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Four pitchers combined to hold the Bellmont Braves to two runs and four hits Wednesday night for Heritage as the Patriots claimed victory in a non-conference rivalry game at Parkview Field, 3-2.
Coach Dean Lehrman got a no-hit inning from Max Mirelez in the first and another from Beau Stoppenhagen in the second. The veteran coach elected to give as many boys an opportunity to pitch in the beautiful venue as he could afford to in a week where his team scheduled to play five times.
Iastyn Roe gave up an unearned run in his first frame of work in the top of the third, with Mason Martinez working his way around the bases with his speed to give the Braves an early lead. Lehrman stuck with Roe, however, and he worked around a couple of baserunners to deliver a scoreless fourth and fifth inning as the Heritage bats came to life.
The Braves started Matt Bleeke and he pitched well, striking out four in three innings. The Patriots got to him in the third with hits from Max Mirelez and Mason Abbott to lead off the inning. A sacrifice fly from Stoppenhagen gave Heritage a lead at 2-1.
Kaigan Lee pitched the final three innings for the Braves. He had a key sacrifice bunt to move Beau Baker into scoring position in the top of the sixth inning, setting up senior Cam Friedt for an RBI opportunity, which he took, tying the game at two runs apiece.
Roe led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and then went first to home on a single by Landon Lybarger to right to score the eventual winning run.
Jaxon Feasby, who had given up the tying run in the sixth, was credited with the W after cleaning up the seventh and ending the game when the Braves lined into a double play. Eli Rauner caught a liner off the bat of Will Baker and doubled off Martinez at first for the victory.
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