- Buchholz rallied from a 6-0 deficit to win 8-7 over Lincoln (Tallahassee) with a walk-off single by senior Roen Kresak in the eighth inning.
- Starting pitcher Aiden Kastensmidt was ejected in the fifth inning after struggles and arguments, with Cohen Lafler closing and allowing one run over 5.2 innings.
- Buchholz improved to 16-7 overall, winning eight of their last nine games, and avenged last year's 10-4 loss that ended a 21-game win streak.
The Buchholz Bobcats haven’t faced many big deficits during their successful run over the last four seasons.
But on Thursday night at Bobcat Park, Buchholz trailed 6-0 against Lincoln (Tallahassee) after a second inning that included two hit batters, a walk and three Bobcats’ errors.
Buchholz chipped away, eventually took the lead, and walked off in the bottom of the eighth inning on a single by senior Roen Kresak to edge the Trojans, 8-7.
Buchholz (16-7) has won eight of their last nine games and 14 of 17 after a 2-4 start, but it sure didn’t start that way on Thursday.
“It is uncharacteristic that we had four defensive miscues in that one inning that cost us six runs,” Buchholz coach Chris Malphurs said. “Earlier in the year, we wouldn’t have fought back like this. This team has really figured out how to continue to play and not let their emotions get the best of them and just battle for seven innings, or tonight for eight innings.”
Lincoln (11-14) sent 10 batters to the plate in the second inning and took a 6-0 lead. Buchholz starting pitcher Aiden Kastensmidt struggled with control and the strike zone and he was later ejected in the fifth inning, arguing a strike call while at bat.
Kastensmidt was pulled from the mound in the third inning and senior Cohen Lafler held down the fort while Buchholz rallied. Lafler allowed only three hits and one run in 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks.
“AK (Kastensmidt) has been lights out, but we didn’t get a good start from him tonight and that’s going to happen,” Malphurs said. “Cohen comes in there and he’s usually our closer and (we) get a long outing from him and he did a phenomenal job.”
Buchholz started its rally in the fourth inning, getting two runs on three straight doubles by Drew Almond, Kastensmidt and Hudson Sapp.
The Bobcats cut it to 6-4 with two more runs in the fifth, then took the lead with a three-run sixth on only one hit that included two walks, a hit batter and two Lincoln errors. Blake Brewer’s RBI single put Buchholz up for the first time, 7-6, heading to the seventh inning.
Lincoln tied the game with a run in the top of the seventh with three straight hits off Lafler.
Ashton Norris led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk and eventually moved to second with two outs. Kresak followed with his single to left field to give Buchholz the win.
The two teams had a few words after the game, as Buchholz avenged a 10-4 loss in Tallahassee last year that ended a 21-game win streak.
“It had a playoff-type atmosphere,” Malphurs said. “It doesn’t matter what the records are, and I’m learning about this rivalry very quickly. I learned about it last year and more today. We are always going to want to beat each other.”
