Wolves' Rally Highlights Senior Night

Submitted photo/Lincoln honored its 2021 baseball seniors (from left): Cody Webb, Noah Moore, Weston Massey and Mason Beeks, during pregame ceremonies on Monday, April 26. The Wolves won the game 7-6 with a thrilling two-out walked in run over Life Way Christian in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Submitted photo/Lincoln honored its 2021 baseball seniors (from left): Cody Webb, Noah Moore, Weston Massey and Mason Beeks, during pregame ceremonies on Monday, April 26. The Wolves won the game 7-6 with a thrilling two-out walked in run over Life Way Christian in the bottom of the seventh inning.

LINCOLN -- Opponents held such regard for Noah Moore (.493 average, 5 homers, 28 RBIs) that the 2021 Lincoln baseball All-Star could influence a game simply by coming to the plate.

Clinging to a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and two runners on base, Life Way Christian opted to issue an intentional walk to Noah Moore, which became the first of three straight base-on-balls surrendered by the Warriors as Lincoln rallied for an amazing, 7-6, nonconference victory on Senior Night.

The Wolves prevailed when Life Way reliever Kalel Langford beaned Lincoln's Brodey Bowen with bases loaded, walking in the winning run as the Wolves pulled off a dramatic rally in nonconference baseball.

The first words out of Lincoln coach J. Keith's mouth in describing the Wolves' win, which seemed as improbable as a cartoon character running off a cliff, suddenly realizing the mistake, and somehow being able to navigate a path back to safety without having a leg to stand on, pointed straight to his starting catcher.

"It really comes down to senior leadership. We got Noah Moore, who just does everything right," Keith said.

Lincoln had so many things go wrong in the April 26 game that at times their hopes were hanging by a thread. The Wolves struck out 12 times and managed only seven hits while committing six errors. Somehow, Noah Moore held them together.

"It was crazy; I didn't know if we were going to be able to pull it off. Our team just battled all the way through and we got there so I was proud of our team and what we did tonight," Noah Moore said.

Lincoln starter Weston Massey, pitching for only the second time all season while returning from injury, surrendered four runs in Life Way's first at-bat.

"We tried to get him back and going for District and Regionals. He just didn't quite have it," Keith said.

Noah Moore's younger brother, freshman Drew Moore, came on in relief and, working in conjunction with Noah Moore behind the plate, fanned back-to-back batters to limit the damage.

Noah Moore's leadoff walk to start the third led to Lincoln's first run and began the Wolves' rally. He personally atoned for one of Lincoln's miscues by picking up a dropped strike three and throwing out a runner to end the top of the fourth forcing Life Way to leave two runners stranded.

The Wolves wasted three outs, all on base running errors, in the bottom of the fourth and trailed 4-3. They left the bases loaded with a runner caught in a rundown and tagged out at the plate.

Life Way's Preston Green smashed a leadoff solo homer upping the Warriors' lead to 5-3 in the fifth. The Warriors added another run in the sixth on Aaron Potter's RBI single to go up 6-3.

Lincoln freshman Kase Ingram took the mound in the seventh and pitched a scoreless inning aided by Noah Moore's composure behind the plate.

Then came the Wolves' heroics.

The seventh inning reflected the game with Lincoln digging a hole, and having to climb out of sinking sand. A pop-up and a strike out put Life Way, which came into the bottom of the inning leading 6-4 one out away from victory.

Langford induced a ground ball from Lincoln freshman pinch-hitter Gauge Davis, but the Warriors couldn't close the deal with a dropped throw at first extending the game.

Kase Ingram reached a full count, then drew a walk and daringly stole second with Davis going to third while the Warriors were napping. Senior Cody Webb kept the rally going by doubling into right field on an 0-1 pitch. Davis scored bringing the Wolves within 6-5 and igniting Lincoln fans.

Up next was Noah Moore. The Warriors didn't want any part of him so they put him on base by issuing an intentional walk to load the bases, drawing a strange mixture of both cheers and boos.

Jackson Endacott also drew a walk, plating Lincoln pinch runner Slader McClellan with the tying run. The game ended when Bowen took one for the team, bringing the winning run across for Lincoln.

Watching the last play unfold from his point of view on second base, Noah Moore was thankful the Wolves didn't have to go into extra innings on Senior Night.

"It was pretty stressful for sure because I definitely wanted to win that and I wanted to win it right there.," Noah Moore said.

The walked in winning run more than made up for some of the base-running errors earlier that almost cost Lincoln the game.

"We didn't play super great today, but coming out with a W is just really awesome," Noah Moore said.

Lincoln celebrated Senior Night prior to the game, honoring its 2021 baseball seniors Mason Beeks, Massey, Noah Moore and Webb during pregame ceremonies.

April 26, 2021

At Lincoln

Lincoln 7, Life Way Christian 6

Life Way Christian (7-5, 7-2)^400^011^0^--^6^8^1

Lincoln (13-12, 6-6)^101^101^3^--^7^7^6

W -- Kase Ingram, L -- Kalel Langford.