With the score tied 1-1 and the bases loaded, in the bottom of the seventh inning, Buffalo's Cody Anderson stepped up to the plate.
Down 1-0 after five and one-half innings the Bison had fought their way back to tie the game up in the bottom of the sixth, now all they needed was a base rap to slip past the Fair Grove Eagles 2-1.
Anderson delivered, driving an Eagle pitch over the center-fielder's head for a game winning RBI.
"I knew it was going to be a fastball and it was," Anderson said. "I was ready for it and I made them pay."
The victory capped a game filled with good pitching and great defense, the kind of game that head Buffalo coach Tyler Henry said he'd take any day.
"It was really an exciting game and a great way for our kids to win one as we head into district play," Henry said. "Our pitching staff threw well and our defense made some really big plays. Parker Tyree, at shortstop, made six or seven outstanding plays behind our pitchers and we got some clutch hits when we needed them."
Tyree was especially happy with the performance of the Bison pitching staff.
"Our pitchers did a good job of keeping the ball down today," Tyree said. "By keeping it down they gave our defense a lot of chances to make plays behind them."
After five innings of scoreless ball the Eagles pushed what looked like was going to be the winning run across the plate in the sixth.
Fair Grove's Drew Edwards, on third base, scampered home on a Bison passed ball to put the Eagles out in front.
But Buffalo stormed back to tie the game up the bottom of the sixth on a Billy McCune sacrifice fly, driving in Tyree, to set the stage for Anderson's heroics in the bottom of the seventh.
Even in defeat, Fair Groves head coach Christian Overstreet saw the game as a definate plus for his kids.
"Buffalo was a scrappy team today. They took advantage of a few breaks to win but that's part of baseball," Overstreet said. "I felt like our kids played well. Our pitchers did a great job of keeping their hitters off balance most of the game and when we scored in the sixth I thought we had a pretty good chance to win. But give credit to Buffalo they've got a good team and coach Henry does a great job with them."
On the mound for the win was Bison hurler Tanner Cowin. Cowin threw five and one-third innings giving up just one run on five hits. He struck out two and had two walks.
"I just wanted to come out and throw stikes today," Cowin said. "I worked hard to try and keep the ball low in the zone."
Travis Clemmons got the save. Clemmons finished out the final one and two-thirds innings for the Bison allowing the Eagles no hits with one strike out.
On the mound for the Eagles were Ty Lumley, Rhett Hill, Collin Breckner and Brent Church. The Fair Grove hurlers gave up five hits and while striking out nine Buffalo batters.
Leading the way at the plate for Buffalo were Parker Tyree 2-2, Colby Kramer 1-2, Devin Sprague 1-1 and Cody Anderson 1-2.
For the Eagles Ryan Burks was 1-3, Nate Mallard 1-3, Brent Church, Collin Breckner and Damon Miles 1-2.
The game was a rubber match for the two teams. The schools split in two previous meetings this year.
"To take two out of three ballgames from a team as good as Fair Grove is a big step for our program," Henry said. "They've got some really good athletes and are well coached so our kids had to play some great baseball to get by the Eagles twice."
Box Score
Fair Grove 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2
