Trailing 7-1 headed into the bottom of the seventh inning Monday night at home, the Huskies scored seven runs to beat Elmira 8-7.
With the last-inning win, the Huskies are in second place in baseball with a 6-2 record.
Sisters leads the Sky-Em with a 7-1 record, while Elmira fell to third with a 5-3 league record. The Huskies, who lost 4-3 the last time they saw Elmira, were scheduled to face Elmira again on Tuesday on the road.
Elmira and Sweet Home each scored a run in the first inning. Elmira added another in the second but then broke things open in the third with three more runs to lead 5-1. The Falcons boosted that lead to 7-1 in the top of the seventh.
But it’s not over until the last out. The Huskies scored seven runs to win the game.
“That was crazy,” said Coach Dan Tow. “That’s the thing about baseball, you’ve got to get three outs.”
Justin Tow got things started in the bottom of the seventh, leading off with a double. Brett Blachly singled, and Colyn Van Eck doubled. Kevin Seiber reached on an error. Brandon Keenon hit the ball, followed by some fielder’s choices.
Dan Virtue was the first Husky out that inning. Jake Long reached base on a bunt, loading bases again. Hunter Jutte drove in a run and reached first on a fielder’s choice that ended with Long forced out at second.
Tow came up again and drew a walk, and then Blachly singled to knock in Jutte and the winning run.
Before that, the Huskies put a guy on third several times.
“We certainly had some chances,” Coach Tow said. “All game long, we didn’t get a hit when we had these situations. They got big hits, and we didn’t. Somehow we found a way to get it done.”
Van Eck led the Huskies at the plate gong 304 with two doubles and two RBIs, Tow said. He drove in the first run, and then another in the second inning.
He’s been doing a good job for the team, and Monday night he was huge, Tow said.
Blachly went 3-5 with an RBI and a run.
Justin Tow and Keenon each had two hits, Tow with a double and two runs and Keenon with a run.
Long and Virtue each had a hit. Jutte had an RBI and a run. Seiber had a run and an RBI. Desmond Ely and Keanu Aiona each had a run.
Cole Ashcraft pitched a complete game, giving up nine hits, four earned runs and no walks. He struck out six batters.
“There’s a lot of baseball left to play,” Tow said. “We play again tomorrow and that’s kind of rubber time. It certainly wasn’t looking good today. They’re tough. They hit the ball well.”
It was the second “great” game between these two teams this year, the second decided by a single run, Tow said.
Elmira 110 300 2 – 7 9 2
Sweet Home 100 000 7 – 8 12 1
Sweet Home 8, Junction City 1
The Huskies beat Junction City 8-1 on April 21 on the road.
Both teams scored a run in the first inning, but the Huskies brought in three runs in the top of the second to seal the win. The Huskies added two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings.
At bat, Brandon Keenon went 3-4 to lead the Huskies with two RBIs and a run. Desmond Ely and Justin Tow each hit the ball twice, Tow with two RBIs and a run and Ely with an RBI and two runs.
Hitting once were Joe Salsbery with a run; Brett Blachly with a run and an RBI; Hunter Jutte with a double, RBI and a run; and Dan Virtue with a run.
On the mound, Cole Ashcraft started and recorded the win. In six innings, he gave up four hits, one earned run and a walk, while striking out six batters. Kevin Seiber pitched in relief, giving up one walk.
Sweet Home 130 022 0 – 8 11 3
Junction City 100 000 0 – 1 4 3