WOODLAND PARK – Pikes Peak No. 9 Liberty put up seven runs in the seventh inning and held on for a 10-9 win over No. 10 Woodland Park on Wednesday at the Meadow Wood Sports Complex.

With one out in the top of the seventh, first baseman Ryan Bullow hit a bases-clearing double giving the Lancers a 10-7 lead. Bullow finished the night 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs.

The Panthers (9-8, 8-7 4A Metro) scored twice in the bottom of the seventh before Ray Marsh got the final two outs of the game.

“The seventh inning was huge for us,” said Lancer Andrew Kugler who went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. “It’s not every day you’re down and score seven like that.”

The come-from-behind victory clinched third place in the 4A Metro Conference for the Lancers (12-6, 11-4).

Jordan Dunn hit a solo home run to put the Lancers up 1-0 in the second.

“We finally made contact,” Lancers coach Lance McCorkle said. “We didn’t make base-running mistakes.”

Panthers pitcher Zack Snider pitched 33 innings in relief of starter Derek Brown. Snider was able to pitch out of the fourth and sixth innings with the bases loaded, but couldn’t finish the seventh inning after allowing a hit. The Panthers also made four errors in the seventh.

“I didn’t make the pitches I needed to,” Snider said. “When we made a few errors, they pounced and you can’t do that with a good team like Liberty.”

The Panthers scored three runs in the sixth to take a 7-3 lead after Isaac Koch walked the first three batters he faced, but was able to get Ben Fisher to fly out to end the inning with the bases loaded.

“We did a good job and put up a fight that I haven’t seen in a while,” McCorkle said.

Woodland Park catcher Ryan Kerbal tags out Liberty’s Ray Marsh for the first out of the fourth inning Wednesday afternoon, April 23, 2008, in Woodland Park. Photo by The Gazette, Kevin Kreck

KEVIN KRECK