Milbury - It took extra innings and a resilient effort, but the Columbian Tornadoes weathered a back-and-forth battle Thursday to edge out Lake 5-4 in a nine-inning thriller. The decisive blow came in the top of the ninth when Johnny Bremyer singled to drive in the go-ahead run, securing a hard-fought road victory.

The contest began as a defensive stalemate until the bottom of the third, when Lake managed to scrape across the game’s first run. The Tornadoes’ response was immediate and loud. In the top of the fourth, Jamison Woessner cleared the left-field fence with a solo home run to knot the game at 1-1.

Columbian briefly seized control in the fifth inning. Bremyer, who proved to be a thorn in the side of the Lake pitching staff all afternoon, laced a clutch double that drove in two runs, handing the Tornadoes a 3-1 advantage. After Lake managed to even the score, Woessner again came through in the clutch with an RBI single in the eighth to put Columbian ahead 4-3.

The drama continued into the bottom of the eighth, where Lake managed to tie the game at four on an 0-2 count, forcing the extra frame.

Bremyer’s ninth-inning heroics ultimately capped a stellar individual performance. The center fielder finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two stolen bases. He was part of a balanced 10-hit attack that saw Conner Reese, Ethan Wilcox, Braden Egbert, and Woessner all record multi-hit games. The Tornadoes were aggressive on the basepaths throughout the afternoon, totaling four stolen bases, and kept their composure defensively by turning a key double play.

On the mound, Woessner set a dominant tone early, racking up nine strikeouts over six innings while allowing just one earned run. Braden Egbert earned the win in relief, navigating two innings of high-pressure baseball, while Blake Gaulden slammed the door in the ninth to earn the save.

The Tornadoes will host Sandusky on Friday