SLIPPERY ROCK - On the surface, it may have appeared to be your run of the mill extra innings high school baseball game.

But when Karns City's Tyler Callihan drilled a two-run double to left in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Gremlins a 7-6 win over Moniteau Monday night, it brought to an end a most unusual contest.

Between both teams, the game featured nine errors, four triples, 27 strikeouts and 18 runners left on base.

Throw in bouts of bright sunlight and near-freezing rain with a couple of rainbows from Mother Nature and you had a very unique evening at Slippery Rock University's Critchfield Park.

"I told (Moniteau coach Arnie Trufley) that this was one of the best high school baseball games I've ever seen," said Gremlins' coach Rocky Brown. "Both teams are so similar in the way they play the game."

Most importantly for the victors, the game also featured two comebacks from the Gremlins (8-2) when their backs were against the wall.

Moniteau's Nathan Markle, who had pitched the first nine innings, was relieved by Cruz Eshenbaugh in what proved to be the final frame.

Eshenbaugh, a left-hander, quickly retired the first two batters he faced via strikeout before Chad Bell and Matt Allen both singled to left, setting the stage for Callihan's hit, his fourth of the game.

"We knew Callihan could hit the ball and we had our outfielders playing deep," said Trufley. "But he still hit it over their heads."

Before the drama of the 10th inning, Karns City faced a 5-3 deficit in the bottom of the seventh.

As a cold downpour pelted the field, Bell led off the Gremlins' half of the seventh with a walk and scored on Allen's triple. Callihan later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game and force extra innings.

Moniteau took the upper hand in the top of the 10th when Nathan Markle scored on Cory Campbell's base hit.

Markle struck out 12 and walked seven, though five of the free passes came between the seventh and ninth innings.

He ended up with a no-decision.

"When you have a kid go out and give you nine innings in conditions like this, it's a shame it was wasted," said Moniteau coach Arnie Trufley.

Callihan was KC's third pitcher of the night, as starter Coty McGregor and Matt Ealy preceded him.

But after throwing five innings and giving up just two runs on three hits, Callihan was rewarded with the win.

"This is the first time we've brought him on in relief," said Brown. "We've got four games scheduled this week and I wasn't planning on using him, but we were going for the win. This game was very important to us, especially for the seeding in the district playoffs."

Garth Kohlmeyer had a double and triple for the Warriors (7-4) while teammate Greg Keppel had two base hits.

The game began with Karns City scoring two runs in the first and Moniteau answering with two in the second, though three of the four tallies were unearned.

Both teams committed three errors in the first three innings.

Moniteau 021 100 100 1 - 6 9 4

Karns City 200 001 200 2 - 7 10 5

WP:

Tyler Callihan (5 IP) 6 strikeouts, 0 walks.

LP:

Cruz Eshenbaugh (

IP) 2 strikeouts, 0 walks

Moniteau (7-4):

Josh Warburton 1B RBI, Garth Kohlmeyer 2B 3B R RBI, Nathan Markle 1B 2R, Greg Keppel 2-1B, Cory Campbell 1B 2RBI, Travis Shaffer 3B R, Josh Howland 1B 2R RBI.

Karns City (8-2):

Chad Bell 1B 2R, Matt Allen 1B 3B 2R RBI SB, Tyler Callihan 3-1B 2B 2R 2RBI, Josh Behrens RBI, Kyle Texter 3B RBI, Ryan Earley 1B R SB, Mike Lopresti 1B

Today:

Karns City @ Union; Moniteau @ Redbank Valley