By DAVE SCHULTZ
HUNTINGTON — The host Vikings almost put the game away early. The visiting Knights almost came all the way back to win the game.
Almost.
Norwell rallied from a 5-1 deficit by pushing three runs across in the bottom of the seventh inning and had the bases loaded and the team’s No. 5 hitter at the plate.
However, Huntington North relief pitcher Isaac Wilson struck out Norwell’s Cade Shelton for the final out of Thursday afternoon’s NE8 baseball game. The Vikings were able to escape with a 5-4 victory over the Knights in a game between the only two unbeaten teams in the conference.
Huntington North is now 6-0 in the league and 13-3 overall and Norwell is 5-1 and 16-6 overall. Should the Vikings defeat New Haven (0-5, 5-11) in their conference finale, they’ll own the NE8 championship outright; if the Vikings lose to the Bulldogs and the Knights defeat Columbia City (3-3, 15-5), the two teams will share the crown.
Thursday’s game showed how comparable the two teams are.
The Vikings scored three times in the first inning and added single runs in the third and fourth innings. Down 5-1 entering the top of the seventh inning, the Knights rallied for three runs and had the bases loaded — that close to tying the game or taking the lead.
The game featured gutsy performances by the two starting pitchers — Norwell’s Lane Lewis, who was on the mound for all six innings against the Vikings, and Huntington North’s Cole Martz, who went 6 2/3 innings but couldn’t subdue the Knights in that fateful seventh inning.
Nevertheless, Norwell head coach Dave Goodmiller gave credit to Martz for his effort.
“We were down too much against a really good pitcher,” Goodmiller said. “He’s been dominating people all year and he threw really well tonight. We popped out too many times.”
Norwell’s Lane Lewis struggled early but clamped down on the HNHS offense in the game’s late stages. After giving up an RBI double to Isaac Wilson in the fourth inning, Lewis retired the final seven Viking batters he faced in the game.
Norwell’s Curtis Ellis opened the top of the seventh with a single between third and shortstop. Cale Mallery grounded into a fielder’s choice but reached second on a throwing error. After Trey Bodenheimer flew out to left, Luke McBride and Drew Graft walked to load the bases. Luke Graft drew another walk to make the score 5-2.
Huntington North coach Jarod Hammel then pulled Martz to bring in Wilson to pitch. Brody Bolyn greeted Wilson with a two-run single to make the score 5-4.
Lleyton Bailey then reached on an error to once again load the bases, but Wilson overpowered Shelton on a 2-2 pitch to end the game.
“We felt really good going into the seventh but I think in the heat he (Martz) hit a wall,” Hammel said.
However, Hammel said, the credit for the comeback belonged entirely to Norwell.
“It’s about Norwell’s fight and that’s coach Goodmiller’s team,” Hammel said. “It’s less about us on the mound maybe falling apart and more about them battling and taking a good approach. I credit Norwell for that.”
Martz did not allow a hit until the fifth inning and only one of the four runs he allowed was earned.
Goodmiller said it would have been a good thing if those seventh-inning heroics had come in the middle of the game.
“That would have helped a great deal,” he said. “That was just a little bit too little too late at that point, but our kids competed there at the end. Huntington’s got a good team.”
The Vikings got to Lewis for three runs in the bottom of the first. Llandon Moreland drew a bases-loaded walk and Martz had a two-run single to put Huntington North up 3-0.
The Vikings added a run in the third when Martz hit a home run over the wall in right center. In the fourth, Wilson had an RBI double.
daves@news-banner.com
