Liberty walks it off against Kountze 13-12

LIBERTY - Grady Silva delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning to left the Liberty Panthers to a wild 13-12 win over the Kountze Lions on Tuesday night at City Park Field.  

The Panthers fell behind 7-0 after the first two innings before coming back to score 10 runs in the third frame. Kountze regained the lead with three runs in the top of the seventh to move back in front 12-10, only to have Liberty score three in the bottom half of the frame for the win.  

The game featured a combined 24 walks by both teams.  

Trailing 7-0 heading to the bottom of the third inning, Liberty went to work. Kade Jordan and Caden Mullinex walked, and then Silva was hit-by-a-pitch to load the bases. Kenan Clevenger and Kody Sandefur were also hit-by-a-pitch, with the bases loaded to produce a couple of runs the hard way. Jace Smart scored another run on a fielder's choice and then Leyton Kirkland had an RBI single and the Panthers trailed 7-5. Six more walks and an error led to five more runs and Liberty led 10-7 heading into the fourth inning.  

Kountze cut the deficit to 10-9 with a couple of runs in the fourth, and then things would stay the same until the seventh.  

The Lions scored three in the seventh and led 12-10. Sandefur led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and then Jace Smart walked and then an infield hit by Frankie Marez loaded the bases. Ethan Hofmeister followed with a single to score Sandefur and the score was 12-11. Jordan then scored another with a catcher's interference call and the game was knotted at 12-apiece. Silva then sent everyone home happy with the game-winner and Liberty was a winner 13-12.  

Peyton Fregia, Mullinex, Jordan, and Justin Butler all pitched for the Panthers and combined for nine strikeouts on the night.