DELPHOS – Once the Delphos Jefferson wave of runs started rolling across the diamond, there appeared to be no stopping it.
Delphos Jefferson scored eight runs in the home sixth inning to post a 9-3 victory over Allen East in a Northwest Conference baseball game Monday at Delphos.
Allen East held a 3-1 lead entering the home sixth behind the pitching of right-hander Brent Wilson.
But when Wilson tired and was relieved in the sixth, the Wildcats cut loose and a little bit of everything happened.
“It’s a crazy game,” Delphos Jefferson coach Doug Geary said. “Allen East had all the momentum for five innings. We stuck with it and stayed positive and finally got that inning. The sixth was pretty good to us today.”
Delphos Jefferson is 11-8 and atop the NWC at 5-0. Allen East is 7-5 and 2-2 in the NWC.
Delphos Jefferson right-hander Jace Stockwell picked up the win. He went six innings and gave up three runs, all unearned, on four hits. He struck out four and walked none.
Stockwell threw his fastball and breaking ball for strikes, as he threw only 55 pitches, 45 for strikes.
“Coach (Josh) Miller talks about getting ahead in the count and I really try to do that,” Stockwell said.
The Wildcats’ Brett Mahlie finished the game by tossing a scoreless seventh inning.
Allen East scored an unearned run in the first to take a 1-0 lead. The Wildcats tied the game at 1 in the fifth on an unearned run.
Allen East scored two unearned runs in the sixth to take a 3-1 lead. The Mustangs’ Wilson led off the inning with a double. Allen East went on to score two in the inning, with the help of three Jefferson errors.
So Wilson took that 3-1 lead into the home sixth. But several times throughout the game, Wilson’s command of his fastball would come and go. Each time, he regained his command.
Jefferson’s Brandan Herron singled to right to open the home sixth. Wilson walked the next two hitters to load the bases with no outs.
That was it for Wilson.
“He had good velocity, but had walked a couple of batters and I thought we would bring Brayden (Newland) in,” Allen East acting coach Steve Reed said. “But Brayden struggled today, too, and throw in a couple of errors and a hit batter and it unravels real quick.”
Mustangs head coach Abram Escamilla was away attending to a family matter.
Newland came on and after retiring the first hitter he faced, he hit Darius Shurelds with a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home Herron and make it 3-2.
Conner Anspach, who was inserted as pinch-runner in the sixth, scored from third on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3.
“We got the momentum and things started to go our way,” Geary said. “We scored our third run on a wild pitch. It was a good read and it was a bang-bang play at home. … And we kept adding on.”
Braxton Scalf hit a grounder that the Mustangs shortstop couldn’t handle for an error and Jefferson took the lead 4-3.
Mahlie was then walked and the bases were loaded again. Jacob Boob’s wild-hop RBI single to short gave the Wildcats a 5-3 lead.
“We kept rolling,” Boop said. “That’s baseball.”
Stockwell hit a sinking liner to right for a two-run double and it was 7-3.
“It was an outside pitch and I tried to go the other way with it,” Stockwell said.
Jefferson scored its next two runs on wild pitches to make it 9-3.
“It was a quiet day for both teams and we kind of exploded in the bottom of the sixth,” Stockwell said. “It’s a credit to my teammates for coming up clutch, taking walks and being aggressive on the basepaths.”
So when the sixth was over, Jefferson had scored eight runs on three hits.
Wilson worked five innings and gave up four runs, three earned, on four hits. He struck out five and walked four. Wilson threw 86 pitches, 48 for strikes.
For Jefferson, Boop went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Stockwell went 1 for 3 with a double and two RBI. Herron was 2 for 4 with a double.
For Allen East, Wilson went 2 for 4 with a double.
The wind was swirling in the outfield and both teams made five errors.
“You win that day and it doesn’t matter what it takes,” Geary said.
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