Maxwell gives up late lead, downed in title game

The Panthers needed just three outs.

With a two-run lead over Fall River heading into the final inning, the Maxwell High boys baseball team was on the brink of winning it's fifth Northern Section Division V title in seven years and avenging the 2008 championship game loss to the Bulldogs.

The Panthers gave up four runs.

After fighting back from a 4-0 deficit, the Panthers couldn't assemble another comeback to undo the damage of a disastrous seventh inning and fell 9-8 at home on Tuesday.

"It is what it is, we had our chance." said Maxwell coach Eric Lay. "Bottom line is they finished and we didn't."

Up 7-5 entering the top of the seventh, the underclassmen-laden Panthers had some miscues which prevented them from closing out the win.

"It's just age," Lay said.

Sophomore pitcher Steven Perry, who had looked strong since relieving struggling sophomore starter Tyler Wells, began to show signs of fatigue. He gave up a sharply-hit lead-off single to Trey Kramer and hit Scott McArthur on the following pitch.

"He kept us in the game and then he ran out of gas," said Lay, who put in James Bowen — another 10th grader — after Wells hit the batter.

With runners on first and second, Bowen induced a grounder to third that would have been an easy out — or possible 5-4-3 double play ball — but was bobbled by freshman infielder Steven Powell. The error loaded the bases and set the framework for Jered Vestal's bases-clearing double which gave the Bulldogs an 8-7 lead.

"The ball found the freshman kid," Lay said. "He's been great for us all year. That was a surprise; that was a tough one."

Fall River added its fourth run of the frame run off another error at third base. It proved to be a very important score after Maxwell's Shane Cabral went yard to lead off the bottom of the seventh. But with a one-run cushion, Bulldogs pitcher Tyler Kirk didn't panic and retired the next three batters in order to give Fall River its second consecutive win over Maxwell in the title game. Last year, the Bulldogs defeated the Panthers 6-3.

"I told the young guys to take this as a life lesson," Lay said. "Now we move ahead and learn how to finish."

Prior to the late-game problems, Maxwell's Dylan Dewit showed championship-caliber prowess at the plate to help the Panthers climb back from a 4-0 hole, which came as a result of struggles from Wells. The starting pitcher walked six runners in 12⁄3 innings before being relieved by Perry, who inherited a full set of runners and gave up a three-run triple. But Maxwell answered back in the third inning thanks to a three-run home run by Dewit, which was the highlight — and only hit — of a five-run inning for the Panthers. Cabral and Dewit both finished 1-for-3 for Maxwell, which had no player tally more than one hit. Kramer was the only two-hit player (2-4) for Fall River. Both teams amassed the majority of their baserunners via a combined 17 walks issued by both pitching staffs.

After breaking down the game with his sullen players, Lay complimented the effort of the 22-4 team and gave an example of their work ethic that he hopes will restore Maxwell's status as champions.

"I just love this team, they just battle and compete, and at some point we are going to get over this hump," he said. "We start summer ball tomorrow."