Going into the game with the pitching match up of the Diamond Devil’s Adam Gregg and the Orphan’s Adam Koch everyone knew the game was going to be a low scoring on the edge of your seat kind of affair. Even the normally boisterous Orphan fans were uncharacteristically reserved. One of the few times they could be heard was after the Orphans scored the winning run in the top of the fourteenth inning.

For the Devils this game had the same feel as the twelve inning 2005 State Tournament loss to Milroy. The Devils pitching was outstanding. However, at the plate and on the base paths the Devils could not get things going and the biggest reason was that the Orphans could not play any better defensively.

The Devils took the lead in the second inning. With two outs, Craig Hawkinson walked on a full count pitch. In Ryan Dwyer’s at bat, Craig moved up to second on a pass ball. With Craig at second, Ryan delivered a run scoring single. Matt Goodwald followed with a single to put runners at the corners however Adam Koch came through and got a fly ball out to right to end the Devil’s scoring in the game.

For the most part, Adam Gregg shut down the Orphans only facing two over the minimum through six innings. However, in the seventh the Orphans came through to tie the score. The Orphan’s John Stueven singled to start off the inning. Playing small ball the Orphans sac bunted John to second. Aaron Demarais grounded out to second to move John to third. Tom Bobrowske singled to knot up the game.

The Devils had a chance to put the game away in the bottom of the ninth. A single by Craig Hawkinson and an error by the first baseman in Ryan Dwyer’s at bat put runners at first and second with no outs. The Devils played a little small ball of their own when Matt Goodwald sac bunted to put runners at second and third. KC Johnson almost had the game winning hit but a diving play by the third baseman down the baseline saved the game for the Orphans by freezing Craig at third while getting the out at first. An intentional walk to Brad Mazer and a fly out to right meant extra innings.

The Orphans took the lead in the fourteenth inning. Draftee from Monticello Alex Stein led off the inning with a single. Jake Streich sac bunted Alex to second. Adam Koch grounded to second but was safe on a throwing error at first giving the Orphans runners at the corners. Everyone knew the squeeze play was on and the Orphans executed the play well to score the winning run in Tim Sonnek’s at bat.

The Orphans had two defensive gems to keep the Devils off the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning. In the first at bat the Orphan’s second baseman made a diving over the head catch in short right field to take away a hit from Matt Goodwald. A ground out to third and the Devils were down to their last out. Brad Mazer singled and Andrew Engebretson walked to put the tying run at second. However, another great defensive play by the Orphans ended the game. Brandon Schliinz hit a hard ground ball up the middle that was stopped by another diving defender. This time the shortstop made the stop behind second base and got to the bag just before Andrew, ending the game.