Playoff baseball is remembered by late inning drama sparked with a little magic. That was the case in Woodbine Monday night as ACGC walked-off AHSTW in the bottom of the seventh to win 3-2. Despite AHSTW entering the bottom of the sixth ahead 2-0, the Chargers tied the game in the fifth powered by four baserunners reaching and three of them with a walk. ACGC’s momentum and patience carried into the seventh with two free bags and two singles to secure the victory.

Two aces took the mound in this playoff matchup as Senior Noah Kading threw for ACGC while Senior Aiden Akers was on the bump for the Vikings. AHSTW struck first blood in the first inning with a double followed by an RBI single to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead. Aikers retired the first eight hitters he faced but finally cracked on a base hit to left off the bat of Senior Payton Policky.

Kading despite being down his entire outing, held himself together and kept ACGC in the ballgame. It wasn’t until the fifth inning Aikers began to lose his command he had previously in the game. The Chargers had four runners reach with a one-0ut single followed by three consecutive walks. Kading had his moment at the plate as well poking one down the first base line driving in the tying run.

Five innings was all for Kading on the mound and was replaced by Sophomore Colton Clark. In the two innings of work, Clark allowed two baserunners. One on a hit and the other on a hit by pitch.

2-2 and the bottom of the seventh comes around. First pitch of the half inning nails Jackson Pfrang on the foot. The bottom of the order set the table for the Chargers in the seventh as Policky hits one up the middle to move Pfrang to third after his stolen base. Viking Head Coach Trey Brix made his first and only pitching change of the day by bringing in eighth grader, Kiptyn Lamp. Lamp came in an excruciating position down 3-1 in the count. Next pitch, fellow eighth grader for ACGC Will Skram blooped one over the middle of the infield to walk the ballgame off for the Chargers.

Head Coach Nick McCool said the patience down the stretch was key.

Fast starts haven’t necessarily been a common theme for ACGC, but the Chargers never gave up.

Clark has been one of the more trustworthy arms this season.

ACGC’s season continues as they will play another elimination game Tuesday.