Bay rallies past Buckeye 7-6 after fourth-inning grand slam
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| BAY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
Bay pulled ahead with a four-run fourth inning and held off Buckeye for a 7-6 win Monday in a varsity baseball game at Buckeye High School.
Buckeye grabbed the early lead and scored in each of the first two innings. Jeff Costigan opened the Bucks' scoring in the first with an RBI single, then Rees Perkins added another run in the second when he lined a single down the right-field line on the ninth pitch of the at-bat. That gave Buckeye a 2-0 advantage before Bay answered.
The decisive swing came in the top of the fourth. Chase Prudhoe hit a grand slam to right field, turning a two-run deficit into a 4-2 Bay lead. Buckeye responded in the bottom of the fifth and briefly erased the margin. Logan Brown brought in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Costigan followed with a run-scoring single to tie the game at 4-4.
Bay moved back in front for good in the sixth. Prudhoe singled down the left-field line to drive in a run, Ryan Rothman added an RBI single to center, and James Chappelle followed with a run-scoring single to right, pushing the Rockets ahead 7-4. Buckeye kept pressure on late and finished with six runs, but the comeback fell just short.
Costigan paced Buckeye's offense from the middle of the lineup, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Tyler Heers struck out 11 over six innings for the Bucks, allowing seven runs, six earned, on seven hits with two walks. Bay starter Travis Ropelewski earned the win after giving up four runs, three earned, on four hits over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked four.
The loss dropped Buckeye in a tightly contested home matchup that featured several momentum swings. The Bucks built the early lead, answered after Bay's big inning, and stayed within reach into the final innings, but Prudhoe's grand slam and Bay's three-run sixth provided the difference.
