ALL RHODES LEAD TO SALEM WALK-OFF VS. ALLIANCE
The Quakers picked up their second conference win on Tuesday as they edged the Aviators in extra innings with a 6-5 walk-off winner at Ray Reisbeck Field. Sophomore Lane Rhodes was the hero for the Quakers as he went 7 innings on the mound, striking out 6 and went 3-5 at the plate including a single in the 8th inning to drive in the winning run.
The Aviators jumped out to 2-0 lead in the first inning but Salem came right back in the bottom half of the inning to tie it up on a 2 run single by senior Josh Young. Alliance went right back to work in the 2nd getting 2 more runs to take a 4-2 lead but the Quakers again responded with 2 runs of their own on a 2 out, 2 run single by Rhodes to tie it up again.
That would be it for both teams until the 7th when Alliance took the lead but the Quakers yet again rallied to tie in the bottom of the 7th with 2 outs when an error by Alliance allowed pinch runner Nick Coletta to score the tying run.
Junior Seth Seddon came in to relieve Rhodes in the 8th and despite putting 2 runners on, got out of the inning unscathed with a big strikeout to set the stage for the Quakers dramatic walk-off win.
Freshman Blaise Exline reached with 1 out on another Alliance error and after a wild pitch got him into scoring position Lane Rhodes hit a ground ball over the third base bag that brought Exline in and the Quakers out of the dugout to mob Rhodes at first base.
The Quakers are now 3-2 on the young season and 2-1 in the EBC. Salem will play the Aviators again on Wednesday at Alliance starting at 5 pm.
*Contribution from Mike DeBarr and salemathletics.org