Andrew Grimm WALK-OFF MOMENT — Harrison Central players celebrate with Gage Stoneking after his walk-off sac fly in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted the Huskies to a 7-6 extra innings win over Big Red.

After the Huskies had rallied from an early deficit to lead late in the game and Big Red battled back in the seventh to force extra innings, Harrison Central’s Gage Stoneking ended up the hero, hitting a sac fly in the bottom of the eighth inning for a walk-off, 7-6 victory.

“That is the kind of game you expect when we play them, we have a ton of respect for Steubenville’s program and coach Banks is doing a heck-of-a job with them,” Huskies head coach Mike Valesko said. “They’re really good baseball team, they threw two really good arms at us and our guys really competed.

“We gave up three in the first and I was really happy with how our guys responded and kept fighting. For the last two weeks we have been talking about being mentally tougher. Credit to our guys, they kept competing and found a way.”

The battle was the second in 10 days between the state ranked teams, the Huskies (14-7, No. 19 Division V) avenging a loss at the Crimson Complex on April 24.

Andrew Grimm BIG DAY — Big Red's Royal Mayo celebrates after one of his two doubles. He also had a triple and an RBI in the game for three extra base hits on the day.

Big Red (12-8, No. 14 Division III) scored three runs in the top of the first inning, but left the bases loaded on the cusp of really breaking things open, a diving catch in center by Colson Crothers ending the threat.

hey left a man on third in the second and two on in the fourth and fifth innings before the Huskies rallied ahead an inning later. They left a total of 13 batters in the game.

“You can’t leave that many guys on and have two costly errors, you can’t win a ball game like that,” Big Red head coach Justin Banks said. “Like I’ve said before, the teams in the Valley are pretty good and have good programs and you can’t do that against them. They capitalized on every mistake we made.

“The past four games we have had costly mistakes that have cost us.”

Royal Mayo led the game off with his first of three extra base hits, doubling off the wall to start the big first inning. After a walk, a run scored on an error, another crossed on an AJ Borsch sac fly and Karson Simmons drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0.

Andrew Grimm MAKING A PLAY — Big Red third baseman Cole Bowers makes a throw across to first base for an out against Harrison Central.

Stoneking’s first RBI of the game in the bottom of the first for the Huskies on the board, then Cash Meadows’ two-run knock in the fourth drew the Huskies even.

Big Red re-took the lead in the top of the sixth with a run scored on another Harrison Central error, but again left the bases juiced and the Huskies jumped back in front in the bottom half, putting up a three spot — Trae Dunfee hitting an RBI single and Crothers driving in two with a two-out knock to make it 6-4.

Big Red, though, was not done battling as Matt Fabbro, who had come on in relief of AJ Borsch (5 1/ innings, five strikeouts), started a seventh inning rally at the plate with a leadoff double, then scored on Mayo’s RBI triple. Mayo came across to score on Jaggar Rawson’s RBI knock, tying the game. Big Red, though, left runners at second and third as Stoneking overcame the blown save and prevented a go-ahead run.

The hosts had a rally going in the bottom of the inning looking for a walk off, Kolton Mizer making a break for the plate from third but Big Red catcher Karson Simmons was able to apply the tag to end the inning and keep the game going.

Big Red left an man on in the top of the eighth, then the Huskies drew back-to-back walks to start the home half. After Steubenville got an out at third on a bunt attempt, Crothers put a ball in play and got to first safely to load the bases, setting up Stoneking for the winning moment.

UP NEXT

Big Red: Hosts John Marshall on Wednesday.

Harrison Central: Is back at the Maz on Wednesday to host Martins Ferry.

Harrison Central 7, Big Red 6 (8 innings)

BR 3-0-0 0-0-1 2-0 — 6 7 3

HC 1-0-0 2-0-3 0-1 — 7 11 4

BIG RED (12-8): Borsch 5 1/3IP, 6R, 4ER, 6H, 5K, 3BB), Fabbro (LP, 2 1/3IP, 1R, 0ER, 3H, 2K, 4BB) and Simmons. Mayo 2D, T, RBI; Fabbro D; Rawson S, RBI; Bowers RBI; Borsch RBI; Wineman S; Simmons RBI; Chmileorski S.

HARRISON CENTRAL (14-7): Snyder (6IP. 4R, 0ER, 4H, 5K, 6BB), Stoneking (BSV, WP, 2R, 2ER, 3H, 2K, 2BB) and Mizer. Crothers 2S, 2RBIs; Stoneking D, 2RBIs; Smith S; Mizer 2S; Harbold S; Meadows 2S, 2RBIs; Dunfee 2S, RBI.