WAYNESBORO – The Waynesboro Indians entered the bottom of the seventh inning against Northern York trailing by a run, but the Tribe quickly loaded the bases with no outs.
And that’s where they stayed. The Polar Bears kept a single run from crossing the plate and at least sent the game into extra innings and held on to win 4-3 in a Mid-Penn Colonial Division varsity baseball game played Wednesday, April 23, at Robinson Field.
Northern swept the season series with Waynesboro. Both games were one-run affairs, as the Bears won 3-2 in eight innings in Dillsburg on April 1.
Waynesboro, which has patented comeback wins, took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Riley Eaton led off with a single. He stole second base and scored on a base hit off the bat of Calvin Myers. Tank Benedict, batting from the power spot, singled to plate Myers.
The Polar Bears had a golden opportunity to score in the top of the second inning but left the bases loaded.
However, Northern didn’t come up empty in the third inning, scoring two runs to tie the game.
An inning later, the Indians retook the lead, as Rylan Nichols led off the fourth inning with a single and scored on a long fly ball triple by Gunner Shifflett.
Waynesboro starting pitcher Jack Knepper was relieved by Nate Nystrom after the fourth inning. Knepper allowed two runs on five hits with one strikeout, a walk, and two hit batsmen.
Nystrom put down the side in order in the fifth frame, and in the sixth stanza, Northern scored what proved to be the winning run. The Polar Bears plated a pair of runs on two singles and two walks.
The Polar Bears had runners on second and third bases with no outs in the top of the seventh inning but couldn’t get an insurance run.
In the home seventh, Nystrom was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. After a pitching change, Eric Knepper walked and Jack Knepper laid down a bunt single. But there would be no celebratory ending as the next three batters were retired.
Waynesboro (5-7) hosts Spring Grove on Friday in a non-conference game.
