It was a long time coming for the Bushnell- Prairie City High School baseball squad.
Friday was the day as the Spartans scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and hung on in securing an 8-7 non-conference victory over Midwest Central.
Playing its 20th game of the season, it was the first win for B-PC. Midwest Central saw its record slip to 6-8.
The game proved to be a back-and-forth affair with Midwest Central out-hitting B-PC 10-7. The two squads also combined to commit 10 errors, four by the Spartans.
Knotted at 7-7 after five innings, B-PC scored the decisive run in the sixth.
Jayden Powell led off by reaching on an error by Midwest Central shortstop Joe Proehl, advancing to second.
One out later, Dylan King singled to left with Powell advancing to third. Thomas Anderson grounded out to Proehl at short for the second out, but Powell scored the go-ahead run.
Connor Palm came on in relief of Alex Kohler in the bottom of the sixth and slammed the door shut on the Raiders. He faced seven batters, striking out six, in locking down the victory for the Spartans.
B-PC took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Palm doubled and scored on a pair of groundouts.
Midwest Central answered by scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning.
The first five Raider batters reached, three of them scoring. Proehl had a two-run double to center before scoring on an RBI single to left by Jaxon Tumilty.
Both teams scored three times in the third. Palm singled with one out before scoring on a double to left by King. Anderson reached on an error by Ryan Terrill at short that allowed King to score.
Anderson reached second on the error before moving to third on a wild pitch. He scored when Miles Strode singled to right.
The Raiders answered with three runs of their own, taking advantage of a pair of singles, a double and a pair of Spartan errors n taking a 6-4 lead.
The Spartans put together another three-run rally in the fifth to re-take the lead.
King reached on an infield error before Anderson doubled to left. Strode grounded out to short, scoring King and advancing Anderson to third.
Ryan Adler hit into a fielder’s choice with Anderson scoring on the play to tie the score at 6-6.
Adler stole second and scored when Kohler reached on an error by Colton Watts at third, his second error of the inning.
Midwest Central used a walk,single and error to push across the tying run in the bottom of the fifth, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
Kohler had three hits, including a pair of doubles, with one run batted in for B-PC. Palm and King each had two hits, including a double, scoring twice.
Anderson also doubled and scored twice. Strode had two runs batted in, while King, Anderson and Adler added one RBI apiece.
Kohler pitched five innings, allowing seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits. He struck out five, walked three and hit a batter.
Palm threw 29 pitches in his two innings, 21 for strikes.
Tumilty had three hits for Midwest Central. Proehl had two hits and two runs batted in, while Ryan Terrill had two hits, scoring twice.
Dalton Johnson pitched three innings, allowing four runs, two earned, on five hits. He struck out three.
Terrill pitched the final four innings, allowing four runs, one earned, on two hits. He struck out six and walked one.
