WAYNESBORO – The Waynesboro Indians were one out away from securing their fourth win of the season when West Perry’s Cole Brown skied a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning.
As the game moved to the eighth inning, knotted at 6-6, the stakes were higher and the pressure was, too. However, Waynesboro relief pitcher Brody Daywalt, who replaced reliever Brayden Zeigler, and the Tribe defense ensured the Mustangs didn’t cross the plate, which allowed Waynesboro to win it in the home half of the inning.
Daywalt struck out two of the three batters he faced, which bookended a fly out to centerfielder Gunner Shifflett.
Shifflett came into play when Waynesboro came up to bat, as the pressure shifted to West Perry. Shifflett led off the inning with a double. Then, lead-off hitter Riley Eaton, who scored on a Tank Benedict triple in the bottom of the fifth inning, hit a walk-off single to set off the celebration in a 7-6 victory.
The win evens the Indians’ record at 4-4.
Indeed, Waynesboro has experienced its share of dramatic late-inning and extra-inning wins, but they are usually come-from-behind triumphs.
The Indians did trail, 1-0, after Brown hit an RBI groundout to Brett Powell.
Waynesboro tied the game in the third inning when Shifflett scored on a two-out base hit by Calvin Myers.
Waynesboro starting pitcher John Kahl kept the Mustangs off balance during his time on the mound. For the most part, he used his defense, especially the infield. Kahl struck out only one batter through five innings and induced eight groundouts.
Meanwhile, the Indians plated the go-ahead run in the fourth inning as Eric Knepper hit a lead-off double, Nate Nystrom, singled, and Ethan Hotchkiss singled to score Knepper. Nystrom scored on a single by Shifflett to make it 3-1.
Waynesboro pushed across another run in the fifth frame when Eaton singled and scored on a triple by Tank Benedict.
The pressure was back on the Indians when the Mustangs closed the gap to 4-3 in the top of the sixth inning.
Waynesboro scored what appeared to be a couple of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth as Ryan Jenkins reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on a base hit by Eaton, and Shifflett singled and scored on a single by Myers.
Brown’s homer extended the game an extra inning, but with the sun descending in the western sky, the Tribe only needed only two at bats to notch the win.
Waynesboro hosts James Buchanan at 4:15 p.m., Tuesday.
