Braves win thriller in bottom of 7th

Senior Eric Braughton hit a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Indian Creek a 4-3 come-from-behind win against Edgewood on Tuesday.

It was a game that Indian Creek seemed to be in control of until a rough fifth inning on the mound for the Braves put them behind.

One could say this game was both gifted by the Mustangs and earned by the Braves.

Whatever the reason, Indian Creek coach Eddie Willis could probably care less. To him it was an important win that could help establish the Braves as a legitimate contender in the Western Indiana Conference.

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“This was a big win for us,” Willis said. “We needed this after our game against Franklin last week in the Johnson County Tournament.

“We didn’t play well there.”

Indian Creek made amends Tuesday.

The Braves pounded out 10 hits, outhitting the Mustangs by four hits. The Braves also were flawless in the field and did reasonably well on the mound.

Indian Creek scored once each in the second and fourth innings, which seemed to be enough for Broughton, who started for the Braves.

Broughton was going well for 4 2/3 innings, struck out seven batters and kept the Mustangs scoreless for four innings.

It was the fifth that was his undoing.

With one out, Broughton surrendered three consecutive singles and walked in the Mustangs’ first run.

Willis switched out to senior Max Walls, who came in with the bases loaded, but after getting Ryan Stuffle out on an infield fly rule, Walls walked in two straight runs to give the Mustangs a 3-2 lead.

“Those walks nearly killed us,” Willis said. “We talk about not allowing walks, and here we walk in three runs.

“We can’t do that.”

As it turned out, that was it the only blotch on the canvas for the Indians.

There were three for Edgewood in the form of errors that led to the Braves’ first two runs and set up Broughton’s heroics.

In the bottom of the seventh, after a ground out, Jared DeHart appeared to hit into a routine ground out, but second baseman Curtis Cowden couldn’t field the grounder and DeHart was safe at first.

Walls helped his own cause with an infield single — his third of the game, then Luke Bramlett also had an infield single to load the bases for Broughton.

Broughton then slapped his game-winner between third and short, scoring both DeHart and Walls.

The win improved the Braves’ record to 2-1.

Indian Creek will see if it can do it again, as the Braves travel to Edgewood today for what Willis says should be another good game.

“We’re hoping for it,” he said.