LIVERMORE FALLS — Pitchers are ahead of hitters? It’s to be expected when teams didn’t get outdoors until the third or even fourth week of April, but Spruce Mountain baseball took the tendency to an agonizing extreme.
One unearned run and a single-digit hit total through three games outweighed three quality pitching performances and had the Phoenix questioning what kind of season this would be. Well, life looks a lot brighter and greener after Friday’s 6-5 walkoff win over previously undefeated Lisbon at Griffin Field.
Scottie Hall’s third hit of the game, a single up the middle against Lisbon reliever RJ Sargent, ushered home freshman Noah Preble with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.
Spruce Mountain prevailed despite giving away a 5-1 lead with two Lisbon runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Hall, working on three days rest after throwing 96 pitches in his previous start, inherited the four-run lead from senior classmate Lucas Preble with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth.
“I had to make it interesting,” Hall quipped. “Finally we didn’t give up on a game.”
Hall and Lucas Preble each went 3-for-4. Preble scored three runs, drove in a pair and stole two bases in addition to his stellar stint on the mound (six strikeouts).
Noah Preble and Bradley Hodges each added a pair of hits for Spruce Mountain (1-3), which pounded out a dozen in all.
“We were more aggressive at the plate, hitting better pitches,” Spruce Mountain coach Brian Dube. “We came with a better mindset today. I think we were more prepared. We really haven’t even had opportunities.”
And with 15 left on base, Spruce Mountain enjoyed ample chances to break this one open wider, earlier. With Preble allowing only four hits and an RBI triple by Sargent through the first five innings, however, things appeared well in hand.
Preble helped his own cause with a two-run single in the second before scoring when Hall reached on a throwing error to make it 3-0.
The starting pitcher also scored on Hodges’ RBI singles in the fourth and fifth, the first off Lisbon starter Kyle Bourget and the second against Sargent.
“It was nice. You have a lot more confidence on the mound when you know you have your team behind you,” Preble said.
Two hits with eyes — an infield single by Bourget and a sinking liner by Tucker Brannon — hastened Preble’s departure in the sixth. He grazed Brett Gravel with a pitch to load the bases before handing off to Hall.
Spruce misjudged Darren Ward’s fly ball to right field to make it 5-2. Hall coaxed Tyler Halls into a sacrifice fly and struck out Troy Galarneau looking to escape the jam.
Ryley Austin (2-for-4, two runs scored) led off the Lisbon seventh with a single to center. Sargent then cranked his second triple, a carbon copy to the gap in right-center. Bourget’s sacrifice fly tied it.
“We had two innings where we didn’t make plays,” Lisbon coach Randy Ridley. “I think the guys are happy they were able to come back, but they feel it’s a game if they play at the top of their level they could win.”
Noah Preble poked Sargent’s 3-2 delivery through the middle to trigger the seventh. He also had a bunt single in Spruce’s second-inning rally.
“He’s been playing pretty well in the outfield all year,” Dube said. “I’ve been (designated) hitting for him, and I said, ‘Noah, you’ve done a good job out there, I’m going to reward you with some plate appearances.’ And he came through.”
His older brother backed it up with a double down the left field line. After an intentional walk of Hodges, Hall applied the finishing touch.
“The leadership finally came around. That was a big part of it,” Lucas Preble said. “It shows a lot of mental toughness, really. We’ve had some conflicts behind closed doors, but we overcame that today.”
Lisbon (2-1) won its first two games by virtue of the 10-run rule and had two others postponed due to weather. Joe Phibrick joined Austin and Sargent as a repeat hitter for the Greyhounds.
“It was great to get into this type of situation, especially when Kyle didn’t have his best stuff. RJ came in and pitched fantastic,” Ridley said. “To be 5-1 in the sixth inning and to come back the way we did, I was very pleased in the long run.”
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