Panthers rally past Cougars in district baseball semifinals
May 17—The fourth-seeded College Heights baseball team came within striking distance of knocking off top-seeded Marion C. Early.
But the Panthers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn a 8-7 walk-off win in the Class 2 District 12 semifinals on Monday afternoon at Joe Becker Stadium.
The game was originally scheduled to be at Miller's baseball field but was moved to Joe Becker. The Cougars finished the season with a 6-13 overall record.
Marion C. Early's comeback started when Colby Pellham collected a two-run single to knot the score at 7-7. Isaac Francka walked things off with an RBI single on a flyball to center field.
College Heights benefitted from a fast start as it grabbed an early 7-2 advantage after the top of the fifth. However, the Panthers started to chip away at the deficit with three runs in the bottom half of the frame to cut it to two.
Marion C. Early had nine hits. Francka went 3 for 4 with an RBI, while Pellham added a pair of hits and three driven in.
Triston Bruegman was the team's winning pitcher. He worked a scoreless top of the seventh.
The Cougars finished with eight hits. Jayce Walker went 3 for 4 with two runs scored, while Caleb Evans had two hits and three RBI.
Nicholas Brueggemann, the team's lone senior, took the loss for College Heights.
Marion C. Early (18-4) advanced to the district championship game, where it will play the winner of second-seeded Ash Grove or third-seeded Skyline at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Miller.
