The Owensboro Oilers won  their Saturday night game against the visiting  Tradewater Pirates by the final score of 6 to 5.  The Oilers scored first with two runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Luis Mila led off the home half with a single, and was balked ahead to second base. Ty Stetson bunt singled, as Mila moved to third base. Ryan Stephens RBI doubled, and Mila scored. Drew Barrett walked to load the bases. Eric Barnes RBI singled in Stetson. The Pirate starter, Derrek Etsell, kept his team in the game by recording three consecutive strikeouts -- getting out of the inning only trailing 2-0.
     

Tradewater, held off for three innings by Oilers starter Tim Steed, scored one run in the top of the 4th inning. Brock Bontrager led off hit by a pitch, Eric Silakowski reached on an error that gave Bontrager second base. Sawyer Smith walked to load the bases with no outs. A strike out later, Eric Herman was hit by a pitch and collected an RBI on the Bontrager run. Steed also got out this Pirate bases loaded rally with two consecutive strikeouts. The Oilers led 2-1. The determined Pirates took the lead with two runs in the top of the 5th inning. Etsell -- hitting for himself in the lineup -- walked. He moved to second base on a passed ball. A pop fly out later, Bontrager  walked. The Pirates executed a double steal with Etsell and Bontrager taking third and second bases respectively. Silakowski RBI singled to plate Etsell as Bontrager took third base. Silakowski was put out caught  stealing while the other runner stood pat. Sawyer Smith followed with an RBI single to score Bontrager. A strikeout ended the rally with the Pirates leading 3-2.  The Oilers tied it up with one run in the bottom of the 5th inning. Ryan Messex reached on an infield single and moved all the way to third base on a throwing error. Two strikeouts later, Messex was still at third base. Gabriel Pena came through with a RBI single to drive Messex in. The 5th inning closed with the game tied 3 to 3.

Tradewater scored one run each in the top of the 7th and 8th innings. In the 7th inning Bill Pace doubled to lead off, and he was sacrifice bunted over to third base, and Silakowski RBI singled to account for the run. In the 8th inning  Herman walked, David Zorn bunt singled. Herman and Zorn both advanced a base on the same passed ball. J.B. Sapienza was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A big strikeout later, Bill Pace lifted an RBI sacrifice fly to score Herman. A final fly ball out made the one run the only one added. Going into the bottom of the 8th inning the score was now favored the Pirates 5 to 3.  The score was the same when the Oilers came to bat in the bottom of the 9th inning. Dalton Lykins led off with a walk. Austin Hargrove grounded out -- but moved Lykins up to second base. Pena reached on an error, setting runners on the corners. Mila struck out -- bringing the Oilers down to their last out. Ty Stetson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Then Stephens, Barrett and Barnes were all walked in succession -- each earned RBIs for Lykins, Pena, and Stetson respectively. With that, Owensboro rallied, tied, took the lead -- and won a hard-fought game between two teams, each exceeding themselves when it matters most.  The win went to Oilers reliever Jim Mulvaney in stalwart relief. The loss fell to Pirate reliever Tyler McDonald.