WINDSOR – It’s sometimes about what comes to those who wait.

Ahoskie’s American Legion Post 102 and Windsor’s Post 37baseball teams finally had their twice-postponed showdown on the field.

After having twice had Mother Nature declared the winner due to rain and storms, Ahoskie made their own thunder-and-lightning Thursday night and scored an 11-7 win at the Bertie High School baseball field.

Down 5-2 in the seventh inning, Ahoskie exploded for nine runs in the seventh and eighth innings to take the win.

Windsor outhit Ahoskie, 13 to nine, but left 16 runners on base, 10 in scoring position.

Cecil Lowe led the Ahoskie attack, going 3-for-4 and driving in a pair of runs.  Billy Nixon was 2-for-5, scored twice, and had two RBIs. Marvin Harrell drove in three runs and scored what was eventually the game-winner.

Harrell picked up the win in relief of starter Tyler Burden, going the final four and two-thirds innings giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking one.

On the Windsor side, Shawn Holloway was 3-for-6 and drove in two.  Ryan Lilley, Will Gurganus and Thomas Knott also had RBIs for Post 37.

Holloway, one of four Windsor pitchers used on the night, also absorbed the loss.

“What can I say,” said smiling Ahoskie coach, Dave Ellis, struggling to find the words.  “We were down there, and we didn’t quit.”

The outcome left both teams with identical 3-7 records.  Windsor had to sweep both games of a Friday double-header to claim the final Area-One playoff spot while Ahoskie had to win just one game.

Neither game was complete by press time.

Ahoskie scored a pair in the top of the first inning.  Harrell reached on a two-out error and scored when the next batter, Nixon, laced a double to the wall in left field.  Nixon later scored on a passed-ball.

Windsor halved that lead in the bottom of the first when Lilley walked, went to second on Gurganus’ one-out base hit and scored on a double by Holloway to make it 2-1, Ahoskie.

The equalizer came one inning later when Jim Porter and Jordan Rogers drew back-to-back walks. Porter went to third on a Lilley fielder’s choice and then scored on an infield error to make the score 2-2.

Windsor took the lead and chased Burden in the fifth.  Chris Rogerson and Brandon Marsh had back-to-back one-out base hits before Porter loaded the bases when he got aboard on catcher’s interference.

Rogerson would score the go-ahead run on a passed ball while consecutive singles by Knott and Lilley scored Marsh and Porter to make it, 5-2, Post-37.

Meanwhile, starter Terrell Moore was cruising on the mound for Windsor with the lead; getting three up-and-three down for three straight innings.

But in the seventh inning he ran into trouble and Ahoskie took advantage.

Moore walked the first three batters: Trey Lawrence, Burden and Mason Wright, before being relieved by Holloway, who surrendered a double to left by Harrell that plated the first two and made it a one-run game at 5-4.

Wright later scored the tying run on an infield error while Harrell came home with the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Lowe. Another run scored on a passed ball and Ahoskie was in the lead, 7-5.

Post 102 got four more runs in the top of the eighth to lead it 11-5.  But Windsor didn’t quit, getting to Harrell in the bottom of the ninth when they pushed across a pair of runs before striking out with two runners in scoring position.

“We lost it looking at two many third strikes,” said Windsor coach Wayne Hill.  “Several times we could have busted it open, but things just didn’t go our way. We didn’t execute.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us tomorrow (Friday),” he closed.