Trailing 5-3 in the eighth inning the Centre College baseball team tied the game to force extra innings and then won 6-5 in 11 innings over Transylvania University Wednesday, March 27 in Lexington, Ky.
The win evens the Colonels' overall record at 10-10, while Transylvania falls to 8-7 on the season.
The Pioneers struck first scoring a pair of two-out runs in the third inning.
Centre answered in the top of the fourth with three runs to go in front 3-2. Freshman infielderSam Spees (Dayton, Ohio) recorded a one-out, two-run single to right field to tie the game, and junior designated hitter Nick Forte (Gilbertsville, Ky.) doubled to center to score Spees.
Transylvania added two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to go back in front 5-3, but freshman catcher Zach Montgomery (Louisville, Ky.) singled home junior Trey Litsey (Louisville, Ky.), and Spees scored Montgomery on a safety squeeze to tie the game at five apiece.
Following a scoreless ninth, the Pioneers threatened in the 10th. A lead-off double and a sacrifice bunt gave Transylvania a runner at third base with one out, but Litsey, who played the first seven innings at first base before coming into pitch, induced a pop out and a ground out to spoil the threat and send the game to the 11th inning.
Senior shortstop Aaron Ammann (Winnetka, Calif.) led off the Colonels' 11th with a double down the left field line. The next hitter popped out for the first out and a ground out moved Ammann to third with two outs. Litsey then delivered a line drive single that landed just in front of the right fielder to score Ammann for the go ahead run.
After giving Centre the lead, Litsey set the Pioneers down in order in the 11th to seal the win.
The sophomore first baseman/pitcher had a big game. He finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and the game-winning RBI and also earned his first win of the season by throwing four scoreless innings and allowing only one hit, while striking out two.
Montgomery also had a big game at the plate as the freshman went 4-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI. Ammann and Spees also had three hits each with Spees driving in three and scoring a run.
Centre will next host Birmingham Southern in a three-game series starting Friday, March 29. First pitch of the SAA contest is set for 7 p.m. at Gary Wright Field in Danville, Ky.