Michael Abrahams’ RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Riverwood to a 6-5 win in Game 2 and forced a decisive third game in the Class AAA state quarterfinals series between Riverwood and the South Effingham Mustangs.
Game 3 will start Wednesday at 1 p.m.
The Mustangs, behind another stellar effort on the mound from Jesse Osborne, won the opener 7-3. Matt Zettler pitched two innings of perfect relief for the save. Osborne allowed three runs on two hits and struck out five before giving way to Zettler in the sixth.
Meanwhile, the Mustangs’ bats rapped out 10 hits. John Roberts was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Kiefer Youmans was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Waylon Pickard went 2-for-2 and drove in two runs.
Pickard staked the Mustangs and Patrick Styblo to a 3-0 lead, clearing the bases with a liner to right field that skipped past right fielder Jonathan Aroget. The Raiders loaded the bases with no outs in the first, but Styblo struck out James Gilbert and Youmans made a diving catch of Abrahams’ liner to center, eventually doubling up Brian Stewart off third base after he left too soon.
But the Raiders, down 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth, rallied to cut the lead to 4-3 and after Youmans tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth, the Raiders pushed across the tying runs in the bottom of the inning.
With the bases loaded and one out, and one run already in, Kelly Woodruff barely beat out a double play grounder to third, eliciting an argument. As they went on, Woodruff broke for second and the throw to get him sailed into center, allowing Tyler Thornburg to race home for the apparent go-ahead run. But the home plate umpire had called time as the Mustangs protested the safe call at first and sent both runners back to their original bases, prompting the Raiders to voice their displeasure.
The Mustangs loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but Thornburg got Roberts to ground into a 1-2-3 double play. They had runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth but could not score.
Thornburg went the distance, striking out six and walking three while giving up 10 hits. Youmans, Pickard and Chris Zittrouer were each 2-for-4. Colby May got the loss, going 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts, two hits and one walk.
Game 3 will start Wednesday at 1 p.m.
The Mustangs, behind another stellar effort on the mound from Jesse Osborne, won the opener 7-3. Matt Zettler pitched two innings of perfect relief for the save. Osborne allowed three runs on two hits and struck out five before giving way to Zettler in the sixth.
Meanwhile, the Mustangs’ bats rapped out 10 hits. John Roberts was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Kiefer Youmans was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Waylon Pickard went 2-for-2 and drove in two runs.
Pickard staked the Mustangs and Patrick Styblo to a 3-0 lead, clearing the bases with a liner to right field that skipped past right fielder Jonathan Aroget. The Raiders loaded the bases with no outs in the first, but Styblo struck out James Gilbert and Youmans made a diving catch of Abrahams’ liner to center, eventually doubling up Brian Stewart off third base after he left too soon.
But the Raiders, down 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth, rallied to cut the lead to 4-3 and after Youmans tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth, the Raiders pushed across the tying runs in the bottom of the inning.
With the bases loaded and one out, and one run already in, Kelly Woodruff barely beat out a double play grounder to third, eliciting an argument. As they went on, Woodruff broke for second and the throw to get him sailed into center, allowing Tyler Thornburg to race home for the apparent go-ahead run. But the home plate umpire had called time as the Mustangs protested the safe call at first and sent both runners back to their original bases, prompting the Raiders to voice their displeasure.
The Mustangs loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but Thornburg got Roberts to ground into a 1-2-3 double play. They had runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth but could not score.
Thornburg went the distance, striking out six and walking three while giving up 10 hits. Youmans, Pickard and Chris Zittrouer were each 2-for-4. Colby May got the loss, going 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts, two hits and one walk.
