His team holding on to a 10-8 lead over Camp Point Central entering the fifth inning, Macomb High’s Blaine Eddington swung into action.
The results for Eddington were doubly grand as he connected for grand slams in consecutive innings, propelling the Bombers to a 21-8 victory over Central in area high school baseball action played on Apr. 16.
Macomb improved to 11-3 on the season, while Central dropped to 8-3.
The Panthers scored four times in the bottom of the first inning in taking the early lead. But MHS responded by scoring five runs in the second and five more in the third in building a 10-4 advantage.
Central answered with three runs in the bottom of the third and a single tally in the fourth to close the gap to 10-8.
Macomb responded in the top of the fifth. Emmett Beck singled with one out and Kaden Knupp reached on an error.
Jake Ogle singled to center, scoring Beck to make it 11-8. Jaxon Barclay then reached on an error by the Central shortstop to load the bases.
Eddington unloaded them, connecting on a 3-2 pitch from Liam Skinner, hitting the ball over the fence in center field for a grand slam home run. That blast upped the Macomb lead to 15-8.
The Bombers put the game away the next inning, scoring six runs.
Nick Elbe started the scoring, hitting a home run to right field. Beck doubled to left and scored on a single to center by Knupp that gave MHS a 17-8 lead.
Drew Taylor reached on an infield single before Aiden Reynolds was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Eddington wasted no time, hitting the first pitch he saw from Wes Homan over the center field fence for his second grand slam in as many innings.
That proved to be the crowning blow as Hayden Katz retired the Panthers in order in the bottom of the sixth to close out the victory.
MHS out-hit Central 13-10 and committed two errors, compared to four for the Panthers.
Elbe knocked in three runs and scored twice, while Beck added three hits, including a pair of doubles, scoring twice.
Ogle had three hits with two runs batted in. He also scored three runs. Isaac Leinbach, Knupp, Leighton Lambert and Katz chipped in one RBI apiece.
Eddington also walked twice, scoring four runs on the day, while Barclay scored three runs. Leinbach and Knupp both scored twice.
Ogle pitched three innings, allowing seven runs, five earned, on eight hits. He struck out two and walked two.
Katz picked up the win, pitching the final three innings. He allowed one earned run on two hits. Katz struck out three, walked one and hit a batter.
Braxton Kestner had two hits and two runs batted in for Central. Collin Likes also added a pair of RBIs, while Jace Howe, Luke Ippensen and Grant Ippensen each had two hits for the Panthers.
Howe, Briggs Wiskirchen and Ippensen scored two runs apiece.
Central used four pitchers. Caleb Petersen pitched two innings, allowing five earned runs on three hits. He struck out two, walked three and hit a batter.
Wiskirchen pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing five earned runs on one hit. He walked five and hit two batters, striking out one.
Skinner pitched 2.2 innings, allowing eight runs, three earned, on seven hits. He struck out two and walked one.
Homan pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing three earned runs on two hits. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter.
The Bombers were scheduled to fly back into Prairieland Conference play Monday, hosting LVC (8-5 overall, 3-2 Prairieland).
Macomb is currently 1-1 in conference play.
