CAMDEN — After building a 4-0 lead early, Tri-County North had to rally to beat host Preble Shawnee in a non-league baseball game on Friday, April 20.
North tallied six runs in the sixth inning to overcome a 7-5 deficit for the 11-8 win.
Both pitching staffs had their hands full, frequently dealing with runners on base. Tri-County North collected nine hits and Preble Shawnee had seven.
North scored single runs in the first four innings for a 4-0 lead.
Shawnee began its comeback in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three times. The Arrows took the lead in the bottom of fifth when they scored four times. Eryk Smith, JJ Hatmaker and Calvin Leeth each drove in runs during the inning.
Jake Green started the game on the mound for Preble Shawnee. He went 3.1 innings, allowing four runs on three hits and striking out four. Levi Moreland and Nick Hibbard entered the game as relief, throwing 2.2 innings and one inning respectively.
Phil Lockwood pitched the first three innings for North and allowed three runs on two hits.
North started its late rally when Collin Whipp reached base on a dropped third strike to begin the sixth. Liam Downing single and Chandler Sproles reached on an error. Another Shawnee error allowed North to tie the game at 7-7. Wyatt Hutchins then delivered a single to give the Panthers the lead back for good at 8-7. Clayton Finney followed with a single to score two more runs.
For North, Finney, Copper Cole, Downing, and Whipp each managed multiple hits.
Moreland went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead Preble Shawnee.
The loss was the second straight for Shawnee, which also fell to Middletown Madison (9-4) the day before. Shawnee opened the week with a 10-0 win over Dixie.
The Arrows were scheduled to play Northridge on Monday, April 23 and Madison on Tuesday. They will continue on the road on Wednesday with a trip to Northridge. Shawnee will close out the week with a game at Stivers on Saturday.
For North (7-4), they beat Covington 10-0 in a Cross County Conference game on Thursday and lost to Tecumseh 3-2 on Wednesday.
The Panthers were scheduled to play Miami East on Tuesday, April 24. They are to travel to Bradford on Wednesday and Bethel on Friday. North will wrap up the week with games against Anna and Milton-Union on Saturday.
