LILLINGTON — Capitalizing on two hits, a pair of walks, a hit batter, a sacrifice fly and a dropped ball in the outfield, Western Harnett plated four runs in the bottom of the sixth to snap a 4-4 standoff en route to defeating Northwood 8-5 in non-conference baseball action Saturday afternoon on the winners’ field.
Meeting for the first time on the diamond since 2009, the Eagles raised their season record to 9-3, while the Chargers suffered their third straight late-game loss in falling to 8-3 overall.
Western Harnett reliever Julian Barnes hurled the final three innings to garner the win, giving up a pair of hits and two earned runs while walking two.
Eagles’ starter Pat Martin threw the first four innings, surrendering six hits and three earned runs besides fanning two.
“Regardless of the score, our guys play with the same level of intensity and focus from start to finish,” commented Western Harnett coach Dalton Hardee. “They have the expectation every time they step on the field they can mount a comeback against any opponent, and this afternoon they did a good job answering every Northwood challenge.”
Dylan Hitt, the second of three Chargers’ pitchers, was saddled with the loss after allowing one hit and three earned runs in addition to issuing three free passes and striking out one in two-plus innings on the mound.
Luke Popp opened on the hill for Northwood and gave up four hits and four runs (two earned) besides whiffing two over three-plus innings.
Justin Szczypinski came on to toss the last frame, yielding one hit and an unearned run while walking one.
“It was the same old story,” related Chargers’ coach David Miller. “We haven’t learned yet how to finish when the game is on the line in the late innings. We did a good job battling back twice from deficits, but not making routine plays in the field proved to be costly.”
The Eagles flew in front 1-0 in the bottom of the first as Chase Holder singled up the middle with one away and scored when Bradley Wilson belted a double up the alley in left-center.
Western Harnett increased its advantage to 3-0 in the home third as Holder’s two-out routine infield pop-up was dropped before Wilson reached in an infield error.
Holder proceeded to steal third and came in to score on a throwing miscue that permitted Wilson to advance to second prior to Collin Welch smacking a run-scoring double to left.
Northwood managed to pull into a tie in the top of the fourth as leadoff batter Deuce Powell blooped a base hit to center and went to second when Szczypinski singled to left.
Following Landon Johnson’s sacrifice that moved both runners up a base, Jack Spotz stroked an opposite-field double down the right field line to plate Powell and send Szczy-pinski to third.
After Quin Powell reached on a fielder’s choice as Szczypinski was thrown out at home attempting to score, Hitt blasted a two-run opposite-field double to left.
The Eagles went back ahead 4-3 in the bottom half of the frame as leadoff batter Dustin Lund was plunked by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on Nathan Jolley’s base hit to left before scoring on Connor Smith’s groundout.
But once again the Chargers drew even in the visitor’s fifth when Tyler Johnson led off the inning by walking on four pitches, stole second, went to third on a groundout and tallied as Deuce Powell lofted a sacrifice fly to right.
Western Harnett erupted for fourth runs in the home sixth to soar in front 8-4 as Lund poked a leadoff single to left prior to Kaleb Denkins and Smith drawing back-to-back walks before Jason Barnes was hit by a pitch to force in Lund.
After Denkins dashed home when Julian Barnes’ fly ball to center was dropped, Noah Kessler’s sacrifice fly to center brought in Smith prior to Holder driving in courtesy runner Alex Brafford with an opposite-field base hit to right.
Northwood added its final run in the top of the seventh as Hitt led off with an opposite-field single up the gap in left-center and went to third when Brandon Crabtree blasted an opposite-field double to the same location.
Following a base on balls issued to Tyler Johnson that loaded the sacks, Michael Posse brought in Hitt when he reached on a fielder’s choice.