Wild walk-off gives Highlanders 12-11 win over Seminole State

The #5 McLennan Highlanders came from behind to defeat the #23 Seminole State 12-11 in walk-off fashion this afternoon on the campus of Dallas Baptist University. Drake Threadgill picked up the win on the mound.
 
Seminole State took the early lead with three runs in the second inning. Wilfred Gonzalez singled and advanced on a wild pitch. Daniel Restrepo walked, and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by WT Jones. Cohl McCoy doubled to score Gonzalez, and Kendall McDowell singled to score Restrepo and McCoy.
 
McLennan got on the board with Ty Waid's solo home run in the bottom of the second.
 
The Highlanders took the lead with five runs in the third. McClane Helton hit a solo home run. Daniel Harden doubled and scored on a double by Deiten Lachance. Waid then singled to score Lachance. Marcus Smith and Walker Freeman both walked, loading the bases. Brecken Menuet walked, scoring Waid, and Sherman Johnson walked to score Smith.
 
The Trojans tied the game with three runs in the fifth. Tyler Payton walked and Grayson Childers singled. Payton was caught stealing, and Gonzalez singled. Restrepo followed with a three-run homer.
 
Menuet's solo home run in the bottom of the fifth put McLennan back on top.
 
Two Seminole State runs in the sixth put the Trojans back in the lead. Cade Mills walked and advanced on a sac bunt by McDowell. Payton tripled to score Mills and then scored on a ground out by Childers.
 
Harden's solo home run in the bottom of the sixth tied the game at eight.
 
The Trojans took the lead again with three runs in the top of the eighth. McCoy singled and advanced on a sac bunt by Mills. McDowell reached on an error, and both runners scored on a triple by Payton. Childers then singled to score Payton.
 
Johnson led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run to pull the Highlanders within two, 11-9.
 
McLennan stole the win with three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Waid walked and Freeman singled. Waid then stole third and scored on a single by Spencer Butt. Owen Smith came in as the pinch runner for Butt, and Johnson walked, loading the baes. Helton hit a fielder's choice. The Trojan's believed Freeman was out at the plate and that the throw to first was in time to get the game-ending double play. But, the catcher's foot was off the bag and Freeman scored, tying the game. A premature celebration by Seminole State ensued but the ball was still live. Owen Smith kept motoring toward home and scored the winning run.
 
McLennan opens conference play Wednesday, hosting Temple for a noon doubleheader.
 
McLennan 12, Seminole State 11
Seminole State 030 032 030 – 11 14 3
McLennan         015 011 013 – 12 12 2
Clayton Moore, Hunter Gibson (3), Luke Saunders (6), Mylan Childers (8), Jackson Pickelsimer (9) and Cade Mills. AJ Ripley, Colin Carney (3), Gage Goldman (5), Trevor Ainsworth (6), Stevie Doty (8), John Carmichael (8), Drake Threadgill (9) and Ty Waid, Deiten Lachance. WP: Threadgill; LP: Pickelsimer. Leading hitters – Seminole State: Kendall McDowell (1-3, 2 RBI), Tyler Payton (2-3, 2 3B, 3 RBI), Grayson Childers (2-5, 2 RBI), Wilfred Gonzalez (4-5), Daniel Restrepo (1-4, HR, 3 RBI) and Cohl McCoy (2-5, 2B, RBI); McLennan: McClane Helton (1-6, HR, 2 RBI), Daniel Harden (2-5, 2B, HR, RBI), Deiten Lachance (2-5, 2B, RBI), Ty Waid (2-3, HR, 2 RBI), Brecken Menuet (1-2, HR, 2 RBI), Spencer Butt (1-2, RBI) and Sherman Johnson (1-3, HR, 2 RBI). Record: McLennan 11-2.