AUXVASSE - The North Callaway Thunderbirds used some late-game magic to snag Callaway County bragging rights over the Fulton Hornets on Tuesday night.
Trailing 7-6 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, North Callaway tied the game on junior left fielder Jordan Delashmutt's RBI single to center. Then with the bases loaded, the Thunderbirds produced the winning run on junior left fielder Skylar Morris' RBI sacrifice fly to prevail 8-7.
"You know we're always trying to get better as a team, and we were pretty sloppy there early," North Callaway head coach Kevin O'Neal said. "What I like is the kids competed the whole time - there were a couple games earlier this season where we folded and gave up runs we weren't supposed to.
"In this game we worked out of a couple jams, and I was proud of the way we responded to adversity."
North Callaway (7-6) has won four of its last five, while Fulton (2-9) suffered its third straight loss. However, head coach John Brinkmann was pleased with the Hornets' effort after two blowout losses at Kirksville on Monday night.
"It's always good to bounce back after those tough games and give a really quality team a good game," Brinkmann said. "It's always disappointing to lose in the last inning on a walk-off, but I'm proud of these guys.
"It would've been easy to just roll up and go away after last night's games, but they fought for seven innings and you can't ask for much more as a coach."
Senior starter Chad Maupin put North Callaway in front 1-0 with an RBI single in the first. Fulton then tied the game in the second when senior courtesy runner Makygh Galbreath scored on senior left fielder Nate Quick's fielder's choice.
The Hornets moved ahead by breaking out for four runs in the top of the third. Junior second baseman Brock Fisher scored on an error and junior starter John Holtkamp drove in junior first baseman Evan Gray with a line-drive single to put Fulton on top 3-1.
An error by the Thunderbirds led to the Hornets' next run, before junior right fielder Justin Leake's sacrifice fly scored junior designated hitter Joe Hinchie to make it 5-1.
North Callaway quickly cut into Fulton's lead by responding with three runs in its half of the third. Senior third baseman Sam Althiser had an RBI sacrifice fly and Maupin delivered another RBI single to bring the Thunderbirds within 5-3.
North Callaway senior first baseman Clark Zerr then scored on an error to make it a one-run game.
After a scoreless fourth, Fulton had an opportunity to add to its lead in the fifth as the Hornets loaded the bases with no outs. However, the next three batters would be retired by Thunderbirds senior reliever Justin Popp as the Hornets squandered a golden opportunity.
"It's always tough on momentum when you don't score with the bases loaded and nobody out," Brinkmann said. "It's a thing as a team that you have to be able to build from it and not let it get you down.
"I think tonight we let it get us down a little bit, but hopefully we learn from it and don't let it happen again."
North Callaway regained the lead with two runs in the sixth. Delashmutt started the inning with a single to center and scored on senior left fielder Adam Reno's one-out double to pull the Thunderbirds even at 5-all.
Reno then put North Callaway in front when he scored on Morris' single to left.
Fulton, though, would respond in its last at-bat.
Hinchie tied the game at 6-all with an RBI single and Quick gave the Hornets the advantage again when his single scored sophomore courtesy runner Landon Dzurick.
Fulton's lead wouldn't last as Delashmutt and Morris rallied the Thunderbirds.
Delashmutt - originally slated to miss the game due to rest - went 2-for-2 as North Callaway finished with 11 hits. O'Neal was emphatic that the comeback couldn't have been completed without him.
"Jordan's been a spark for us all season - usually he starts and bats leadoff, but I tried to give him the night off for rest," O'Neal said. "He wasn't too happy being out of the lineup.
"But he got his opportunity to come in and he was a spark plug for us. That's something our whole team can learn from, just paying attention the whole game and coming in, and doing what you can."
Maupin finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, while Morris was 2-for-3 with two RBI and scored a run.
Popp picked up the win in relief of Maupin, giving up two unearned runs on four hits in four innings. He struck out two.
Fulton manufactured 10 hits as Hinchie went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Quick finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and Holtkamp was 1-for-4 with a RBI.
Fisher was tagged with the loss in relief of Holtkamp, allowing two earned runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings. He issued two walks and struck out one.
The Hornets host Battle in a nonconference matchup at 5 p.m. today. The Thunderbirds travel to Montgomery County for an Eastern Missouri Conference game at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Kirksville 23
Fulton 9
KIRKSVILLE - The Hornets plunged to 1-8 in the North Central Missouri Conference after being humbled by the Tigers in the second game of Monday night's doubleheader.
Kirksville completed a sweep by blanking Fulton 13-0 in the opener.
The Hornets rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the nightcap by putting up four runs in the top of the third inning to take a 5-2 edge. However, the Tigers buried Fulton behind a nine-run outburst in their half of the third and a 12-run rampage in the fourth.
The Hornets scored their other four runs in the fifth as the game was called on the mercy rule.
Freshman catcher Austin Taylor finished 2-for-3 with four runs batted in as Fulton collected 10 hits. Junior starter Evan Gray was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI, while junior first baseman John Holtkamp went 1-for-1 with a double and scored a run.
Junior third baseman AJ Reid finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Gray (1-1) was roughed up in the loss, giving up 13 runs - only eight earned - on 12 hits in 3 1/3 innings as the Hornets committed eight errors. He had five strikeouts and one walk.