The Gainesville baseball team never led visiting Oak Hall on Friday night, until the end.

GHS rallied from a 3-0 deficit with two runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

The Hurricanes (3-3) won it in the bottom of the ninth inning by scoring two runs in a 5-4 walk-off win against the Eagles (4-2).

“They didn’t quit,” said second-year Gainesville coach Adrian Ramos. “It’s part of the name, it’s the ‘N’ in Canes, no quit. The culture is coming together, and tonight is exactly what you want to see in something you’re trying to build.”

This is the second consecutive season that GHS has beaten Oak Hall at home in nine innings, winning last year’s game, 4-3.

Oak Hall had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth on a bases loaded walk by junior catcher Brody Beaupre (1-for-2, RBI).

With the bases still loaded and two outs, sophomore Chris Eckardt came on in relief and got senior second baseman Emory Ezell to ground out to first to end the threat.

The Eagles left the bases loaded, finishing the game with 14 stranded runners.

In the bottom of the ninth with one out, pinch hitter Malachi Hill walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a throw to third by Beaupre as he was falling down.

The errant throw, one of two Oak Hall errors, tied the game at 4-4.

Senior Billy Holdsworth, who was hit by a pitch following Hill’s walk and had taken second on the error, scored on a walk-off single to right field by Eckhardt (2-for-5, triple, RBI).

“We just played a sloppy game of baseball,” said Oak Hall coach Kevin Maris. “We didn’t come to play like we’re capable of playing and although Troy Freeman came out and pitched lights out and did an outstanding job—he showed his senior leadership and dominated the game—but unfortunately we couldn’t close it out like we needed to. We had some sloppy base running. It just wasn’t a clean game for us.”

Freeman struck out five batters over 5.2 innings but gave way to Jack Steen with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. 

Senior Mason Brewer’s RBI double down the left field line got GHS within one, 3-2.

In his previous at bat, Eckhardt tripled to left center in the seventh and scored the game-tying run on a wild pitch.

“Smoked it,” Ramos said. “I mean it was screaming out of the infield. He pedaled to the medal from out of the box and didn’t stop until he got to me. That was the difference right there. That put us back in the game.”

Gainesville will take a week off for spring break before traveling to St. Francis Catholic Academy on Tuesday, March 19.

“We need to reset arms. We’re not very deep with the pitching just yet,” Ramos said. “We need to make sure we reset because we’ve got twice as many games on the back half.”

Junior Gavin Jones had a pair of hits, including a double, to lead Oak Hall.

The Eagles will also get some time off during the break and return to action at home on Wednesday, March 20, against The Villages.