Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

FRANKLIN FURNACE —Tayte Carver knows how to win a ballgame in exciting fashion.
Carver hit a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Green Bobcats won a 5-2 thriller over the Portsmouth Clay Panthers to earn a share of the Southern Ohio Conference championship.
Green had tied the game with a run in the bottom of the seventh to set up Carver’s dramatic game-winning hit.
The Bobcats (20-3, 11-1) needed the win to share the title. Clay won the first meeting 1-0 in 10 innings and had a one-game lead in the final league contest for both teams.
“There were a lot of big moments in the game. All three of our seniors came up big at some point in the game,” said Green coach Dan McDavid. “It was a great game. We’ve had two great games with Clay.”
By earning a share of the title, Green has now won three straight SOC championships.
“We accomplished two goals by winning the league and winning 20 games,” said McDavid.
Tanner Kimbler went eight innings and gave up his first earned run of the season. He struck out 12 and walked three.
Carver struck out two of the three outs in the ninth inning to get the win.
Clay (18-6, 11-1) snapped the scoreless tie with two runs in the fourth.
Garrett Beegan doubled, Clay Cottle was walked intentionally and a strikeout wide pitch scored a run. The second run came home on a passed ball.
Green got a run back in the bottom of the inning.
Mason Barber single, Trevor Darnell put down a sacrifice bunt and Ethan Carpenter had a two-out RBI single.
The Bobcats then tied the game with a run in seventh after two outs.
Kimbler walked, Carver was hit by a pitch and Bryce Ponn drilled an 0-2 pitch off the pitcher’s shin into right field to score Kimbler.
In the ninth, Carpenter was hit by a pitch leading off the inning.
After a pitching change, Eli Webb sacrificed the runner to second and then Clay intentionally walked Kimbler.
Carver then came up and hit an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence for the dramatic victory.
Ports. Clay 000 200 000 = 2 6 1
Green 000 100 103 = 5 8 1
Dakota Dodds, Shaden Malone (8) and Reece Whitley. Tanner Kimbler, Tayte Carver (9) and Mason Barber. W-Carver (IP-1.0, H-1, K-2). Kimbler (IP-8.0, H-5, R-2, ER-1, K-12, BB-3). Dodds (IP-8.0, H-7, R-3, ER-3, K-8, BB-3, HBP-2). Malone (IP-0.1, H-1, R-2, ER-2, BB-1). Hitting-Clay: Garrett Beegan 1-4 2B, Clay Cottle 1-2, Jaden Jessee 1-4, Dakota Dodds 2-4, Evan Woods 1-4 2B; Green: Eli Webb 1-4, Tanner Kimbler 1-2 3-bb, Tayte Carver 1-3 HR 3-rbi, Bryce Ponn 1-4, Mason Barber 2-4, Trevor Darnell 1-2, Ethan Carpenter 1-3 rbi.