LINDEN - Two unearned runs in the seventh inning spelled doom for North Montgomery’s baseball team in a 6-4 Sagamore Conference loss.
Paired with another unearned run in the first, the Chargers fall to 8-5 on the season and with Tuesday’s conference loss to the Hot Dogs, fall to 5-2 in the league.
Frankfort moves to 10-4 on the season and stays in second place in the league with a 6-1 mark.
“It boiled down to defense,” North coach Matt Voorhees said, “and that is something we have always prided ourselves on. The unearned run in the first, and then front them two more in the seventh, took away our chance for a walkoff win.”
The Chargers got three runs in the first inning, and another in the second, to take the early lead, but the Hot Dogs, after that one in the first, got a pair in the second and tied the game in the third.
Things stayed at 4-4 until the decisive seventh.
Frankfort started with single, which was followed by a fielder’s choice that got an out.
Back-to-back infield errors, compounded by a throwing error on a pickoff play, allowed two runners to cross, and the Chargers couldn’t get a threat going in their last at-bat.
“It was a communication issue on the first error,” Voorhees said. “We practice those in-betweeners. Then it got compounded and compounded again.”
Cade Cole started on the mound for North, and the freshman went into the fourth inning, allowing five hits. He walked two and struck out two before giving way to Ross Dyson, who got tagged with the loss without allowing an earned run.
“Cade did a great job,” Voorhees said, noting an injury to Brayden Martin, who would have pitched. “It was his first appearance. He attacked the zone. Ross (Dyson) also gave us a solid effort. It just came down to the defense.”
Dyson allowed three hits, walking one and striking out two.
The Chargers offense got going from the first hitter with the three early runs.
Jakob Kirsch and Jarrod Kirsch each walked and scored.
Brookes Walters hitting streak extends to 13 games as the junior had two, including a single in the first that drove in a run. He also scored in the first.
Jakob Kirsch doubled and scored in the second, but that fourth run, to go with the four hits in the first two innings, were all the Chargers had for the game.
Frankfort pitcher Deacon Spencer picked up the win to go to 3-0 on the season. The senior struck out nine and walked six. Conner Boone came in to pitch the seventh, and picked up the save.
“We’ve been playing well the last two weeks,” Frankfort coach Andy Dudley said. “Today was not really that good, but we battled. Most of our mistakes were aggressive ones, and with the experienced team that we have, we maintained our confidence. We put the ball in play offensively and we pitched the ball in the strike zone. It was Deacon’s (Spencer) first start, and he gave us a lot. We had other guys ready to come in and pitch, but we didn’t need anyone until the seventh. We’ve won a few games in different ways this season, and it was good to get two wins over North Montgomery. They are a good team.”
Boone was one of the offensive leaders, as the senior reached base three times and scored twice. He had one of the two Hot Dog doubles.
The bottom of the order came up big for the visitors, as Quentcy Perry, hitting seventh, had two hits and scored once. Victor Cruz, hitting eighth, also had two hits, including the other double, and scored once.
The battle for the Sagamore championship continues next week as both teams work to stay close to Crawfordsville, still unbeaten after two wins this week.
Frankfort will take on Tri-West in action next week, while the Chargers take on Lebanon. The Tigers also have two conference losses, one each to the Hot Dogs and the Athenians.
“We still control our own destiny,” Dudley said.
“It isn’t time to panic,” Voorhees noted. “We need to piece things back together this weekend and get after Lebanon next week.”
North has a Friday game at Parke Heritage and a home Saturday game against Seeger.
