Flyers stun Panthers in 7th

MARIA STEIN - A game with several errors ultimately ended on one in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Marion Local rallied to score two runs with two outs in its final at-bat to defeat Parkway 6-5 on Thursday night in a game that featured a combined 10 defensive miscues.

"I'm really happy with the way we competed," Marion Local coach Casey Witt said. "That's the second time this week where we've (won a game) in our last at-bat. We just have this never-say-die attitude in our dugout, and I'm proud of my guys for that."

The Flyers (4-6) were down to their final out in the seventh, when Nate Moeller hit a single. A fielding error on the next at-bat kept the game alive, and then Dylan Homan drove home Moeller with a base hit to tie the score. Duane Leugers swung at the first offering from Parkway reliever Jack Wehe on the next plate appearance. A routine grounder to third was fielded but the throw slipped past the first baseman, allowing the winning run to score.

"It was a learning experience," Parkway coach Bryan Schoenleben said. "It is the hard truth, or hard facts, of what can happen as we're getting closer to tournament. We come off a big high with the Coldwater win last night, and I was hoping we wouldn't come flat or overconfident ... I think that's what happened."

The Panthers (7-5) had a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning - built by a four-run third and an additional run in the fourth. Justin Barna, Cole Schoenleben, Noah Stephenson and Wehe all had one-run singles in the third.

Trace Walls reached on an error to begin the fourth and moved to third on Carson Ford's single. Walls scored on Shay Pond's double-play ball.

"They just strung some hits together, and that's baseball," Witt said. "They score four runs in an inning where they send nine guys to the plate on just 12 pitches. They just strung some hits together. That put us behind the 8-ball, especially with the wind blowing in. Kudos to them for doing so."

Panther starter Alec Schoenleben had only allowed one hit through four innings and had successfully worked his way out of jams in the third and fourth. Duane Leugers led off the fifth with a double, and the Flyers went on to score three runs on the benefit of just one hit. Schoenleben had two walks in the inning and all three runs were scored on two errors.

Wehe, the starter in center field, swapped positions with Schoenleben on the hill after he had given up a single to Homan and a walk to Leugers to begin the sixth. Schoenleben's arm, however, wasn't done just yet. Cole Unrast moved the runners into scoring position with a sac bunt, and Trent Bohman delivered a two-out RBI single to center. Leugers tried scoring on the play, but Schoenleben fired home from center field for the putout to keep the score 5-4.

Ian Kramer, Marion's starting pitcher, remained on the mound through the sixth. He allowed seven hits and five runs, two of which were earned. He didn't walk a batter until the sixth. Aaron Brunswick pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the win.

Homan, who hadn't picked up a bat until the sixth inning, went 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI for the Flyers.

"I'm really happy for Dylan," Witt said. "Dylan's worked his tail off. Dylan played a little bit of varsity ball this spring and was very productive in doing so. For him to come up in a couple clutch situations and get a couple hits, it was really good for Dylan and for our whole team."

Ford and Barna each had two hits for the Panthers, who play at Spencerville tonight.