The North Crawford Trojans were shell-shocked at home game against the Seneca Indians last Thursday. Everything that starting pitcher Joe Childs threw the Indians hit…and hit hard. Seneca built a 9-3 lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning. 

Seneca’s Derek Wall got things going in the first inning as he hit a two-run homer. The Indians tacked on four more runs in the third as Jordan Johnson doubled, Trenton Payne singled and Wall singled again to drive in their runs. 

The Trojans did answer with three runs in their half of the third inning as Casey Spencer singled, stole second and scored on Estin Salmons’ double. Joe Childs followed with a single that drove in Salmon. He then stole second and scored on a two-out single by Jerrid McDaniel.

Seneca added three more runs in the fourth and chased starter Childs out of the game. After a strike out, Childs walked the bases loaded and a pitching change was made as freshman Hunter Fortney entered the game. Seneca’s Tyler Shepard hit Fortney’s first pitch for a single, driving in two runs. The third run scored on an error.

Trailing 9-3, the Trojans answered again with three runs. Joe Bedessem singled and with one out, consecutive singles by Casey Spencer, a two-RBI single by Eric Friar, RBI single by Estin Salmon and another by Joe Childs, cut the Indian lead to 9-6. 

In the fifth inning, Seneca was by no means done scoring. Jordan Johnson connected to drive in two runs with no outs, making it 11-6. Fortney got out of the jam on a fielder’s choice and a shallow fly ball that could not score the runner from third. Sheppard then grounded out to end the inning. 

Once again, the Trojans answered with three more runs, cutting the Seneca lead to 11-9. Nick Gillespie singled to drive in Joe Bedessem and Tyler Olson followed with a double, putting runners on second and third. A walk for Eric Friar loaded the bases. A nice single from Estin Salmon drove in Gillespie. With two outs, Matt Friar singled to bring in his brother Eric, as the Trojans kept plugging away.

The Trojans finally held Seneca scoreless in the top half of the sixth, and kept bringing them home in the bottom of the inning, putting two runs on the board to tie up the game 11-11.

Hunter Fortney started things off in the sixth with a double. Bedessem was walked and then Gillespie hit a fly ball to left field. The ball was dropped but Fortney was thrown out at third on a force play. A passed ball allowed the runners to advance to second and third, and Tyler Olson singled to drive in both runners.

Seneca went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, giving the Trojans the opportunity to win it. With one out, Childs singled and stole second. Matt Friar hit a slow roller on the infield and appeared to have beaten the throw, but was called out with Childs advancing to third. McDaniel then flew out to deep center to end the threat and head into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth inning, Seneca loaded the bases, thanks in part to two  Trojan errors. With one out, Fortney picked off the runner at first. Then, Eric Friar caught a soft fly ball to end the Indian’s half.  

The bottom of the eighth inning saw leadoff Hunter Fortney walked straightaway. A sacrifice bunt by Bedessem put Fortney in scoring position. After a strikeout and a walk, Eric Friar drove in the winning run with a single to left.

Fortney picked up the win in relief of Childs as he struck out four and walked two. The Trojans pounded out 18 hits as Salmon and Childs each had three hits and Fortney, Gillespie, Spencer and Eric Friar each had two hits.