***Kendall Vincent is a participant of The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program, funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust.
It was an exciting day of baseball for the Annawan/Wethersfield Titans, as the varsity squad secured a dramatic 11-10 walkoff win over Biggsville West Central, while the junior varsity team ended in a tightly contested 2-2 tie.
The varsity Titans pulled off a comeback on Thursday, rallying in the bottom of the seventh for an 11-10 walk-off win against the Heat. Down 10-9 with two runners on, Kellan Keane stepped up and delivered a clutch single that brought home the tying and winning runs.
The Titans jumped out early with two first-inning runs following an error and a groundout from Brody Childs. They added two more in the second after a double from Devon Horrie and a bases-loaded walk by Keane.
After West Central tied it at 4-4 in the fifth, the Titans briefly regained the lead in the bottom half. However, the Heat stormed back with four runs in the sixth, capitalizing on singles from Gage Stimpson and Kaleb Thompson and a wild pitch.
Trailing 10-6 entering the final frame, A/W mounted a comeback. Aaden Verstraete doubled to drive in a run, Maddux Heitzler drew a walk to bring home another, and Keane sealed the game with his two-run single.
Verstraete and Heitzler each had two hits for the Titans, while Keane led with two RBIs. The Titans showcased discipline at the plate, drawing 11 walks, with Zeb Rashid earning three of them. A/W also swiped four bases and played flawless defense behind solid pitching from Pierce Childs and relievers Keane, Heitzler, and Jonathan Torres.
In the JV matchup, Annawan/Wethersfield and West Central ended in a 2-2 draw in a game marked by strong pitching and timely defense.
The Titans struck first in the bottom of the first with two runs — one scoring on a passed ball and another on a lineout from Jaton Huber. West Central answered in the second with a triple from Jeremy Ford and a double by Colton Spence to even the score.
Nathan Harker started for the Titans, allowing just two runs and three hits over two innings, while striking out three. Kaleb Thompson threw for West Central, giving up two unearned runs on two hits in just under two innings.
Baylor Frankenreider and Myer Heitzler each recorded a hit for A/W, while Ford and Spence each drove in a run for West Central.
Defensively, the Heat played error-free baseball with Cooper Gibb making two key plays.
