PORTAL — After 12 innings, a strong start and heroic comebacks, the Liberty County Panthers lost a game Wednesday by walking in a run.
Portal High won the epic, 17-16.
“I’ve been coaching for 14 years,” Portal coach Dennis Moore said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been part of a game that was quite as crazy as this one. I think that I stopped getting gray hair and just started losing hair.”
Liberty started the game strong, standing up 7-0 in the top of the third. The six-run second included three hits, four walks and an error. They also scored in the third. But Portal responded with four runs in its half of the third and pounded out six hits in a six-run fourth to take a 10-7 lead.
Portal was up 10-8 in the top of the seventh inning, but coughed up the lead when Liberty County got two hits and a hit batter to load the bases. A walk and fielder’s choice plated two runs and sent the game into extra innings.
Liberty scored three runs in the ninth and two more in the 11th. Another run in the top of the 12th gave Liberty County its third lead of the contest, but Curtis Michalowicz gave up a single and walked four straight to force in the tying and winning runs.
The Panthers’ scores included a ninth-inning home run by Jacari Roberts.
On Friday, Liberty played Statesboro High School. Gaprepcountry.com reported it as a 13-3 loss for the Panthers