By Dylan Hefflinger

ARCHBOLD- Wauseon stayed alive in the Northwest Ohio Athletic League title race after defeating Archbold 11-10 in a wild nine-inning affair. The win moved the Division II 22nd-ranked Indians to 5-1 in the NWOAL, one game behind Bryan, which won its 38th straight league contest on Thursday.

Deadlocked at 10, senior Austin Tuckerman drove in the winning run with a bases loaded two-out single to left in the top of the ninth scoring one, with the second runner getting thrown out at home. Archbold got a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the inning but could not score off of winning pitcher Ty Suntken

Just a sophomore, Suntken, who came into the game carrying a .492 BA with 23 RBI, had a huge night for the winning Indians blasting two 3-run home runs, a double and six RBI. In picking up the win, Suntken went 2 1/3 innings allowing just one hit, while walking three. Suntken threw in the low-80s on the fastball, topping out at 84.

Archbold jumped on top scoring five runs in the first. The inning started off with a walk to sophomore Jase Grosjean, followed by a single by junior Michael Walker to put runners on first and second. Senior Tanner Wyse drove a double to left-center scoring one and a walk loaded the bases. With two outs, a walk plated the second run and sophomore Evan Wyse capped the inning with a two-run double for a 5-0 lead after one inning.

Wauseon starter Axel Beuter settled down after the rough first inning, but still allowed four more runs over the next 4 2/3 innings. The left-handed sophomore featured a low-80s fastball that topped out at 83 and also showed a tight breaking curve in the low-70s.

Beuter finished the day allowing eight runs on just four hits and six walks while striking out 11, upping his season total to 38 strikeouts in 20 innings of work.

Wauseon got on the scoreboard in the 3rd inning, starting with a walk to the lead-off hitter sophomore catcher Jake Trejo. A single by Tuckerman put two runners on base for Suntken who hit a deep blast to left to cut the deficit to 5-3.

The blast came off of Archbold's starter Tyson Dietrich. The 6-3, 215-pound righty pounded the zone with a fastball in the mid-80s topping out at 87. Dietrich was unable to get the off-speed over the plate, however, which allowed the Indians batters to sit on the fastball. Dietrich went five innings allowing five earned runs while striking out three.

After Archbold scored one in the bottom of the 4th, Wauseon tied the game at six with three runs in the top of the 5th. Suntken started the inning off with a double to left. After a walk, center fielder Collin Bzovi plated Suntken with an RBI single. With two outs, sophomore Clay Tefft delivered a single to left scoring two to tie the game.

Suntken blasted his second three-run homer of the night in the top of the 6th to put the Indians up 9-6.

Archbold answered again with three in the bottom of the frame, with the big hit a Tanner Wyse two-run single.

Wauseon went up by one in the top of the seventh off of talented sophomore Tyson Schnitkey on a RBI single by junior Cory Baird, but Archbold sent the game into extra innings with one in the bottom of the frame.

Schnitkey, a 6-3 lengthy right-hander, used his patented high knee windup to throw his fastball in the low-80s, topping out at 84. Schnitkey finished with four strikeouts in his three innings of work.

Wauseon (14-4) travels to Defiance High School on Saturday to start tournament play against Bowling Green at 2:30. Archbold (12-8) visits Hilltop on Friday before traveling to Bryan for a league encounter on Monday.