BAKER, W.Va. — Northern put the tying run in scoring position in the seventh, but freshman Garrett VanMeter slammed the door with a strikeout to give No. 4 East Hardy a 7-6 win Tuesday.
A day after plating six runs in the final inning, all with two outs, to come back and stun Mountain Ridge, 11-9, Northern (5-4) nearly repeated the feat at East Hardy (7-4).
After VanMeter retired the first two batters via groundouts, Wally Brands drew a walk, and Jacob Chambers scored him with a double to left field to trim the Huskies’ deficit to one.
However, VanMeter got the final out to secure the win.
Northern scored three runs in the top of the third inning to lead 4-1. Cole Folk had a two-RBI hit and Luke Ross scored another on a bunt. Brands starting the scoring with a solo home run in the first.
The lead was short-lived as an RBI single by Logan Sager and a two-RBI double by Noah Sager knotted the score at four in the bottom of the third.
Northern regained the edge in the topsy-turvy affair thanks to a solo home run by Kyle Broadwater an inning later, but East Hardy took the lead for good in the bottom half.
The Cougars loaded the bases with nobody out after a hit by pitch and two walks, and they pushed three runs across to go ahead 7-5.
That margin stood until Northern got a run back in the seventh.
Noah Sager picked up the win on the mound, allowing five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 4 1/3 innings.
VanMeter surrendered one run on one hit, striking out six and walking one, in 2 2/3 frames of relief to garner the save.
Sager was 2 for 3 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. Logan Sager drove in a pair, VanMeter was 2 for 3 and Evan Hamilton doubled. Chambers and Folk had two hits apiece for Northern.
Ross was dealt the loss despite a complete-game effort. The right-handed pitcher allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked three.
Both teams had eight base hits and made one error.
Northern is at No. 1 Keyser on Wednesday at 6 p.m. East Hardy is at Hedgesville on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
No. 3 Frankfort 16, Moorefield 4
MOOREFIELD, W.Va. — Frankfort pounded out 19 hits Tuesday, Lanson Orndorf had four extra-base knocks and the Falcons handed Moorefield their seventh straight defeat.
The Falcons (7-5) plated four runs in the second, third and seventh innings and two runs in the first and sixth frames.
Orndorf was 5 for 5 with a triple, three doubles, three RBIs and five runs scored; Blake Jacobs was 5 for 6 with a double, four ribbies and four runs; Cam Lynch doubled twice and drove in a pair; and Jacob Nething went 3 for 3 with three ribbies.
Rhett Sensabaugh got the win on the mound, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits with eight strikeouts and four walks in 5 1/3 innings of work. Uriah Cutter pitched 1 2/3 scoreless frames out of the pen.
Adam Landes had two hits for Moorefield (5-8).
Frankfort hosts Berkeley Springs on Thursday at 6 p.m. Moorefield hosts Petersburg on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.