Blessed Sacrament Huguenot starting pitcher Ryan Bendele staked the visiting Brunswick Academy Vikings to a three run lead in their first at bats last Tuesday evening. The Vikings touched Bendele for another in the second and reliever Gavin Paul gave up the fifth run in the third but it in the end it all came down to a bases loaded strike out in the home half of the final inning to do in the Knights 5-4.

BSH leadoff man Gavin Paul got on with a walk, was erased on Taylor Myers’ shot to short, who suffered the same fate on Bendele’s tap back to the mound. With two away Chris Howard got on with an infield hit setting the stage for Alex Winfree. Winfree cranked Cory Daniels first offering to the fence in right center for a long, long third out.

Bendele settled down in the second inning but gave up a run following a one out walk. A stolen base and a passed ball advanced the runner to third. The Vikings fourth run came home on a ground out to first base. Bryan Alexander struck out to start the Knights half of the second before Austin Wingfield stroked a single to right field and A. J. Johnson walked on four pitches. Connor Paul flied out to left center for two away and runners at first and second. Gavin Paul found the hole at short stop to drive in the first BSH run, but Johnson was doubled off of second to end the inning.

After a lead off walk, Bendele set the Vikings down in order to start the third. Daniels returned the favor with a nine pitch bottom of the inning.

Bendele again started off an inning with a walk. He got the second Viking on a pop out to short and then gave up a four pitch walk. A fly to left earned him the second out but he immediately fell behind 3-0 on the next batter and then balked to load the bases. He escaped damage with a third out pop up to short. Winfree worked Daniels for a walk and Alexander’s single put runners on first and second to open the bottom of the fourth. Wingfield cracked a shot to deep left center but it stayed inside the fence for another long out. Daniels had trouble fielding Johnson’s nubber back to the mound and his throw to third was late to load the bases. Connor Paul was served up a four pitch walk to force in Winfree and Daniels compounded the problem by throwing ball four to the back stop. An alert Alexander scooted home with the second Knights’ run. Gavin Paul drilled a shot back to the mound which Daniels gloved and then threw to second to double off Connor Paul and end the inning.

Freshman Gavin Paul took over the pitching duties to start the fifth and looked impressive. He got the lead off batter looking at strike three in a three pitch sequence and used only one more pitch to get the next batter swinging at a third strike. Then he turned camel lion with three consecutive balls leading to a full count walk. He went 0-2 on the next hitter before delivering four straight balls. With runners at first and second it was fortunate that the clean double over the second base bag scored only a single run. A Texas leaguer into short right held the runner at third and Paul escaped further damage with a pop out to short. New Vikings’ pitcher Bob Beville sent Taylor Myers back to the dug out on a swinging third strike and served up a high fly ball to center to Bendele. Howard took a lesson from Bendele and rattled Beville’s next offering off of the center field fence. Winfree looked at three balls and then three strikes to leave Howard parked at second.

Gavin Paul had a one, two, three top of the sixth on a ground out, a fly to center and a strike out. Alexander led off the bottom of the sixth with a laser shot that was still rising as it crossed the fence in dead center field. Winfield’s attempt to duplicate that shot fell about 20 feet short of the fence for out number one. Johnson cracked a single to right center and with Connor Paul at the plate, went to second on an errant pick off throw. Conner Paul eventually went down swinging, but younger brother Gavin drove in Johnson with a solid double to left center. Myers’ chopper to second ended the inning but the Knights had fought back at 4-5.

Gavin Paul did what he had to do, again setting the Vikings down in order to start the seventh with a foul out, a strike out and a ground out to third. Bendele led off with a five pitch walk, but stayed on first when Howard flied out to shallow center. With Winfree at the plate, Bendele took second on 1-1 count passed ball but was gunned down trying to take third. Winfree replaced Bendele on base with a full count walk. Alexander needed only four pitches to join him and the Knights had runners at first and second with two outs. Wingfield worked Beville for a full count walk and the bases were full of Knights, the tying run was at third and the winning run at second. Sophomore A. J. Johnson took Beville’s first offering for a called strike and missed on his second. Johnson laid off of Beville’s next pitch for ball one. He also laid off of Beville’s fourth pitch. It was a strike.