by Max Mercy

PROCTOR -- Evan Scherber's walk-off single scored pinch runner Cody Lewis with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Proctor a 7-6 win over Esko in a non-conference baseball game at Proctor.

Winning pitcher Jimmy Merling worked one-and-one-third innings in relief of starter Matt Morris. Merling allowed two unearned runs on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Morris allowed one unearned run on one hit and five walks in five innings. He had six strikeouts.

Scherber had two hits and two RBIs. Joe Carter and Matt Dolsen had two hits apiece and Carter had three RBIs for the Rails.

Ryan Holte picked up the loss in relief of starter Jared Mattson. Holte allowed one run on three hits an two walks with no strikeouts. Mattson allowed five earned runs on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts in five-and-one-third innings.

Mattson hit a bases-clearing double in the sixth to give Esko a short-lived 4-3 lead. Proctor scored three in the bottom of the sixth for a 6-4 lead only to let Esko tie the score at 6-6 with two runs in the top of the seventh on a lead-off double by Holte, a walk, a single by Austin Carlson, and an error.

Matt Dolsen led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and was lifted for Lewis. Jack Nikko's sacrifice bunt moved Lewis to third base before Scherber's long fly ball to the left-center field gap, reminicient of Gene Larkin's hit in Game Seven of the 1991 World Series, ended the game.

Proctor improved to 6-3.