By John Breech / STAFF

After six and a half innings of baseball Wednesday night, the Chattahoochee Cougar’s chances of beating North Forsyth looked bleak. Hooch had only mustered one hit all day against Raider starter Chris Smith and they trailed 4-0 going into the bottom of the seventh; they needed at least four runs and they had three outs to get them. Luckily for the Cougars, the pressure didn’t seem to bother Andrew Wingrove and Cody Maas. With two outs in the seventh, Wingrove hit a 2-run double that Maas followed with a 2-run bomb, tying the game at four. Hooch completed the improbable comeback in the eighth when sophomore Hunter Thomas hit a walk-off single, knocking in teammate Mike Kaplan for the game-winning run in a 5-4 thriller.

Cougar coach Tim Lemons had an easy time summing up the game, “We snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat,” said Lemons.  

Hooch starting pitcher Alex Moore (7 IP, 3 ER, 5 K’s) gave the Cougars seven solid innings, but he got roughed up for three runs in the fourth, only two of which were earned. The highlight of the inning for North Forsyth was a solo home run by catcher Alex Cruz (2-for-4, 2 RBI’s). The three runs combined with a first inning Raider score had North Forsyth leading 4-0 after four.  

After six and a half innings of play, it looked like Cruz’s home run was going to qualify for the highlight of the game. Hooch had no highlights to offer after six, unless you consider a harmless Phil Reiser single in the fourth a highlight.

However, that all changed in the seventh. Kaplan (1-for-3) led off the pressure-packed inning with a single, but he got thrown out at second when Nick Bedo hit into a fielder’s choice. Smith then walked John Milian, putting runners at first and second. After Milian’s walk, Raider coach Jim Cahill pulled Smith and replaced him with David Nicholson. Thomas (1-for-2, 3 BB, GW single) took Nicholson’s first pitch and hit into Chattahoochee’s second fielder’s choice, a play that resulted in Bedo being thrown out at third. Down to their last out, Wingrove (1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI’s) wasn’t about to make himself the goat of the game. The senior jacked a double to right center that scored Milian and Thomas trimming the lead to 4-2. Maas (1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI’s) completed the comeback seconds later when he hit a towering shot to left that tied the game at four. After Moore flied out to left for out number three, the game headed to extra innings.

High off of his two-run home run, Maas headed to the mound in the eighth and showed North Forsyth no mercy. The senior right-hander took the Raiders down in order, striking out both Cruz and Howell.

The eighth was almost as dramatic as the seventh for the Cougars. With two outs, and the bases loaded, Thomas took to the plate in a situation that young hitters usually only dream of. After North Forsyth’s fifth pitcher of the night, Robby Williams, threw three straight balls, Thomas had the green light to swing on a 3-0 count. He knew a strike had to be coming since a walk would also win the game. Thomas lined the next pitch to right center for the game winner.  

Before the seventh inning, Thomas, Maas and Wingrove had been 0-for-7 in the game, “They’ve been coming up big the whole year,” Lemons said of his top three hitters. “Every one of those guys has the ability to pop out of the park at any time, Cody and Andrew came through [in the seventh] and then on a 3-1 pitch, Hunter was able to drive-in that winner.”

After starting off region play 0-2, the Cougars have now won four of their last five to improve to 4-3 and 8-5 overall.