Trailing for nearly the entire first five innings, the Heritage Patriots put the ball in play in the wind Wednesday and forced Bishop Dwenger to make plays. Coach Dean Lehrman’s team scored eight runs in the final two frames with the help of some costly Saints errors and emerged with a 10-5 victory over their sectional rivals.
With the two teams both set to play in the Angola sectional in May, the Patriots went with Brady Richman on the mound to start the game. He used the strikeout to get out of a couple of jams, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out six batters. Richman settled down after giving up three runs in the opening inning.
Heritage trailed 4-2 after five innings before Nolan Hoskins and Landon Lybarger led off the sixth innings with consecutive walks. Beau Stoppenhagen was ready to sacrifice them both over but instead loaded the bases with a bunt single.
That set up Iestyn Roe, Cam Rauner and Andrew Mirelez for RBI hits that would give Heritage a 6-4 lead without an out recorded in the top of the sixth.
Lybarger came in to pitch the final two innings and allowed just one hit and one run while striking out two and earning the save.
Rauner knocked in another run in the seventh and Dwenger made their own problems worse by walking a run in with the bases loaded and committing a two-out error that pushed the lead to five runs.
The win continues the trend of calling the Patriots the sectional favorites, not only because they are the defending champions, but because they are also off to a 6-0 start this season.
Mirelez reached base four times, three times with a base on balls.
Rauner was 3 for 4, scoring three times and knocking in three more. His batting average for the season is now approaching .500 at .476.
The Patriots are back in action Thursday when they travel to Lakewood Park Christian to try to reach 7-0.