Lutz’s walk-off home run gives Amherst win over Pittsville


Amherst High School junior Sterling Lutz with his home run ball, after the Falcons’ 5-4 win over Pittsville at Amherst Tuesday, April 9. (Contributed photo)
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, junior Sterling Lutz hit a three-run, walk-off home run to give the Amherst High School baseball team a 5-4 win over Pittsville Tuesday, April 9.
The Falcons (2-1, 0-1) scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead, before Pittsville came back with three runs in the top of the third inning to take a 3-2 lead, and then added another run in the top of the fourth to go up 4-2.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh inning, as Amherst was down to its final out when Johnny Ballenger singled with two outs, and Josh Rieck followed with a single to bring the go-ahead run to the plate.
On the first pitch of the next at bat, Lutz hit his first career home run to give Amherst the 5-4 walk-off victory.
Lutz finished 3-for-4 with a double, home run and three RBI; Ballenger went 2-for-3; and Rieck was 2-for-4.
Cyle Zblewski struck out eight, walked two and allowed four earned runs on six hits over five innings for Amherst, while Ben Lee picked up the win in relief after he struck out two, walked two and didn’t allow a run or a hit over the final two innings.