Montgomery's Lincoln Miller made a sacrifice bunt in the first inning against Muncie in Montgomery on Wednesday afternoon. Montgomery won 8-7.Dave Kennedy/Sun Gazette
MONTGOMERY — When it comes to baseball, it's never really over until it's over.
That was clearly on Montgomery's mind as he entered the bottom of the seventh inning trailing 7-3. Despite facing overwhelming odds, Muncy played great defense through the first six innings, but showed no signs of getting discouraged as he appeared to be back on his feet.
That attitude was reflected in the results, with the Red Raiders stepping up when it mattered most. He got off to a good start with two walks, and in his next at-bat, due to confusion in the infield, he tied the score with consecutive straight hits.
From there, Briar Pershing tied it on a wild pitch from Muncie relief pitcher Stiles Eyer. Victor Ottman then placed the ball in a perfect position, allowing Montgomery sophomore Parker Pershing to cross home for the winning goal, giving Montgomery a thrilling 8-7 victory over its rivals and clinching the league title. . Mid-pen title.
“I was at third base and I knew Victor Ottman was going to come in and he was going to put a run on the play.” Pershing said while playing. “That's great. We knew the game was close today and we were ready to fight. We were all confident we could make that game.”
In the bottom of the third inning Wednesday afternoon at Montgomery, Muncie's Nick Delaney stole a base and found himself safe at third base as Montgomery's Connor Pugerbach attempted to make a play.Dave Kennedy/Sun Gazette
Briar Pershing and Parker Bennett played big roles in the rally, each scoring important RBIs and keeping outs down the stretch. Pershing sent a bouncer to left field to record his second RBI of the day, contributing to both the team's early scoring and late work finishing attempts.
“He threw a second curveball, which I wasn't expecting. He was pretty confident, so I looked at the pitch again and was ready to take a good swing. It was done.” Pershing said while playing. “We just had a tough loss against South, so it was good to come back against our crosstown rival.”
“Muncie is a great team and just getting that done shows what we are capable of.” Bennett started the seventh kick scoring with a well-placed ball to left-center field. “That's amazing, especially against a rival from across town. I'm really glad we won.”
That's a consistent attitude across the team, and it's no surprise. Not only did the Red Raiders defeat Muncie for the second year in a row this season, they also defeated last season's champions and clinched the Mid-Penn title in the process.
“We haven't done that in a long time.” Montgomery head coach Tim Pershing said of the accomplishment: “If you don't have a good start from the beginning, you have to do things like this and fight back, but they did a great job. They stayed in there.”
Muncie's Carter Feagles tries to play in the first inning as Montgomery's Lincoln Miller tries to play Wednesday afternoon. Montgomery won 8-7.Dave Kennedy/Sun Gazette
It wasn't a perfect win by any means, as Montgomery's slow start put them in a hole late in the game.
Starting pitcher Briar Pershing struggled early in the game, allowing four walks and five hits through the first three innings, and the Red Raiders quickly fell behind 6-1. It was an unusual start for an ace who doesn't usually issue walks, but it's not always a normal start in a situation like this.
Pershing finished the day with just two retirees in the fourth and fifth innings, totaling 10 strikeouts and just four walks. He clearly regrets conceding the goal in the first place, but keeping Muncy at bay was key to keeping his team in position to fight back.
“I told myself to get back up and I knew my teammates had my back. They had my back and I had theirs. .” said Pershing. “I just started throwing strikes and it worked.”
“He was struggling a little bit tonight, so I just tried to tell him to relax and let him know that you don't always have the best stuff as a pitcher.” Coach Pershing said this at the Brier. “You just have to fight through it. That's what he did.”
Muncie's Kadin Berry pitched in the first inning against Montgomery on Wednesday afternoon. Montgomery won 8-7.Dave Kennedy/Sun Gazette
Parker Bennett filled in and did a decent job of mitigating further damage. He allowed a run in the 7th inning with a walk with the bases loaded, but he struck out two and survived almost unscathed with a fly ball to center field.
With this victory, the Red Raiders improved their season record to 15 wins and 1 loss, and entered the final game with great confidence. They hope to finish the remaining three games on a high note, starting with Wednesday's Bucktail, before turning their focus to the postseason.
Muncie 222,000 1 – 7 7 2
Montgomery 011 100 5 – 8 10 0
Kaydin Berry, Styles Eyer (7), Braydon Camera. Briar Pershing, Parker Bennett (6), Lincoln Miller. W – Bennett. L – Iyer.
Montgomery's Briar Pershing pitched in the first inning against Muncie in Montgomery on Wednesday afternoon.Dave Kennedy/Sun Gazette
Muncie's top hitters: Dominic Guardini, 2-3, 2B, RBI, runs. Landon Womer 1-4, 2 RBIs. Montgomery's top hitters: Briar Pershing 2-4, 2B, 2 RBIs, runs. Victor Ottman 1-4, 2 RBIs. Parker Bennett 1-4, RBI, baserunner. Cooper Roman 1-2, escapes.
Record: Muncie 11-5 (Mid-Penn 8-3) Montgomery 15-1 (Mid-Penn 11-0).
On Wednesday afternoon, Muncy's Landon Womer was in jeopardy in second place on the Steam as Montgomery's Cooper Roman made the tag.Dave Kennedy/Sun Gazette
After Adams dropped the ball Wednesday afternoon in Montgomery, Muncy's Liam Adams tried to play second base and Montgomery's Blake Frye slid safely to second base.Dave Kennedy/Sun Gazette
Muncie's Stiles Eyer celebrates after scoring in the bottom of the third inning against Montgomery on Wednesday afternoon in Montgomery.Dave Kennedy/Sun Gazette
On Wednesday afternoon in Montgomery, Muncie's Noah Compher tagged out Montgomery's Lincoln Miller in the fourth inning.Dave Kennedy/Sun Gazette
