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GLEN DALE – Brooke and John Marshall were both facing elimination Wednesday afternoon in the Class AAA Region I, Section I baseball tournament.
The Bruins were able to survive by pushing across four runs in the seventh inning to pull out a wild 11-9 rollercoaster of a win in keeping their postseason alive.
The Green & Gold will now travel to Wheeling Park today for another elimination contest. The Patriots lost to Morgantown 13-3 last night. The Brooke-Park winner will need to beat Morgantown twice to earn the sectional championship.
"We have been the cardiac kids all year long," interim Brooke coach Kayla Thompson said. "We have been doing things like this quite often. I wasn't surprised with our comeback.
"Our kids are battlers. I am proud of them," she added. "This is Brooke's first sectional win in quite a few years. I am happy for this team."
The Bruins are now 16-11.
The teams were deadlocked at 7-all entering the home-half of the sixth. JM pushed across two runs on an RBI single from Alex Wilhelm and a Bruin error to take a 9-7 lead heading into the seventh.
The Monarchs were their own worst enemies in the seventh inning as they walked the first three Brooke batters to load the sacks. The first Bruin run came home via a wild pitch before a Monarch error allowed the second run to score. Peyton Toepfer capped the rally by delivering a two run-single, making it a 13-11 issue.
To JM's credit, the Monarchs made matters quite interesting in the bottom of the seventh.
With one out, Jacob Coffield singled. After a strikeout, Adam Haynes and Braden Sobutka both singled to load the bases. However, Bruin right-hander Charles Fuscardo, who came on in relief in the third inning, induced a grounder to short to snuff out the Monarch comeback hopes.
"We had way too many missed opportunities. We also left too many runners on base (13)," JM head coach Mark Cisar said. "We also gave them them too many free bases. You have to be able to throw strikes. We did not do that tonight.
"It is a very frustrating loss. It is a tough way to see the season end," said the former Magnolia High athletic great. "We had a very inexperienced team going into the season. We may have overachieved some this year, winning 14 games."
Brooke wasted no time in grabbing the lead, tallying four times in the first inning. Braelyn Sperringer delivered the key blow, a two-run single.
JM responded immediately, pushing across three runs in the first frame. Haynes plated two with a single while Wilhelm recorded an RBI groundout.
Brooke scored once in the second, courtesy of a Fuscardo sac fly before the Monarchs took a 6-5 lead with three runs in the third. Daniel Montz knocked in a pair with a single before Coffield launched a sac fly.
Brooke knotted matters at 6-aside with a run in the fourth. Toepfer singled, stole second and came home via an Andrew Murdock single.
The Bruins went up 7-6 in the fifth. Gavin Moore walked. Raymond DeFranco singled before Moore came home on a throwing error.
JM quickly tied matters at 7-7 in its fifth. Montz singled and was knocked in on a deep triple to left field by Ethan Cook.
Toepfer started on the hill for Brooke. He struck out one and walked five before giving way to Fuscardo. He fanned three and walked two in earning the mound win.
Brennan Sobutka was the Monarch starter. He worked four innings, fanning four and walking a like amount. Coffield also fanned four and walked four.
Brooke's bats produced eight hits. Toepfer collected four hits.
JM slammed 13 hits. Braden Sobutka led the hosts with three singles while Cook, Haynes and Montz each checked in with two hits.
"We know Wheeling Park will be a tough test. They are a very good team," Thompson said. "But it is great we are still alive. I am confident we will compete well."