ACCIDENT — For four innings, Wednesday’s game between No. 2 Allegany and No. 3 Northern looked like a potential classic.
With the Huskies (3-3, 1-3 WestMAC) leading 2-1 after four innings, everything changed in the top of the fifth.
“It was kind of a funny game, it almost felt like two different games,” Allegany head coach Jon Irons said. “I thought we came out early and were getting barrels to baseballs, but we just weren’t getting results. I thought Caden Long battled well through that part of the game. He gave us a chance to find that big inning and then we were able to find that big inning and bust things open.”
The Campers (7-2, 3-0 WestMAC) led off with a Myles Bascelli single and a Caedon Wallace walk.
Kohen Madden drove Bascelli home on a base hit to left to tie the game.
Jackson Resh drew a walk to load the bases followed by another walk by Kane Williams to take a 3-2 lead.
After a strikeout, the next three batters once again loaded the bases.
“Offensively, we did a decent job against Long with his velocity, he’s one of the harder throwers in the area,” Northern head coach Phil Carr said. “I thought we had some good at-bats against him but pitching we struggled. Luke is a starter, I don’t know if he’s walked that many guys in a game in his other two years. But give him credit, he bulldogged into the fifth inning with a lead.”
Cole Ricker singled for two runs and Eli Imes and Bryce Madden each drew a walk with Madden’s bringing home a run.
After a flyout, a hit batter, an RBI triple to right by Kohen Madden and an RBI double from Resh capped a 10-run inning for Allegany.
“I told them after the game, I felt we had a big inning coming for about three games,” Irons said. “Sometimes, that’s all you need is that big inning to open up your offense going forward.”
The Huskies used three pitchers in the inning who combined for five hits and five walks.
Northern responded in the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back first pitch hits.
Liam Stewart singled down the third-base line and Wally Brands sent a line drive over second base for a base hit.
Jacob Chambers sent a fly ball to left center for another hit to load the bases with no outs.
After the Campers tagged the runner from third out at home, Northern answered with an RBI single by Kellen Hinebaugh and a bases-loaded walk.
“It gets you a little confidence for your next game,” Carr said. “I give our guys that came off the bench credit, some of them it was their first at-bats of the year.”
Alco added a run in the sixth on a wild pitch before loading the bases again in the seventh.
Josef Sneathen stepped into the box with one out and sent a fly ball deep to left center for a grand slam.
“Good for Josef for coming out and swinging it better today,” Irons said. “He’d been struggling a lot with the bat, the line drive up the middle for a single, we love to see that. And then he found a line drive over the fence. Two good hit line drives, for a kid that’s been struggling, it’s good to see.”
The Huskies added a run in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-loaded walk.
The bases were loaded early and often for both teams on Wednesday.
In the top of the second, Allegany drew four walks including three straight to score the game’s first run.
“I wasn’t upset with our offense, very disappointed with our pitching,” Carr said. “We haven’t walked that many guys in years.”
The next half-inning, an infield single by Cole Folk, a Hinebaugh free pass and a Devin McKenzie base hit loaded the bases.
Robert Deatelhauser placed a bunt towards first base that scored Folk from third.
The Campers believed Folk left third early, but the appeal was unsuccessful as Northern tied the game.
Kyle Broadwater took the lead on a sacrifice fly RBI the next at-bat.
The Huskies put three runners on again in the third with two outs, but on a 2-2 count, Long got a called strike three to end the inning.
Long went five innings, allowing seven hits, two earned runs and three walks with nine strikeouts.
“Caden did a great job of battling through a couple tough situations in this game,” Irons said. “He has matured mentally this year, when he’s on the mound, he’s throwing with confidence.”
Kohen Madden and Imes finished the game, combining to allow one run over two innings.
The Campers combined for 11 hits with Kohen Madden, Sneathen and Ricker each recording two.
Madden and Sneathen each drove in four RBIs while Ricker drove in a pair.
Luke Ross went four innings for Northern, allowing five hits, six runs and eight walks. However, he exited with three earned runs.
Nick Riley and Stewart finished out of the bullpen.
Chambers led the Huskies with two hits.
Allegany continues a five-game road trip at Broadfording on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
Northern hosts Rockwood on Thursday and will play Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, on Saturday at 10 a.m. in Accident.
The Huskies were upset by Fort Hill on Monday in their first loss to the Sentinels since 2013.
After dropping its last two games, Northern faces some adversity early in the season.
“Sometimes you have to face some adversity, we didn’t face a lot of it last year,” Carr said. “This is good for a younger team to deal with some adversity. It might do us good down the road.”