Five-run seventh propels Longhorns past Crusaders

Legacy’s baseball team entered the bottom of the seventh inning with rapidly fading chances to win the game — as well as make the playoffs.

It all changed in a heartbeat.

The Longhorns rallied for five runs in the seventh en route to a 7-6 home win over Faith Lutheran that kept Legacy’s season alive.

“That’s something this team hasn’t done all year, really,” Legacy coach Bill Dexheimer said. “We haven’t really been able to come back like that. So it’s good to see. Hopefully we build some confidence going into the rest of our conference (season).”

Legacy (8-10) moved to 5-5 in the Northwest League, only a game back of Arbor View for fourth place. The top four teams advance to the Sunset Region playoffs.

“We’ve been right there. It seems like all our games have been one or two plays either defensively or offensively that have been putting us in the win column or the loss column,” Dexheimer said.

On Tuesday, that play came from a big swing by senior shortstop Dylan Baumgarte.

After senior Ryan Calsada hit a bases-loaded single with one out to score Josh Torres and cut the Crusaders’ lead to 6-3, Baumgarte lined a three-run triple to the gap in right-center field to tie the game.

“It was a big hit right there from a senior,” Dexheimer said. “This team has been struggling to have some of our seniors step up. So it’s nice to seen when a guy does that.

“It helps the team tremendously when they see some of our seniors step up. It builds morale.”

After a strikeout, Brandon Gannotice and Ashton Leahey walked to load the bases. Torres, who started the inning by drawing a walk, hit a soft liner just out of the reach of Faith Lutheran second baseman David Edson to score Baumgarte with the winning run.

Faith Lutheran (10-10, 7-4) had taken control in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs against tiring Legacy starter Brayden Torres.

Brayden Torres allowed only one run on four hits through five innings, but the Crusaders quickly scored three runs on four hits, including an RBI triple by Edson and an RBI single by Michael Kinkenon to take a 4-2 lead.

Brayden Torres struck out 11 in six innings of work that saw him toss 112 pitches.

Faith Lutheran added two runs in the top of the seventh on a solo homer by Caleb Summerhays and an RBI double by Brett Yee. The Crusaders had runners at second and third with no outs when sophomore reliever Kyle Peeler came on and retired the side without yielding another run.

Baumgarte was 2-for-4 with two runs, and Alex Wenzel went 3-for-4 with two runs for Legacy.

Kinkenon and J.B. Eary each had two hits for Faith Lutheran.