Panthers beat Wildcats in 12 inning game

Wed, 04/11/2007 - 10:16pm
By: Michael Boylan

Everyone expected a battle between the Whitewater and Starr's Mill varsity baseball teams, but nobody could have predicted the 12 inning, four hour game that was played on Wednesday evening.

Especially after the way it started.

Starr's Mill opened up with five runs in the top of the first inning with RBIs coming from Trent Freeman, Ed Cook, Michael Jeanes, Ken Jackson and Tyler Claborn. Cook, Jeanes and Jackson hit back-to-back-to back RBI doubles to score three of the five runs. Whitewater answered in the bottom of the inning with a single from Travis Dingler that knocked in two runs. Ryan Johnson would add one more run in the second inning with a sacrifice fly.

The score remained 5-3 until the bottom of the fifth inning when Whitewater pitcher Justin Carpenter hit a home run to cut the Panthers' lead to one run. Starr's Mill's starting pitcher, Ryan Haynie, hit an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning to stretch the lead out to two runs. Ed Cook came on in relief of Haynie in the bottom of the sixth but three errors and another RBI single from Dingler gave the Wildcats a 7-6 lead. Starr's Mill's Pat Casey hit a game tying RBI single in the top of the seventh and the two teams would remain deadlocked until the 12th inning.

In the top of the 12th, Haynie and Brian Fletcher hit back to back RBI doubles and Freeman followed with an RBI triple. Cook followed Freeman's hit with an RBI single and the 11-7 lead held up in the bottom of the inning.

Cook was the winning pitcher for the Panthers, pitching seven innings, giving up three hits, three runs, none of them earned, and one intentional walk, while striking out seven batters.

"We were just trying to hold on," said Starr's Mill coach Brent Moseley after the game. "They have a great hittng team and are just a great ball club. Our guys battled like crazy though and hopefully we won't have a let down in the rest of our games this week." Moseley heaped praise on Cook and Haynie for getting the job done on the mound and at the plate.

The Panthers will make up a region contest with Westlake on Thursday and will face Woodward Academy on Friday. Whitewater will host McIntosh on Friday.

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