

Perrysburg 170 100 0 - 9 9 2

Patrick Henry 500 320 x - 10 12 0

Records: Patrick Henry 16-5, Perrysburg 23-4.

Winning pitcher: Tyler Phillips (5 Innings, 9 runs, 9 hits, 1 strikeout, 4 walks). Other: Brian Kline.

Loosing pitcher: Kyle Szczublewski (4 1/3 innings, 5 runs, 6 hits, 2 strikeouts, 4 walks). Others: David Gordon, Jordan Bringman.

Leading hitters: (Perrysburg, 9 hits) - Blake Schmenk single, double; Troy Mugler 2 doubles; Taylor Dimmerlinger triple; Alec Schmenk home run. (Patrick Henry, 12 hits) - Luke George single, double; Austin Bower single, home run, 6 RBI; Brian Kline 2 singles; Cody Meyer 2 singles; Chris Boyer 2 singles; Josh Almanza double.