Nineteenth seeded Block built a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning and seemed headed to the second round after completely dominating No. 14 seed Hanson on the Tigers’ home field.
But an innocuous base hit by Brandon LeBlanc to start the bottom of the fifth inning began a rally in Hanson’s final two at-bats, propelling the Tigers into a regional playoff game at South Cameron next week after the 30th-seeded Tarpons pulled off a huge 6-2 upset over third seed St. Frederick on Thursday.
  
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Steiner got the win in relief, allowing two hits and no runs with two strikeouts and a walk in 21⁄3 innings. Starter Mikey Payton allowed five runs, only two earned, on seven hits with five walks and seven strikeouts in 42⁄3 innings.
“They wait until the fat lady sings,” said Hanson coach Ryan Stoute. “As horrible as we played the first four innings, we played almost unbelievable the last three.”
And the game’s first four innings truly were that different than the last three.
Block starting pitcher Justin Winbourne cruised through the first four innings, allowing only one hit and striking out seven while keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard.
“He was throwing BBs,” said Stoute. “He was hitting his curve enough to keep us honest.
“I did some scouting, and (opposing coaches) said he was a very formidable pitcher.”
But while Winbourne was getting ahead in the count early, throwing strikes on the first pitch to 23 of the 30 batters he faced, Payton flirted with disaster from the start, getting a strike on the first pitch 17 times but throwing balls on the first pitch to 12 batters.
Payton stranded baserunners in scoring position in each of the first two innings, but couldn’t escape the third unscathed after walking Cardarius Johnson with one out. A throwing error on a ground ball put two runners on, and after a strikeout, Payton hit John Davis with a pitch to load the bases. Dustin Winbourne followed with an infield single to drive in one run, Justin Winbourne drew a walk to force in another and Cody Herrington got a check-swing infield single to make it a 3-0 Block lead.
Herrington had two hits and an RBI. Johnson finished 1-for-4 and scored twice, Davis was 1-for-3 with a double and a run and Dustin Winbourne went 1-for- with two RBIs.
The Bears (15-10) tacked on another run in the fourth when Dustin Winbourne walked with the bases loaded after an error, a ball misplayed for a base hit and a walk, but Payton limited the damage to that single run by striking out the first, fifth and seventh batters he faced in the inning.
Leadoff hitter Ethan Tinsler spanked a line drive over the fence with two out in the top of the fifth to make it a 5-0 game. Tinsler finished 1-for-5 and Justin Winbourne was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a double.
Block coach Stevie McCarthy said he was expecting a good game.
“They’re ranked 14 and we were ranked 19,” said McCarthy. “We had six seniors out there. They were prepared for it.”
But, as Stoute mentioned, the fat lady had not yet sung. LeBlanc drove a pitch through the hole between shortstop and third base to lead off the bottom of the fifth for the Tigers (15-13). Matt Donegan pushed a bunt past the pitcher for another base hit, and after a couple of outs, Steiner came up and crushed a 1-1 pitch over the fence just to the left of straightaway center field to pull Hanson to within 5-3.
“The spark came off Brandon LeBlanc’s bat,” noted Stoute. “That little infield single was the spark.
“We were just looking for a little spark, and the No. 7 hole hitting to the left side is what started it, that little spark.”
Steiner said he was looking for a fastball, and he got one up and in for the home run.
“The bottom of our lineup started getting on base and hitting,” said Steiner. “(Winbourne’s) curveballs were kind of low, so I waited for a fastball. He got a fastball over the plate and I just hit it.
“I was pretty frustrated (going into the bottom of the fifth), and I think everyone in the dugout was. But I wasn’t ready to quit. I love playing this game.”
“Steiner has been everything for this team the last couple of years, him and Mikey,” said Stoute. “All our seniors have been so, so phenomenal. His at bat was so like him.”
Hanson still trailed, but it was evident the game had changed.
“The home run was what did it,” said McCarthy.
“It was one pitch in the wrong location, and it got (Winbourne) rattled.”
Zach Saintes hit an infield single with one out to start Hanson off in the sixth inning. LeBlanc followed with a double over the center fielder’s head, and Donegan hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in another run, making it 5-4.
Chase Businelle, who entered in the fifth inning when Steiner replaced Payton on the hill, followed with an RBI single to right field to tie the score, and Matt Pusateri hit another single up the middle to bring home the game winner.
Then Steiner stepped up and hit the first pitch he saw to almost the exact spot as his previous homer, with his two-run shot making it an 8-5 Hanson lead.
This time, he wasn’t looking for a particular pitch to hit.
“Actually, my emotions were getting the best of me,” said Steiner. “I was just wanting to swing the bat, and he threw me a fastball over the plate.”
Steiner finished 2-for-4 with two homers, five RBIs and two runs scored to pace the Tigers at the plate. LeBlanc went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs, Pusateri went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run, Payton was 1-for-, Saintes went 1-for-3 with a run, and Donegan and Businelle each went 1-for-1 with an RBI and a run.
Justin Winbourne took the loss, surrendering eight earned runs on nine hits with three walks and nine strikeouts in six innings. Eight of the nine Hanson hits came in the fifth and sixth innings.
As McCarthy told his team after the game and reiterated a few minutes later, “That’s why they play seven innings. Anything can happen.”
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