MASON — A ninth inning error allowed two runs to score and break up a scoreless contest as visiting Buffalo Putnam gained a 2-0 extra inning diamond win in the Region Four Section One sectional baseball opener Tuesday evening at Wahama. The exciting baseball contest enabled the Bison to take an early 1-0 advantage in the best of three post-season tourney format.

The spirited rivals sent their respective ace pitchers to the mound in the sectional opener with Jerry Berkley of Wahama and Jason Lewis of Buffalo hooking up in an old fashioned pitching duel. Berkley gave up just two hits while striking out nine through the first six innings before giving way to Anthony Bond who allowed just two hits and fanned five in three innings of work for the White Falcons. Lewis went the distance for Buffalo and fired a two hit shutout with an amazing 20 strikeouts in the 2-0 extra inning affair. Lewis notched the mound triumph for the Bison while Bond was the hard luck loser in relief for the host Bend Area team.

The post-season triumph puts the Bison in the drivers seat in the best of three series between the two schools with game two to be played at 6:00 pm today on the Falcons home turf. The diamond setback snapped the White Falcons five game winning streak as Wahama dropped to 17-3 on the season with Buffalo improving to 21-9 on the year.

The contest was a pitching battle through the first eight frames with only one base runner for either team advancing past first base. Buffalo tallied the lone runs of the outing in the top half of the ninth on a one-out double by Chris Belcher, and intentional walk to Lewis and a heartbreaking mistake on the part of the White Falcons defense.

Belcher collected two of the Bisons four base hits on the evening with a pair of doubles with Jared Tucker and Nathan Winterstein coming up with a single each. Lewis flirted with a no-hitter through five frames before Garrett Underwood broke up the no hit bid with a bloop single with one out in the sixth. Terry Henry recorded the Falcons remaining safety with an infield single in the WHS eighth.

The game featured 19 different batters between the two teams with Belcher being the lone hitter to avoid being retired by a strike out. All nine Wahama batters went down on strikes at least once in the outing with nine of the 10 Buffalo hitters also returning to the dugout after being set down on strikes. Belcher smacked two doubles and flew out to center during his four plate appearances.

After Buffalo gained its 2-0 edge in the ninth Wahama made things interesting in the bottom half of the inning as Lewis walked a pair to put the tying runs on base. The White Falcon threat was quickly snuffed out as Lewis fanned the final two WHS batters to preserve the 2-0 Buffalo victory and give the Bison the early edge in the sectional series.

Buffalo 2, Wahama 0

Buffalo 000 000 002 — 2 4 2

Wahama 000 000 000 — 0 2 0



WP — Lewis; LP — Bond.