Stephanie Sturgis - Press Sports Editor
Posted: Thursday, March 26, 2009 2:35 pm

Home run trot — Greenfield's Jacob Lasater heads toward home plate after swatting a game-winning solo home run during the Jackets' 4-3 win over Union City.

It was one pitch, one more run for the Greenfield Yellowjackets baseball team in a closely-contested and closely-debated 4-3 win over the visiting Union City Tornadoes on Monday.

In a game that multiple discussions between coaches and umpires, Union City tied the score at 3-all when Camron Sherwood led off the sixth inning with a triple to right. The throw from the outfield got past Greenfield third baseman Jacob Johnson and rolled under the fence allowing Sherwood to trot home for the tie. The Twisters got another single, but the go-ahead run was stranded at third when Dalton Potts struck out the final two batters of the inning. Potts, who was under the weather, struck out a dozen including six in a row at one point, walked one and only allowed one earned run in six innings.

Derek Lasater, Greenfield's designated hitter, next stepped to the plate and needed just one pitch to put the Jackets back in front. Lasater lifted a long shot over the fence in right field for a 4-3 GHS lead.

Heath Crouse relieved Potts and allowed a two-out double but got his second strikeout of the inning to end the game with Greenfield on top 4-3.

Union City threatened in the top of the first with a leadoff double by Colton Speed, but Potts induced two groundouts to end the inning.

Greenfield squandered a leadoff double in the second when Steven Johnson was stranded.

In the home half of the third, UC's head coach Jeremy Maddox convinced the umpires to make an interference call on a GHS baserunner, resulting in a double play instead of a force out at second. The Jackets stranded a runner at third in the at-bat.

The Jackets took the lead with two runs in the fourth. Johnson walked and moved to second on a passed ball. Jacob Johnson's single through short brought Steven Johnson home. Ty Smithson's sacrifice bunt moved Jacob Johnson to third. He scored from there on a Lasater single for a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the fifth, an error put UC's Jacob Worley on first. Potts then hit Stevie Gossett with a pitch to put runners at first and second. A passed ball moved both of them closer to home. The second error of the inning allowed Worley to score. With two outs in the books and Gossett on third and Speed on first, Potts made a pickoff move. Maddox again called timeout and headed onto the field. After a discussion with the umps, a balk was called allowing Gossett to head home for a 2-2 tie.

Greenfield regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Daniel Ricketts blooped a single, stole second and third and came home when the throw got by the third baseman for a 3-2 lead to set up the sixth inning drama.

The Tornadoes got revenge on Tuesday with a 2-1 win over Greenfield in a pitcher's duel.