Morning Journal/Ron Firth East Liverpool’s Aaron Dieringer (24) celebrates his walk-off double with Elijah Suznevich after the Potters beat Beaver Local 3-2 in eight innings on Monday in a Div. II sectional contest.

EAST LIVERPOOL–Aaron Dieringer was the unlikely hero when he smacked a line drive double to center field that scored Kasen Ramsey to give No. 11 seed East Liverpool the walk-off 3-2 win in eight innings win over No. 17 seed Beaver Local in the Division II sectional opener on Monday.

“I haven’t been hitting. I have been in a slump,” Dieringer said. “I thought I was kind of due. First pitch I saw I just roped it right back up the middle. You got to do what you got do in games like these. It is win or go home.”

East Liverpool improves to 11-12 on the season, while Beaver Local ends its season with a record of 6-14.

Having beaten Beaver Local twice already in the regular season, East Liverpool was concerned about playing the Beavers again.

“I knew seeing the other teams on the seeding list that when it got to Beaver Local they were going to taking us,” East Liverpool coach Brian May said. “I told coach (Bobby) Flint (Beaver Local’s coach) obviously why not? (Beaver Local) played two really good games against us. This one was definitely a hard one.”

“It is hard to beat a team three times in anything,” East Liverpool senior Malachi Reed said. “We just had to prepare ourselves and do the best that we could.”

The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, but due to weather conditions both teams had a little bit more rest.

“I told the kids to be ready and to be at the school around 10:30,” May said. “We got the call like almost immediately that it was off, so it wasn’t too much of waiting around.”

“It was a little strange,” Beaver Local coach Flint said. “You have the team all revved and ready to go for Saturday then you have to wait. Both teams had to do it, so it is what it is.”

Beaver Local held a 1-0 lead until the sixth inning when the Potters scored two runs. Nate Birch hit a ground ball and reached first on an error that allowed Anderson Fitch to score to tie the game at 1-1. Fitch scored later in the inning on a passed ball that gave the Potters its first lead of the game at 2-1.

Reed had a solid start for the Potters as he allowed one earned run on seven hits with three walks and 11 strikeouts through five and a 1/3 innings of work.

“It was a rivalry and my last home game in my senior year,” Reed said. “I figured might as well just come out here and do the best that I can.”

Reed was relieved in the sixth inning by Jake Smith. Smith pitched an inning and 2/3 of relief allowing one hit with one walk and three strikeouts. Elijah Suznevich earned the win and the save for the Potters as he allowed no hits or runs with one strikeout through one inning.

Beaver Local had a high confidence level coming into the game even after losing to the Potters twice already.

“Even though they beat us twice we knew that any day that either team could win,” Flint said. “It was going to take that one big hit or that one big mistake, but unfortunately luck fell to the other side today.”

Braxton Hickman had two hits for the Beavers, while also hitting a hard ground ball and reached on an error to first that allowed Evan Stephenson to score that tied the game up 2-2 in the seventh inning.

Stephenson led the Beavers with two hits and an RBI.

Paxton Grimes started for the Beavers allowing zero earned runs on two hits with five walks and six strikeouts through five and 2/3 innings of work. Hickman came in relief and was the losing pitcher as he allowed one earned run on two hits with one walk and one strikeout.

East Liverpool will have to make a quick turnaround as it is scheduled to play at No. 5 seeded New Philadelphia today.

“Hopefully our bats stay alive like they were at the end of this one,” May said. “Hopefully we can hit the ball and throw strikes. It’s baseball anything can happen.”

“I wish (East Liverpool) the best of luck,” Flint said. “Anytime you’re going into New Philly is going to be a challenge, so best of luck to them.”

BL: 1-0-0-0-0-0-1-0–2-8-2

EL: 0-0-0-0-0-2-0-1–3-4-1