Cimarron rallies past Arbor View

Thanks to the bat of James Carraway, the Spartans passed their first serious test in league play with a 7-6 win over visiting Arbor View.

Carraway, hitting ninth in the Cimarron order, delivered a two-out single capping a two-run seventh that gave the Spartans their 11th win in 12 games.

“How clutch was Carraway’s hit?” Cimarron coach Mike Hubel said. “It was big getting a win like this, during our last at-bat. Every day, someone else steps up in a big way, and today it was Carraway.”

Cimarron, which trailed four times, fell behind 6-5 after Chris Manning’s three-run homer in the top of the seventh.

“I told the kids that a Northwest game is never over,” Hubel said. “They (Arbor View) still needed to get three outs, so let’s go to work.”

The Spartans did just that. Cimarron rallied with one out as Taylor Doyle was hit by a pitch, Kris Kaplan singled and Dyllon Nuernberg walked to load the bases.

Following an out, Arbor View relief pitcher Zack Hartman walked Sam Lindsey to tie the game at 6-6. Four pitches later, Carraway slapped the game winner to left.

“(Arbor View) is a fine team,” Hubel said. “Every game in league play is going to be interesting, because there are some really good teams in the division. We got the hits when needed, and I learned more about my team today.”

The Aggies, losers of two straight after nine consecutive wins, touched Cimarron starter Kody Gorden for a run in the first. Both teams pushed across a run in the third before Tyler LeBaron’s hit in the fourth gave Arbor View a 3-1 lead.

Cimarron answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by Kaplan’s fourth home run of the season.

Kaplan and Carraway had RBI hits in the fifth and sixth inning, respectively, and the Spartans took a two-run advantage to the seventh.