What a game!
The two teams combined for 29 runs, 37 hits and 11 errors. There were four home runs, including a grand clam. And it took 13 innings to determine a winner.
But the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes used a three-run 13th to emerge as the 16-13 winner Tuesday afternoon at Newton.
The winning rally started after the first two batters had been retired in the top of the 13th. Caleb Bloemer singled and came around to score when Sam Bushur ripped an RBI double. Cade Buehnerkemper followed with another run-scoring double and then scored with Kayden Althoff came through an RBI single.
Bushur, the fifth T-Town pitcher of the day, allowed a lead-off double in the bottom of the inning, but retired the final three batters to seal the victory.
A victory that certainly was leaning Newton’s way after four innings. The host Eagles, who got a first-inning two-run homer from Carder Reich, led 12-5 as the Shoes came to bat in the fifth.
But when Garrett Gaddis led off with a home run, that seemed to spark the comeback. Bushur, who smacked a lead-off solo home run to start the game, added an RBI single and another run scored on an error to make it 12-8
Then in the sixth, Mitch Althoff, Dylan Pruemer and Caleb Siemer all singled to load the bases and Konkel blasted a long grand slam to knot the score at 12-12.
Both teams scored single tallies in the 11th, with Buehnerkemper’s two-out single driving in the THS run.
The Shoes finished with 23 hits. Konkel had four of those to go along with five RBI, while Bushur, Buehnerkemper, Siemer and Bloemer each had three hits.
Kayden Althoff started and went the first three innings, allowing eight runs and six hits. Gaddis gave up four more runs, but Ben Goeckner, Buehnerkemper and Bushur combined to shut Newton down over the final 9.1 innings of work. That threesome allowed just five hits and one unearned run, while walking just one and striking out six. Bushur worked the final two innings to get the win.
The Shoes improved to 12-6 on the season. They will return to action Thursday with a game at Mattoon.
