Extra-inning win gives Salado advantage in best-of-three series

Salado 7

Lorena 5

Jacob Wilk hit a single, knocking in two runs in the top of the eighth and giving Salado a 7-4 lead over the Lorena Leopards. The Eagles defense gave up a run in the bottom of the eighth but Caleb Self and Ryan Oakes caught fly balls to the outfield and Jacob Wilk struck out a batter to secure the extra inning win for Salado 7-5 on May 18. 
The win gave Salado its first win over Lorena in the best-of-three series.

Salado took an early lead, scoring two runs in the first. With one out in the inning, Dalton Hawes walked, followed by a walk to Wilk. Rustin Hale singled to load the bases before the second out was recorded. Kade Maedgen walked to push across the first run and Caleb Self singled to left to score Wilk. Hale was thrown out trying to reach home. 

The Leopards tied the game in the second. Braden Smith and Bryce Strahan singled. AJ Bell hit to center field. A fielding error let him reach and Smith to score from second. Jett Forest hit into a fielder’s choice that let Bell go to third. He scored by stealing home to make the score 3-4.

Wilk hit a solo home run in the top of the third to give Salado a 3-2 edge. 

In the bottom of the inning, Lorena took the lead scoring two runs. Blake Ustanik walked, scoring on a triple to left by Bo Smedshammer. Smedshammer scored on a fielder’s choice to make it 3-4 Lorena.

The Eagles tied the game in the fourth. With one out, Max Marin singled and went to second when Belton Farr was hit by the pitcher. He scored on a two-out single to deep right by Hawes.

Neither team scored in the fifth, sixth or seventh innings.

With one out in the top of the eighth, David Heath walked. Farr was hit by the pitcher and Oakes was hit by the pitcher to load the bases. Hawes singled to score courtesy runner Wrook Brown. Wilk singled and a hard ground ball right, scoring Farr and Oakes for a 7-4 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Forest walked and advanced on a single. He scored on a passed ball. 

Oakes got the win for Salado, pitching six innings. He struck out three, walked three and allowed six hits and four runs to score. Wilk pitched in relief, striking out three in a two-inning appearance. He allowed one walk, one hit and one run.