The Fulton Hornets pushed it to the edge to secure their first North Central Missouri Conference win of the season.
Sophomore shortstop Landon Dzurick's bases-loaded walk with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning scored sophomore center fielder Jake Moore with the winning run as Fulton outlasted Moberly in a 10-9 NCMC victory at the high school athletic complex Thursday night.
The Hornets improved to 2-6 on the season and 1-6 in the NCMC, taking two of three games this week. More importantly, Fulton bounced back after a 16-1 conference thrashing by state-ranked Boonville on Tuesday night.
"It's always nice to get that first conference win, but that means we won the week and that's always a big goal," Hornets head coach John Brinkmann said. "I'm happy to see the guys be successful.
"They didn't quit - it would have been pretty easy to lay down after Tuesday night, but they came out and fought from the first pitch to the last pitch."
Fulton led at one point 8-4 on Thursday night, but Moberly rallied for a run in the top of the fourth inning and three more in the fifth to tie the game. The Hornets produced a run in the fifth to go back on top 9-8, but the Spartans responded again with a run in the sixth to pull even.
Junior pinch-hitter AJ Reid drew a walk to start the bottom of the seventh for Fulton and went to second when Moore was safe after Moberly misplayed his bunt. Both Reid and Moore moved up on a passed ball, and junior second baseman Brock Fisher was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Reid was thrown out attempting to steal home, with Moore and Fisher both advancing. After junior first baseman Evan Gray received another intentional walk to fill the bases again, Dzurick coaxed his third walk of the game on a full count to bring in Moore with the decisive run.
Fulton jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Fisher drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a passed ball, and scored on Gray's groundout to short.
Dzurick followed by drawing a walk, stole second and went to third on an error. Dzurick came home on junior designated hitter John Holtkamp's sharp single to center.
Moberly countered with two runs in the top of the second to tie the game, but the Hornets came right back with five runs in their half of the inning to regain the lead.
Freshman catcher Austin Taylor opened the inning with a single and was replaced by Moore as a courtesy runner. Moore stole second, went to third when junior right fielder Justin Leake reached on an error, and scored on senior center fielder Brennan Donohue's sacrifice fly to right.
Leake - who went to second on the error - advanced to third on senior left fielder Solomon Huff's single to center. Leake then put Fulton up 4-2 when he dashed home on a wild pitch, with Huff going to second.
After Fisher earned another walk, he and Huff executed a double-steal and Gray was walked to load the bases. Dzurick then earned his second walk to score Huff and keep the bases full.
Holtkamp beat out an infield single, allowing Fisher to score from third to make it 6-2. With the bases still loaded, junior third baseman Joe Hinchie's single to left brought home Gray.
The Spartans tallied two more runs in the third to close within 7-4, but the Hornets got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Fisher's RBI single to right with one out.
Moberly stayed within striking distance by tallying its run in the fourth and then caught Fulton at 8-all by putting up its three runs in the fifth.
Senior pinch-runner Nate Quick gave the Hornets the lead again in the fifth when he came around to score from second when Dzurick reached on a two-out error.
The Spartans, though, tied the game for the third time with their run in the sixth.
Holtkamp went 2-for-4 with two RBI as Fulton finished with eight hits, while Hinchie also finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Fisher was 1-for-2 with an RBI and scored twice, and Huff went 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
Dzurick was 0-for-2 but had the two RBI and scored a run.
Fisher supplied three of the Hornets' 11 stolen bases, while Huff and Moore both had two.
Holtkamp threw four innings in relief of sophomore starter Gavin Leuther to post his first win of the season as Fulton survived five errors. Holtkamp (1-2) gave up five runs - only one earned - on three hits, struck out three and walked one.
"John was throwing first-pitch strikes," Brinkmann said. "He pounded the zone tonight and made (Moberly) hit it."
The Hornets travel to NCMC foe Kirksville for a varsity doubleheader at 4:30 p.m. Monday.