Northshore’s Nick Ledet hit a walk-off single on a full count, helping the Panthers defeat Thomas Pump (Slidell High) 5-4 in a Northshore Summer League Baseball game held at Ned Eades Field Thursday.

Thomas Pump led 4-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Chris Miller doubled and eventually went to third on a bad pickoff throw. Jacob Corbin walked. After a pitching change, Codey Miller sent Chris Miller home with an RBI single, tying the game at 4-4. Thomas Pump intentionally walked Chris Eades to load the bases after a flyout, Ledet came to the plate.

He got down in the count 1-2, but showed great patience laying off a couple pitches to push the count to 3-2. On the payoff pitch, he lined a single up the middle, scoring pinch runner Marshall Wadleigh with the game-winning run. Ledet, who will be a sophomore next school year, admitted he was nervous.

Northshore's Steven Gaines puts down a drag bunt during the fifth inning of Thursday's game at Ned Eades Field against Thomas Pump (Slidell High). (Staff Photo by Chris Kinkaid)

“I think I got lucky, a couple of those might have been strikes. I stepped up. The last one was a strike, I hit it and did what I was supposed to do,” Ledet said.

Northshore finished the summer at 7-2, while Thomas Pump is 3-7.

The seventh inning was a wild, action packed frame. Northshore led 3-1 through six innings. With one out, Jason Decker walked and Northshore pitcher Shane McKinley got the next batter to strikeout swinging. With two outs, Wes Abney hit a groundball to the shortstop, but the ball was overthrown. Pinch runner Brent Carroll attempted to score, but got caught in a rundown between third and home. It appeared Northshore was going to get him, but the throw popped out of the catcher’s glove. Luckily for the Panthers, the ball didn’t roll far and the rundown continued. Eventually, with Carroll heading back to third, the Panthers’ third baseman tagged him, but on the tag, the ball popped out of his glove and Carroll got back to third safely.

That proved costly for Northshore as the next batter Dixon Faciane walked to load the bases. With two outs and the Panthers still leading 3-1, Adam Lagarde smacked a two-run single to left field, but the ball got by the fielder allowing another run to score and Thomas Pump led 4-3. Northshore rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to capture a 5-4 victory.

“It’s a good way to end the season,” Northshore coach Rick Mauldin said. “To be ahead, then be behind and then to win.”

Mauldin added that he got what he wanted out of this summer.

“We were (7-2), young guys played and guys that I need to step up next year to fill those spots that were vacated by the varsity (seniors) from last year. I’m really pleased,” Mauldin said.”

The game started out as a pitchers dual between Corbin and Gary Daubert.

Corbin threw the first four innings and gave up one unearned run on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks. McKinley relieved Corbin and allowed no earned runs on one hit with six strikeouts and two walks.

Daubert allowed no earned runs on four hits with nine strikeouts and three walks.

Thomas Pump coach Mike Alexander said he was happy with Daubert’s performance.

“I thought Gary Daubert threw a great game,” Alexander said. “We made some mistakes early on. We had the pick, we didn’t get the pick and then had two double play balls in the same inning that we didn’t turn.”

The pickoff play occurred in the second inning when Daubert had Wadleigh pickoff, but the throw to second was late. Wadleigh later scored on Kyle Deckwa’s sacrifice fly.

The potential double play balls came up in the fourth, which led to a pair of runs. Overall, Alexander said he’s seeing improvement.

“I think we’re starting to improve in certain areas. I’m happy with the way this summer went. I’m really excited about the spring,” Alexander said.

NHS scored the first run on Deckwa’s second-inning sacrifice fly, but Thomas Pump countered in the third with Abney reached on an error and later scored on Cameron Charbonnet’s RBI groundout.

NHS went up 3-1 in the fourth. Codey Miller and Eades singled with one out. Deckwa reached on an error and the Ledet hit a grounder to the shortstop. Thomas Pump got the force, but the relay throw was into Thomas Pump’s dugout allowed a second run to score and making it 3-1. The score stayed that way until the wild seventh inning.