If you’re looking for an article to make sense of the Big 8 baseball season, look somewhere else.
All you need to know is Orange went into its game against Northwood on Tuesday night coming off losses to Athens Drive (5-11) and Western Harnett (6-14) on Friday and Saturday in the Hilltop Invitational Tournament.
On the other hand, Northwood had won 14 in a row, was 15-2 overall, 6-0 in the Big 8, searching for its first conference championship since 2013.
Not only did Orange upset the Chargers 2-1 on Tuesday night at Panthers field, but Jayden Poteat knocked in courtesy runner Cody Evans for the game-winning run with a two-out walkoff single.
It was Poteat’s 1st RBI of the season.
Poteat was responsible for both of Orange’s runs. He led off the first inning with a single to centerfield, and scored off an infield hit by Ryan Puckett.
Orange’s Derek Lindaman earned his 4th win of the season with his 2nd complete game, yielding just one run and eight hits. He struck out four.
Northwood’s Davis Palermo took an unjustified loss, giving up just five hits and two runs, striking out six.
Following Puckett’s single, Palermo retired 16 of Orange’s next 17 batters over the following five innings. Caige Clayton’s two-out single in the third inning was the Panthers’ only baserunner in that span.
Northwood tied the game in the top of the second. With runners at second and third, Max Hundley ripped a single to right field to score Colton Lineman. Orange right fielder Rodney Brooks made a strong throw to the plate to keep Logan Crabtree from scoring the go-ahead run. Northwood’s Bryce Davis grounded out to shortstop Joey Berini to end the inning on the next at-bat.
Orange will play Chapel Hill tonight at 6. We’ll have that broadcast here on HillsboroughSports.com.