FAYETTE – If there is something to be said about the Fayette Eagles early in the 2013 campaign, it may be this…take them lightly at your own peril. The Eagles were one out away from their first BBC win in many moons on April 9, and had it not been for the clutch hitting of Tyler Teschke and Parker Ruffer, the Stryker Panthers would have come up losers. As it wound up though, The panthers tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh, then added three in the top of the eighth to escape with the 6-3 BBC win.
Ben Grieser put the Eagles on the board in the first with a solo shot off Dean Beamont, but the Panthers tied the game in the second. Fayette added single runs in the third and fourth to retake the lead, and with Kruce Miller dealing Ks, the lead stood until the top of the seventh. With two out and two on, Teschke took a rare mistake by Miller and drove it into the left center field gap. The Fayette center fielder could not make a play on the ball, and by the time the ball was relayed back to the infield, the score was tied and Teschke was standing on second, where he was stranded.
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Beamont was pulled in favor of Ruffer in the seventh, who shut down the Eagles and sent the game into extra innings. In the top of the eighth, the Panthers put two aboard against Fayette reliever Daniel McNamara, bringing Ruffer to the plate. McNamara made one mistake, leaving a breaking ball middle in over the plate that Ruffer hammered over the left center field fence to make it a 6-3 game. Miller was able to single off Ruffer in the bottom of the inning, but the Panther sophomore retired the side for the win.
Beamont went the first 6 innings for the 2-2/1-0 Panthers, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 9 walk, striking out 10. Ruffer allowed a hit over two innings work, fanning 4.
Parker Ruffer finished with a double and a three-run tater for Stryker, while Teschke had a pair of doubles and 2 RBIs. Jacob Hancock had 2 singles, and Beamont and Chad Ruffer each had a base hit.
Kruce miller pitched well enough to win for Fayette, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk, setting down 10 on strikes over 6 2/3 innings. McNamara was the hard luck loser, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, fanning one in 1 2/3 inning.
Grieser launched a solo shot and Miller had a pair of base hits for the Eagles.
Runs / Hits / Errors
Stryker 6 – 8 – 1
Fayette 3 – 3 – 0
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