Extra Inning Rally Helps Broncos Secure Sweep of Sylvan-Lucas-Lincoln

Game 1: Russell-Victoria 11, Sylvan-Lucas-Lincoln 0
Game 2: Russell-Victoria 10, Sylvan-Lucas-Lincoln 8, (8 inn.)

LUCAS-The Russell-Victoria Baseball team had to work a little overtime, but it was worth it as the Broncos plated two runs in the top of the 8th inning of Game 2 of their doubleheader with Sylvan-Lucas-Lincoln to overcome a three-run Mustang rally with two out in the seventh inning to win 10-8 Tuesday evening at the Lucas Baseball Field.

The Broncos also won Game 1 of the twin bill 11-0.

In the opener, the Broncos broke a scoreless tie in the top of the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Jarod Ford that scored Wyatt Griffin to put Russell-Victoria in front 1-0.   The Broncos then strung together five hits and took advantage of Sylvan-Lucas-Lincoln mistakes to plate seven more runs in the top of the third inning to swell the lead to 8-0.  Russell-Victoria plated three more runs in the fifth and sixth innings to put the game away as the game ended after the bottom of the sixth frame due to the run rule.

Griffin pitched a complete game while yielding just one hit, a single by Harlan Pancost with one out in the bottom the sixth.  Griffin, Sam Thielen and Cale Braun had two hits apiece  while Ford recorded three RBI's.  Brody Shearer took the loss for Sylvan-Lucas-Lincoln.

The nightcap was a back and forth affair from start to finish.  The Broncos struck in the top of the first frame when Mason Rohr drove Thielen home with a single.  The Mustangs then responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame to lead 2-1.

Russell-Victoria regained the lead in the top of the third inning when Max Evans hit a two-out, three-run opposite-field home run to right to make the score 4-2 in favor of the Broncos.

Sylvan-Lucas-Lincoln went back in front 5-4 after four innings with three runs in their next two at bats.  The Broncos then stormed back to lead 6-5 in the top of the fifth on an RBI groundout by Rohr and a throwing error.  Single runs in the sixth and seventh innings gave Russell-Victoria an 8-5 advantage heading into the bottom of the seventh.

The Broncos seemingly had the game put away still leading 8-5 with two out in the bottom of the seventh, but Jaxon Ross hit two consecutive batters, the second with the bases loaded to make the score 8-6.  Coach Jon Ross replaced Ross with Thielen who got two strikes on Conner Charvat but Charvat laced a single into right field to cut the lead to 8-7 and Levi Bates hit an opposite-field single to knot the score 8-8.  With the bases loaded and the winning run at third base for Sylvan-Lucas-Lincoln (2-4), Thielen got out of the jam but getting Deagan Walters to fly out to Will Scherrer in right field and force extra innings.

Russell-Victoria then tallied twice in the top of the eighth when Thielen who led off the inning with a single, scored on an RBI-single by Braun then Rohr hit a sacrifice fly to bring Braun home with a huge insurance run to make the score 10-8.  Thielen, the winning pitcher in relief then slammed the door on the Mustangs with a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth inning, ending the contest with back-to-back strikeouts to assure Russell-Victoria its first doubleheader sweep of 2024.

Charvat took the loss for Sylvan-Lucas-Lincoln.

Rohr and Evans drove in three runs apiece for Russell-Victoria (3-4) while Thielen stole three bases.

The Broncos are next in action on Friday, April 12 with another road doubleheader this time in Ellinwood.  First pitch is set for 4 p.m.