LAFAYETTE — Senior Kollyn All provided the game-winning RBI single Monday, April 30 as Class 4A No. 11-ranked McCutcheon edged crosstown and North Central Conference West Division high school baseball rival Lafayette Jeff 8-7. 

Mavericks senior Kaden Rice opened the bottom of the seventh by reaching on a two-base error by the Bronchos. 

Seniors Evan Allen and Jackson Smeltz then both walked to load the bases. 

All connected on a 1-0 pitch from senior right-hander Devon Siple (12/3 innings, 1 run, 1 hit, 4 walks, 0 strikeouts) that he blasted to center field to drive home Rice with the decisive run. 

McCutcheon improved to 13-3 overall and 7-0 in the NCC while Jeff fell to 3-15 and 1-6. 

“We did a good job of being resilient because there was a lot of adversity in that game,” said Mavericks coach Doug Schreiber, who saw his team fall behind 5-0 early and then have Jeff pull even at 7-7 with a run in the top of the sixth. “The bullpen has picked us up this year in key situations. We have three seniors — Kobe McNeeley, Dylan Henning and Ben Miller — who have come in in relief and done a good job for us. They’ve got extended so they almost like starters for us.” 

Bronchos coach Scott McTagertt saw positives for his club. 

“When you’re having a year like we’re having, it’s difficult to just get ready to go,” said McTagertt. We were playing a ranked team that wants to kick our butt and we manned up a little bit and competed. 

“We don’t back down. You look at our schedule and we have maybe the fifth or sixth-hardest schedule in Indiana. We play and what happens happens.” 

Right-hander McNeeley (5 1/3 innings, 2 runs, 3 hits, 2 walks, 8

strikeouts) struck out the side in the Jeff seventh and was the winning pitcher. He started the game as the Mavericks second baseman. 

“We just built off of that momentum,” said Schreiber of the 1-2-3 inning. 

“For a couple innings, we had a really good approach at the plate,”

said McTagertt. “A couple of innings, we had a bad one. That seventh inning, it was not a good one. Everybody took two pitches for a strike before we started to swing.” 

Jeff turned a double play as a part of a scoreless McCutcheon sixth. 

Bronchos junior right fielder Cole Bridge caught a fly and threw to senior first baseman Jensen Wenrick to double off a McCutcheon runner. 

The final out of the inning came when Jeff junior catcher Kyle Wiott (who walked) pegged out junior Peyton Williams (who walked) trying to steal second base. 

Jeff got an unearned run in the sixth to tie the score at 7-all. 

McCutcheon catcher All threw out freshman Caleb Koeppen (who led off with a single to left) attempting to steal for the second out. 

Two errors following a dropped third strike allowed Jeff junior T.J.

Preston (on base by walk) to sprint home with the tying run. 

Mavericks third baseman Miller snagged a line drive off sophomore Christian Maggio’s bat for the final out of the inning. 

McCutcheon assumed a 7-6 lead thanks to a three-run home run by Allen. 

Williams lashed a single to center, Rice was hit by a pitch from senior left-hander Riley Eberhart (4 1/3 innings, 7 runs, 6 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts) and both scored when right-handed swinger Allen clubbed an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left. 

The Mavericks ended the Jeff fifth with McCutcheon’s third double play of the game — senior shortstop Tyson Kelden to junior second baseman Jarod Smith to first baseman Henning. 

The Bronchos scored one unearned run in the fourth inning against McNeeley for a 6-4 edge. 

Caleb Koeppen rapped a lead-off double to center and scored on an error by the Mavericks while attending to turn an infield double play on a ball struck by Washington. 

McCutcheon pulled off an inning-ending double play in the third when second baseman Smith roamed into short right field and then threw to first baseman Henning to double off the Jeff runner. 

The Mavericks tallied four runs in the second inning against Eberhart to pull within 5-4. 

All led off with a double to left. One out later, he scored on senior Kyle Pendleton’s triple to right. 

A groundout by Miller plated Pendleton. A diving stop and throw by Jeff second baseman Siple retired Miller. 

McNeeley walked and was replaced on the bases by junior courtesy runner Connor Ayers. 

Ayers scored when righty batter Williams converted a 3-1 pitch into a two-run home run to center. 

Jeff scored five runs in the second inning. 

Eberhart and Caleb Koeppen drew walks and scored when No. 8 hitter Wenrick socked a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run home run. 

Preston then walked and junior Kalani Washington double to left. Both scored on a double to left by Maggio. 

That’s when McNeeley relieved Pendleton (1 2/3 innings, 5 runs, 3 hits, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts) on the mound. McNeeley recorded a strikeout to end the frame. 

McCutcheon turned a double play for the first two outs in the top of the first inning. 

Catcher All caught a popped-up bunt and fired to first baseman Henning to double off the Bronchos runner. 

McCutcheon plays Lafayette Jeff Tuesday, May 1 at Loeb Stadium. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. to allow Jeff players to attend the viewing of 11-year-old youth baseball player Landyn Griffith, who died Friday, April 27. The funeral is scheduled for Wednesday. 

Donald McTagertt, the coach’s father, also died April 27. His visitation is scheduled for Wednesday with the funeral Thursday.