By Staff
John Swartz, Sports Correspondent
YEATESVILLE -- The bats did all the talking at Northside Thursday night, as the Panthers edged out a victory against the Jamesville Bullets, 14-12.
Tory Spencer capped the Panther comeback as he hit the game winning three-run home run for Northside in the sixth with the Panthers down by two runs.
The Panthers jumped out to an early lead with a couple of runs in the first two innings, and a four-run third inning. The Panthers were helped along by a couple of Jamesville errors, a walk and a hit batsman.
Jamesville wasn't going to sit quietly as the Panthers walked away with an easy victory. In the next inning, the Bullets lit up Northside starter Charlie Cutler for five runs and forced Northside head coach Rick Anderson to make a pitching change for the fifth inning.
The change on the mound didn't stop the Jamesville offense as the Bullets shot five more runs to the board in the fifth. The runs were mostly because of Northside miscues. The Bullets took advantage of three walks and an error to earn their second straight five-run inning.
With the lead growing for the Bullets, Northside needed their bats to come alive in a hurry. However, their bats weren't ready to produce just yet. The Panthers were able to take advantage of numerous mistakes by the Bullet defense. Northside had seven base runners in the inning off only two hits. Errors, walks and hit batsman once again came into play to plague the defense.
The Panthers crawled to within two runs and it was time for another pitching change. Anderson gave the ball back to his starter, Cutler, and made him the man for the rest of the game. Cutler allowed one run as he worked out of a four-hit jam and left the bases filled with Jamesville base runners.
In the sixth, the first two batters reached base, and Chad Giles hit a line drive to right field that scored John Scott Cutler. Then came Spencer to the plate with the Panthers down by two; he represented the go ahead run. Spencer put the Panthers back on top with one swing as his shot cleared the center field wall.
The Panthers tacked on one insurance run as Charlie Cutler crossed the plate. Cutler went from the plate to the mound as he had the ball with the chance to send the Bullets home with a loss. He struck out the first batter, got the second to ground out before allowing an infield single. William Brown came to the plate with a chance to tie the game. Cutler delivered the pitch and Brown smoked the ball right into the glove of the Northside shortstop -- all that was left in the game was a toss to first base.
JAMESVILLE 001 551 -- 12 12 4
NORTHSIDE 114 035 -- 14 13 3
WP: Cutler, LP: Reason
J -- Joey Harrison 2-5 (RBI); Bobby Clifton 1-5; Steven Roberson 1-1; William Brown 1-4; Blake Perry 1-2; Kane Davis 2-3; Danny Reason 1-3 (3 RBI); Tyler Clifton 2-2; Benjamin Price 1-3; N -- Charlie Cutler 2-3; Carleton Tindall 1-3 (3 RBI); Brandon Boyd 2-3; John Scott Cutler 2-4; Trey Mann 1-2; Chad Giles 2-3 (RBI); Tory Spencer 2-3 (HR, 3 RBI); Ensley Wood 1-2.