LEBANON — It literally came down to the last pitch as North Montgomery won an 7-6 Sagamore Conference baseball battle with Lebanon.
Roman Utterback, on in relief in the seventh inning, saved the day, and the win, with three strikeouts as the Chargers move o 12-6 on the season, but much more importantly, keep their share of first place in the conference with an 8-1 record.
Utterback saved the win for North starter Cade Cole, who runs his record to 3-1.
Cole ran out of pitches in the seventh, walked the Tigers first hitter, and gave way to the junior relief pitcher.
Facing the hitter who hit a massive grand slam in the third, Utterback entered with a 2-0 count.
Three pitches later, it was strikeout one.
The next hitter was up and down in five pitches, on a second swinging strike three.
“What a job Roman (Utterback) did,” noted Chargers coach Matt Voorhees. “He hasn’t pitched since the Covington game a couple weeks ago. He had a little tweak in his arm. He came in and pounded the zone. I just so like what he brings – his velocity with a tight break. I’m just so proud of him.”
All the drama of the finish capped off a wild game that saw North score a run in the second and three in the third, then fall behind when the Tigers scored five in the bottom of the third, four on a Cannon Morton cannon shot a long way over the left field fence.
North then got four more in the fourth to take the lead back, and nursed that lead until the end.
Lebanon got a run in the fifth to get within one run, and had the tying run on second when things .
“What I continue to love about this team is their warrior mentality,” Voorhees said. “We do not cower from anyone. We feel our biggest opponent is ourselves. Every pitch is a battle, and if we make plays, don’t walk too many hitters get our hits, then we can compete. Winning two from a team of Lebanon’s caliber is huge. Coach (Rick) Cosgray does just an awesome job over here. These guys are always good and always hard to beat. The Coffman kid (relief pitcher Ethan) was really effective and did a really good job.”
Coffman came in to pitch in the fourth inning and didn’t allow a hit or a run after North had chased two Tigers hurlers.
The Chargers were led offensively by Ross Dyson and Corbin Meadows with two hits each. Meadows also had two RBI.
Cole struck out four and scattered five hits.
“I’m just so proud of Cole,” Voorhees said of his sophomore pitcher. “Things didn’t always go his way in the strike zone, and he left the ball up a couple times, especially to Morton on that one, but like all our guys, he battled.”
With the win, the Chargers keep a share of the Sagamore lead. They have Friday game at Benton Central, a Saturday game at Clinton Prairie, and face Crawfordsville in conference action next week, with their two games against co-conference leader Tri-West in two weeks.
