JACKSON — The Miami Trace Panthers varsity baseball team visited Jackson for another Frontier Athletic Conference game Wednesday, April 11.
The Panthers won the game, 7-5 in eight innings.
Miami Trace remains in second place in the FAC with a record of 3-1 behind the Washington Blue Lions who are currently 3-0.
The Panthers will play at Washington High School Friday at 5 p.m.
Austin Mathews pitched seven innings notching the win for the Panthers.
Mathews gave up eight hits with five strikeouts and five walks. He hit three batters.
Dalton Mayer got the save with one inning pitched and one hit allowed. He had no walks and no strikeouts.
After a scoreless first inning, the Panthers scored three runs in the top of the second.
Austin Brown singled, Gavin Taulbee walked and Mayer doubled, scoring Brown and Taulbee.
Josh Gilmore reached on an error that allowed Mayer to score.
Jackson scored two runs in the second.
Blackburn was hit by a pitch, followed by a walk to Mercer. Howard’s single plated both runners.
After a scoreless third and fourth inning for both teams, the Ironmen scored three in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-3 lead.
Lewis reached on an error, Graham hit a run-scoring double and Blackburn singled, scoring Graham.
Mercer singled and Howard singled, scoring Blackburn.
The Panthers tied the game with two runs in the sixth, setting the stage for extra innings.
Brady Wallace singled and stole second.
Drew Batson singled to score Wallace and a fielder’s choice by Cody Brightman scored Batson.
The Panthers extricated themselves from a bases loaded, one out situation in the bottom of the seventh.
In the top of the eighth, Wallace singled and stole second.
Batson was hit by a pitch and Wallace stole third.
Batson stole second and Heath Cockerill singled both runners home.
“It was a real gutty performance, considering we had the game in hand,” Miami Trace head coach Rob Smith said. “We left several runners on base early in the game.
“We were hanging by a thread in the bottom of the seventh when it looked bleak,” Smith said. “We ended up pulling it out in the eighth inning. It was very good, solid team win.”
Miami Trace is now 7-2 overall, 3-1 in the FAC.
Jackson falls to 3-5 overall, 0-4 in the FAC.
Jackson plays Chillicothe Friday.
Offensively for Miami Trace: Brady Wallace, 3-4, 2 runs, 4 sb, hbp; Drew Batson, 2-4, 2 runs, 1 rbi, 1 sb; Cody Brightman, 1-4, 1 bb, 1 rbi; Heath Cockerill, 3-5, 3 rbi; Austin Brown, 1-5, 1 run; Mason Snow, 0-5; Gavin Taulbee, 1-3, 1 run; Dalton Mayer, 1-4, 1 run, 1 rbi; Josh Gilmore, 1-4, 1 rbi.
RHE
MT 030 002 02 — 7 13 5
J 020 030 00 — 5 9 3
