Ronald Drake singled in the winning run Tuesday, giving the Wolverines a 7-6 win over visiting Medomak Valley High School in the final baseball game of the season. Wiscasset Middle High School, unable to field a varsity team, finished with a 5-1 record with wins against Brunswick, Carrabec and Richmond.

Drake’s game-winning hit came in the eighth inning. With one away, Grant Hefler ripped a line drive single over the leaping shortstop and got into scoring position by stealing second base with a headfirst slide. Drake then fisted a fastball offered by pitcher Kevin White down the right field line that fell just inside fair territory. Hefler rounded the bases and scored the winning run.

Conlon Ranta started the game and sent the Panthers down in order in each of the first three innings, striking out seven of the nine batters he faced before being lifted by Coach Gregg Wood.

Hefler drove in the first two Wiscasset runs in the second inning with a bases loaded double, scoring Haiden Dunning who singled and Chase Reed who was hit by a pitch. Dunning drove in the Wolverines’ third run in the third with two out single scoring Logan Orr who lead off the inning with a double.

Andrew Hendrickson came in to pitch the fourth and set the Panthers down in order, with Matt Chapman making a nice catch on a fly ball to deep center field.

Chapman beat a slow roller to lead off the home half of the fourth and then stole second. He scored on Hefler’s second double,  his third RBI, making it a 4-0 ballgame. Drake drove in another Wolverine run with a sacrifice fly. The Panthers then erupted for five runs in the fifth inning when they sent 10 batters to the plate. Darius Pierpoint provided the big blast with a bases loaded triple. The Panthers tied the game 5-5.

Medomak went ahead with a run in the sixth inning. Clayton Belcher tripled off Hefler who had come in to pitch. Belcher then stole home on a pass ball putting the visitors ahead 6-5.

The Wolverines sent the game into extra innings in the seventh. Orr singled and moved down to second after Hendrickson reached on an error. Dunning was then intentionally walked to load the bases and Orr scored on a pass ball. Medomak then turned a double play to end the inning. After Chase Reed flied out to center, Hendrickson was thrown out after tagging up and trying to advance to third.

In the top of the eighth, Medomak got the go ahead run on base with a two out single. But the Panther base runner was thrown out trying to steal second, the catcher Ranta throwing down to Drake who applied the tag. Coach Wood awarded Drake a game ball after the game ended.

At least one Wolverine will continue playing baseball this summer. Hefler plans to join his brother Darin Wood and play in the city of Portland’s Twilight League.