Down by two runs in the bottom of the seventh, the Panther baseball team’s standing in the region was in jeopardy against the Whitewater Wildcats. Backed in a corner, the Panthers rallied late in the game to come back and win 7-6 in extra innings.

In the first three innings, Whitewater outhit Starr’s Mill, six hits to two. In the fourth inning, senior shortstop Kile Greenwald and senior left fielder Matthew Blawat hit in RBIs to put the Wildcats up 2-0 at the middle of the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, seniors right fielder Chay Yeager and left fielder Daniel Courtney both recorded base hits. They scored off a bunt and throwing error that moved senior Orlando Angulo to third. Sophomore Evan Harrah added onto the scoreboard by bringing Angulo home. Starr’s Mill ended the fourth inning with a 4-2 lead.

“You got to come prepared mentally,” junior first baseman Ben Moseley said. “You gotta try to keep the other team quiet, keep the momentum on your side. Just try to make sure you have the momentum and put some runs up.”

Greenwald responded in the top of the fifth with an RBI, while senior second baseman Ethan Roy brought in two runners home to propel the Wildcats to a 5-4 lead. The Panthers did not respond the next two innings as Whitewater added another run in the sixth to make the score 6-4 Whitewater heading into the seventh.

Senior pitcher Bryson Daniel kept the Wildcats to only a walk at the top of the seventh, giving Starr’s Mill a shot to come back. Junior Ben Moseley got hit by a pitch and capitalized off of a fielding and catching error to steal third base as senior Thad Ector got walked. Senior Sean White used the opportunity to hit a double and bring both Moseley and Ector home.

“I hadn’t contributed to my first three at-bats and I know I learned at each at-bat what they were throwing at me,” White said. “I knew, if he throws a fastball, I’m gonna either hit it out or hit it hard. Luckily enough we had [Ector] on first who just kept running, put his head down and scored, and [Moseley] came up big.”

Tying the game at 6-6, the game went to extra innings.

Daniel recorded a three-up, three-down at the top of the eighth. Harrah got a hit, and also stole second base. Following a groundout by junior Devin Embry, Moseley was at bat. He nailed a pitch out to leftfield, bringing Harrah home and giving the Panthers the win 7-6.

“I hope we [use this momentum] tomorrow,” head coach Brent Moseley said. “I hope that we come out. We weren’t very good the first six innings. Hopefully, this will get us going for tomorrow.”

Following this come-from-behind victory, the Panthers travel to McIntosh tonight in hopes to ride their momentum against the Chiefs. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m.