CHESAPEAKE – Nothing like an opponent scoring six runs in the seventh inning to make a coach nervous.

Wednesday, May 03, 2000

CHESAPEAKE – Nothing like an opponent scoring six runs in the seventh inning to make a coach nervous.

Or worse.

But regardless of how Chesapeake coach Joe Waugh felt in the last inning, he felt much better after the game as the Panthers held on for a 13-10 win over the Coal Grove Hornets in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

The Panthers led 13-4 going into the seventh inning when Coal Grove scored six times before reliever Adam Pemberton choked off the rally.

"I was getting awful nervous. I was to the point I was feeling kind of sick. I think we gave them seven outs. But we’ll take it. A win is a win," coach Joe Waugh said.

Chesapeake is now 6-10 overall but 5-4 in the OVC. Coal Grove is 7-6 and 5-4. The two teams meet again Wednesday at Coal Grove.

Greg Lambert was a surprise starter for the Panthers and went six-plus innings for the win. He struck out six and walked five.

"He hasn’t thrown much at all, but at this point in time, we needed someone. After he got out of the first inning, he did all right. And that wasn’t his fault. We couldn’t catch a ball," said Waugh.

Coal Grove went ahead 3-0 in the top of the first.

Josh Collins doubled, took third on a passed ball, Dean Mader walked and stole second, and Eric Tackett doubled. Ryan Young’s base hit scored Tackett.

Chesapeake came right back to go up 4-3 in the bottom of the inning.

Tony Bell and Joey Macri singled, and Andy Clark reached on an error as a run scored. Zeb Best tripled home two and he came on to score when Noah Phillips singled.

The Panthers lead went to 7-3 in the second.

Mark Adams had a single and Bell singled behind him. They advanced on a passed ball and scored on a double by Macri. Phillips capped the rally with an RBI single.

Chesapeake got a run in the fourth when Bell singled, moved up on a passed ball, and scored on a hit by Macri.

Coal Grove got a run back in the fourth. Ryan Brown walked, stole second, and came home on a double by Collins.

But Chesapeake answered with five runs in the fifth to build a 13-4 cushion.

Adams doubled to start the inning, Bell was safe on an error to put runners on the corners, and Macri reached on another error to score a run. Clark’s base hit scored two runners.

Phillips walked and Waugh singled home a run. Todd Oberly’s base hit scored Clark.

Still, Coal Grove wouldn’t go away as the Hornets mounted their late rally.

Jarred Keaton singled and scored on Mader’s double. Tackett doubled home Mader, Scott Lewis walked, and the runners moved up on a passed ball. Brown then doubled home a pair.

Collins had an RBI single and moved up when Keaton reached on an error. Mader singled home Collins, but Pemberton got the final out on a strikeout to end the game.

The two teams meet Wednesday at Coal Grove.

Coal Grove 300 100 6 – 10 13 7

Chesapeake 431 050 x – 13 18 4

Eric Tackett and Dean Mader. Greg Lambert, Adam Pemberton (7) and Andy Clark, Greg Lambert (7). W-Lambert (6-K, 5-W). L-Tackett (3-K, 2-W). 2B-CG: Josh Collins 2, Jarrod Keaton, Dean Mader, Eric Tackett 2, Ryan Brown; Chesy: Joey Macri, Mark Adams. 3B-CG: Eric Tackett; Chesy: Zeb Best. Hitting-CG: Josh Collins 3-5, Jarrod Keaton 2-4, Dean Mader 2-4, Eric Tackett 3-5, Ryan Young 1-3, Ryan Brown 1-3, Dave Webb 1-1; Chesy: Tony Bell 3-4, Joey Macri 3-5, Andy Clark 3-5, Zeb Best 1-5, Noah Phillips 2-3, Josh Waugh 2-4, Mark Adams 2-3, Todd Oberly 1-4, Adam Pemberton 1-1.