PIQUA — The Northmont baseball team broke open a close game with Piqua Saturday at Hardman Field, scoring eight runs in the sixth inning in a 14-3 win.

Piqua dropped to 13-6 with the loss and Northmont improved to 11-8.

Piqua had taken a 1-0 lead in the home first.

Zane Pratt reached on an error to start the game, moved to second on Trenton Rudd’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Brady Ouhl’s single.

Northmont would take a 3-1 lead in the third.

Chris Gross walked and Nate Schommer singled.

Jamir Ross singled and Gross scored when the ball got away in the outfield.

Nate Teller had a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1 and with two out, AJ Conti reached on an error, scoring Ross.

Piqua closed to within 3-2 in the home third.

With two out, Mickey Anderson and Owen Shawler had back-to-back doubles to plate a run.

Northmont would score three more runs in the fourth to make it 6-2.

Following a single by Connor Price, Schommer had a RBI double.

Conti added a RBI single and scored on Andrew Shingler’s double.

Piqua got one run back in the home fourth to make it 6-3.

Hunter Steinke walked, Brennan Johns was hit by a pitch and Jerry Anthony walked to load the bases.

With one out, Rudd had a sacrifice fly.

Northmont scored one run in the fifth to make it 7-3 before Piqua ended the inning with a double play.

Steinke would make a diving tag of a runner between third and home and throw to Ouhl at second to get the batter.

But, Northmont would erupt for seven runs in sixth inning for the final margin.

Two runs would score on bases loaded walks, Brandon Hoops had a two-run single and Price had a sacrifice fly.

Drew Carver and Brady Lupton combined on a five-hitter, combining for one strikeouts, five walks and one hit batter.

Four Piqua pitchers would combine on a 12-hitter, striking out six, walking six and hitting one batter.

Sports Editor Rob Kiser can be reached at [email protected]