Waterford's Hayden Jones trots around third base after hitting a two-run homer during the second inning of the Wildcats' eventual 8-7 walk-off win Friday versus Frontier. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

WATERFORD — Hayden Jones’ two-run bomb in the second inning had Waterford feeling good with a 4-0 cushion here Friday, but first-year Frontier skipper Corey Powers’ crew battled back to take a 7-6 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh only to watch the Wildcats walk it off for an 8-7 victory with the aid of three errors.

“Oh my goodness. What a game,” said WHS boss Chris Schmitt, who watched starter Braun Doak pitch into the seventh while scattering nine hits and allowing four earned runs with one walk and eight strikeouts. “I tell these guys they are taking years off my life.

“We just didn’t execute today. We left a lot of guys on base and didn’t get big hits when we needed them (3-for-16 with runners in scoring position), but at the end I told them it takes guts to do this and they performed at the end.”

Doak was lifted in favor of Avery Pottmeyer after he allowed consecutive singles in the seventh to Hunter Ruble (3-for-4) and Zerik Rinard.

Pottmeyer was immediately greeted by Austyn Kephart’s run-scoring single to right. After Luke Mendenhall drew a walk to load the bases, Davyn Ferrell went down on strikes for the first out. However, Ethan Rinard coaxed an RBI free pass to tie it and with two outs No. 9 hitter Gage Douglas also walked to force in a run as the Wildcats trailed for the first time.

Frontier's Austyn Kephart slides into third after his run-scoring single that turned into a Little League triple following a Waterford outfield error during the Cougars' 8-7 setback Friday. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Aidan Wolfe, who worked the first six frames and allowed seven hits and five earned runs with four walks and three punchouts, was lifted for Ruble.

WHS cleanup man Henry Huffman, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs-batted-in, got the seventh started with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Hunter Allen. Ruble then forced Corbin Stark to hit a comebacker, but he was unable to field it as the potential winning run reached. Despite striking out Cole Mullenix and getting Weston Hennes to pop up for the second out, the Frontier defense proceeded to have back-to-back errors as Kaleb Wright reached first and No. 9 hitter Kam Johnson followed as Stark crossed with the winning run.

“I love when the bottom of our order performs the way they did at the end of the game tonight.” added coach Schmitt. “They have to put the ball in play and it sets the tone for our top.

“They fought today. Our bottom of the order is better than what people give them credit for. They’ll put the ball in play and they fight. That’s what we want from those guys.”

Frontier’s only other error came in the first inning. Pottmeyer had a one-out single and runners were on second and third following a double by Doak. Huffman’s RBI groundout got the hosts on the board. Stark then reached on an error as Doak came home to make it 2-0.

Waterford's Braun Doak, who pitched into the seventh and didn't factor in the decision, delivers to the plate during the Wildcats' 8-7 walk-off win Friday versus Frontier. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Hennes walked to open the second, but Wolfe retired Wright and Johnson before the leadoff man Jones took a 1-0 offering and deposited it just inside the foul pole in left field for a round-tripper.

Doak allowed a one-out double in the second to Ferrell and then walked Ethan Rinard, but was able to leave runners stranded at second and third after getting Wolfe to hit a comebacker and then striking out Douglas.

Kephart opened the fourth by reaching on an error. Ferrell followed with a one-out infield single and after he stole second it was 4-2 as Ethan Rinard delivered a two-run single.

Frontier, which slipped to 5-9 and welcomes in Valley at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 2, pushed across a pair of runs in the fifth to tie it. Leadoff hitter Brayden Powers singled and Ruble followed with a bunt single. That led to a Zerik Rinard RBI groundout as Kephart’s run-scoring single made it 4-4. Although an outfield error allowed Kephart to reach third, he was left stranded.

Johnson opened the last of the fifth for the Wildcats by reaching on an infield single. A one-out walk to Pottmeyer was followed by back-to-back two-out run-scoring singles thanks to Huffman and Stark as the hosts went ahead 6-4.

Frontier catcher Luke Mendenhall completes an inning-ending 8-2 double play after center fielder Austyn Kephart's throw as he tags out Waterford's Cole Mullenix during the Wildcats' eventual 8-7 walk-off win Friday. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Frontier, which left nine runners on base with eight in scoring position, stranded Ethan Rinard at third in the sixth. The Cougars finished 4-for-18 with runners in scoring position.

“The story of our season. Walk a guy then they get a hit and we error one and then we’re in a dogfight,” Schmitt added. “That’s what I told them.

“We have to play a full game. We can’t be lax at any time in baseball because anything can happen and it happened tonight, but we had some guts.”

Waterford could’ve done more damage in the first if it weren’t for Mullenix being robbed for the third out of the inning with a runner on second thanks to a sliding catch by Ferrell in left field.

WHS also lost a potential run in the fourth when Wright hit into an inning-ending 8-2 double play that saw Kephart make the grab in center and fire home to Mendenhall, who managed to apply the tag just in time to get Mullenix.

Frontier's Aidan Wolfe, who worked six innings and didn't factor in the decision, delivers to the plate during the Cougars' 8-7 setback Friday at Waterford. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“Execution, not the greatest today obviously by watching the game, but we’ll go back to work on some stuff,” Schmitt said. “They’re going to enjoy prom and then we’re going to come back Monday against Marietta. Then we have two TVC games and that will finish out the conference games. We got to get ready to go.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

Waterford 8, Frontier 7

FHS 000 220 3 – 7 10 4

WHS 220 020 2 – 8 8 3

WP: Avery Pottmeyer 1IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 3BB, 2SO

Braun Doak (starter) 6IP, 9H, 6R, 4ER, 1BB, 8SO

LP: Hunter Ruble .2IP, 1H, 2R, 0ER, 0BB, 1SO

Aidan Wolfe (starter) 6IP, 7H, 6R, 5ER, 4BB, 3SO

Frontier (5-9) hitting: Brayden Powers 1-5 R; Ruble 3-4, 2 R, 2 SB; Zerik Rinard 1-4 R, RBI; Austyn Kephart 2-4, 2 R, SB, 2 RBIs; Davyn Ferrell 2-4 R, SB, 2B; Ethan Rinard 1-2, 3 RBIs; Gage Douglas RBI

Waterford (9-5) hitting: Hayden Jones 1-4 R, two-run HR, 2 RBIs; Pottmeyer 1-2, 2 R; Doak 1-4 R, 2B; Henry Huffman 2-4, 2 RBIs; Hunter Allen R; Corbin Stark 1-4 R, SB, RBI; Cole Mullenix SB; Weston Hennes R; Kaleb Wright 1-4; Kam Johnson 1-3 R

Next games: Valley at Frontier, 11 a.m. Saturday, May 2; Marietta at Waterford, 5 p.m. Monday.