Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports
MAN A sense of déjà vu fell over William “Tootie” Carter Athletic Field as Tuesday’s decisive game of the Class A Region IV Section 1 tournament was tied at 3 after seven innings.
The game remained tied after neither team scored in the eighth inning, and as former New York Yankees great Yogi Berra said “it’s déjà vu all over again,” as Buffalo plated a run in the top of the ninth to eliminate Man from postseason play and defeat the Hillbillies 4-3.
Carson Saunders’ tiebreaking single in the ninth inning off a 3-2 pitch from Cam Gerace scored Brady Kidd with the go ahead run and Bryce Downey struck out five Hillbillies in relief to send the Bison into the Class A Region IV championship series.
It was the second straight nine-inning win for Buffalo over Man, the Bison defeated the Hillbillies, 4-1, in nine Monday evening to force Tuesday’s winner take all sectional championship.
Buffalo will travel to either Ravenswood or Gilmer County, who forced a decisive Class A Region IV Section 2 championship game with a 4-0 win over Ravenswood Tuesday evening. The Bison will host game two and if necessary, a third game would be played at either Ravenswood or Gilmer County.
Gerace relieved Man starter Braxton Messer with one out in the top of the ninth. Messer allowed a leadoff single to Kidd but struck out Anthony Pitchford before having to exit after exhausting the 110-pitch limit.
Gerace walked Evan Panaro but struck out Caiden Craig for the second out and thought he had Saunders struck out looking on a 2-2 pitch before the Homeplate umpire ruled the pitch outside. Following a foul ball, Saunders lined a single into right field giving Buffalo a 4-3 lead.
Buffalo thought they had the go ahead run in the top of the eighth when Luca Signorini tried to score on a passed ball but was tagged out by Gerace, who was catching at the time, at the plate ending the top of the eighth.
The Hillbillies tied the score at 3 in the bottom of the fifth when Bo Thompson executed a squeeze bunt allowing Noah Frazier to score from third. Frazier started the inning with a single, was sacrificed to second and advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on Thompson’s bunt.
In the top of the fifth, Craig scored on a throwing error as Buffalo regained a 3-2 lead after Man had tied it at 2 on run scoring singles from Gavyn Cline and Luke Haney in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Buffalo jumped out to a 2-0 with a run in the second and fourth inning. Downey scored on a double play to give the Bison a 1-0 lead in the top of the second and Signorini scored on a throw from right field in the top of the fourth to make it 2-0.
Saunders had two hits and one RBI, Downey had a pair of doubles and Kidd a pair of singles for Buffalo. Jon Alderman and Signorini each had one hit for the Bison.
Haney had two hits and one RBI and Messer had a pair of hits for Man at the plate. Cline had one hit and one RBI while Landon Cantrell and Noah Frazier each had one hit and Thompson one RBI for the Hillbillies.
Downey earned the win in relief of Alderman after tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings and striking out all five hitters he faced in the Hillbillies lineup.
Alderman allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out five in 7 1/3 innings.
Messer suffered the loss for Man after allowing four runs on seven hits in 8 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked four. Gerace allowed one hit, struck out two and walked a pair of batters in 2/3 innings.
Buffalo improved to 20-11-1 with the win while Man ended the year with a record of 18-11.
Class A Region IV Section 1 Championship
William “Tootie” Carter Athletic Field- Man, WV
Buffalo 4, Man 3 (Nine Innings)
Buffalo 010 110 001-4 8 1
Man 000 220 000-3 7 3
Alderman, Downey (9) and Turner. Messer, Gerace (9) and Gerace and Thompson (9). Top hitters: B: Saunders 2-3, RBI; Downey 2-4, 2 doubles; Kidd 2-4. M: Haney 2-4, RBI; Messer 2-4; Cline 1-3, RBI; Thompson 0-3, RBI.
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