ALA-Gilbert North Uses Miscues To End Badgers Season

Photo: Matt Hepperle started and went four innings in his final game as a Badger

The #14 Prescott Badgers came very close to pulling off a big upset but in the end it was the #3 ALA-Gilbert North Eagles who walked it off with a 4-3 win in extra innings. After a 5-0 loss at home last Saturday to the Eagles when Prescott only had four hits they wanted to prove they were a lot better than that.

Matt Hepperle started on the mound and went four innings allowing just one run on 3 hits, and worked his way out of jams along the way. Hepperle’s pitch count reached 92 and that is when coach Jason Hutchens had to make the move to Kaden Lampe. The Badgers bats were stymied by the Eagles starter Grady Paulson through five innings.

On This Day in History — 1895

José Iturbi, Spanish pianist and conductor (died 1980) musician (1895–1980) 🔗

ALA-Gilbert North took a 1-0 after Tate Clarkson was hit by a pitch and later scored on a single by Grady Paulson. The score remained the same till the sixth inning, when Prescott picked up all their runs.

After the first out Matt Hepperle singled to right followed by a Travis Gates single down the third baseline. Aston Whitwell came up with a huge double to tie the game at one. William Horn was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Kaden Lampe singled up the middle to get the go ahead run, and could have had another, but Whitwell was tagged out at the plate. Gino Lowe came up to pinch hit and singled past the third baseman’s glove allowing Lampe to score for a 3-1 lead.

Lampe, who had taken over for Hepperle in the fifth and had to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth holding on to that two run lead. Lampe was able to strike out Zach Jeaney on a two two pitch to end the threat.

The Badgers were three outs away in the bottom of the seventh but the Eagles came out swinging. A leadoff single by Luke Jeaney followed by a Paulson bunt to the pitcher who threw wide to first allowing the runners to end up at second and third with no outs. A double by Lund scored the two and tied the game at 3. Easton Shy made a dramatic catch in left field as Lampe was able to get the outs to keep the score tied as the game went into extra innings.

A throwing error in the bottom of the 8th to the first baseman opened the door again, this time for a game-deciding unearned run. The runner stole second and came home on a base hit by Paulson to send the Badgers back to Prescott with the loss. That run and the two in the seventh that scored were all unearned which makes it more difficult in knowing that in the end the Badgers beat themselves.

Branden Maine picked up the win going two innings and allowing just one hit. Lampe took the hard luck loss.

ALA-Gilbert North had a lot of traffic on the bases but left an astonishing 13 runners stranded. Credit to the Badgers for that but it was all for not as Prescott ends another good season at (18-10).