PHOTO GALLERY: Rising Sun baseball edges Bel Air

Nick Luciano of the Rising Sun baseball team chases after a Bel Air baserunner during the Tigers' 7-6 triumph over the Bobcats in UCBAC action Wednesday, April 9.

    Nick Luciano singled home Adam Janney with the go-ahead run in the top of the 9th as the Rising Sun baseball team remained undefeated with a 7-6 victory over Bel Air Wednesday.
    The game was played in Rising Sun, but the Tigers were designated as the visiting team since they served as the home team during the first meeting in Bel Air, which was also won by the Tigers in nine innings.

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    With one out in the "visiting" half of the 9th, Janney doubled to deep left. After another out, Luciano singled up the middle and Janney beat the throw to the plate.
    Chris Melrath, who came on in relief of starter Cole Benjamin in the seventh, retired the Bobcats in order to seal the deal.
    It was Rising Sun's third extra-inning win of the season.
    It did not appear as if the Tigers would have to work overtime when they grabbed a 6-2 lead. Rising Sun scored two runs in each of the first two innings. Dan Willert started the game by slicing a single inside the first base bag. Zach Van Dyke followed with an RBI double to left-center. Van Dyke moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tommy Stover.
    Luciano drew a walk to begin the second inning. Melrath hit a comebacker, but neither of the Bobcats' middle infielders covered the second base bag in a timely fashion and the throw from the pitcher was low allowing Luciano to easily slide in safely. Sean Goodie executed a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Daniel Richardson got an RBI on a grounder to shortstop and reached on an error. Van Dyke delivered a two-out RBI bloop single to make it 4-0.
    Bel Air responded with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second to cut their deficit in half.
    The Tigers tacked on two more in the fifth with the help of two Bobcats errors. Goodie lashed an RBI single to right-center to extend the lead to 6-2.
    The Bobcats clawed back with three runs in the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, Bel Air got a one-out single and the runner moved up a base on an errant pickoff throw to first. Melrath entered the game and uncorked a wild pitch to advance the tying run to third. After a walk and a dropped popup, the Bobcats has the bases loaded with one out. The next hitter hitter a soft liner to shallow right. The Tigers' rightfielder Will Barton made a lunging grab to likely save the game, but the Bobcats' still managed to tie the game as the runner on third tagged and easily beat Barton's throw to the plate since Barton had to go to the ground to make the catch. Melrath got out of the inning by getting a grounder to short.
    The Tigers nearly took the lead in the top of the eighth. After a runner was picked off first, Willert reached on a two-out infield single and stole second. Van Dyke singled to right but a great throw nailed Willert at the plate.
    After Janney's booming double in the ninth, Luciano quickly fell behind in the count 0-2. Rising Sun has adopted a strategy where batters with two strikes square to bunt before pulling the bat back.
    While it's clear to everyone including the opposition the batter has no intention to bunt, the practice forces the hitter to get the bat in motion and can help to shorten the swing.
    "There's a lot of pressure," Luciano said. "I got two strikes early but I stayed focused. Squaring to bunt helps get me moving."
    With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Luciano, playing third base, made a diving catch near the bag to rob Bel Air of a double.
    "I had made an error earlier," said Luciano. "It's all about a short memory. I can't stress that enough."
    Rising Sun remained undefeated with five of the six wins coming in their last at bat of the game.
    "We're fighters," Luciano said. "We fight to the very end. We have so much heart. I love this team."