Youngsville’s Cole Johnson (27) slides safely into home plate during Tuesday’s 12-11 loss to the Northwestern Wildcats at Davis Street Field in Youngsville. Photo courtesy of Alicia Elfstrom

YOUNGSVILLE — In what is scheduled to be their last home game in school history, the Youngsville Eagles fought to the bitter end.

Youngsville’s seventh inning rally came up one run short during a 12-11 nonregion loss to the Northwestern Wildcats on Tuesday at Davis Street Field.

Early in the contest, things looked good for the Eagles in their attempt to win a 10th game of the 2025 season. The hosts jumped out to an early 4-0 lead without even registering a hit during a first inning that included six walks and a Wildcats error.

That lead was stretched to five in the second inning when David Manning reached and scored on a passed ball.

Northwestern was able to plate its first two runs in the third inning, but Youngsville (9-7) responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the third. James Johnson drew a one-out walk and scored on Cole Johnson’s single. Later in the inning, Manning hit a sacrifice fly to score Cole Johnson and make it 7-2 through three.

Much like the Eagles did in the first inning, Northwestern scored four runs of its own in the fourth without having to make much contact. The Wildcats drew five walks and took advantage of two Youngsville errors to close the gap to 7-6.

In the fifth, Northwestern would begin a trend of scoring important runs with two outs. After the first two outs of the fifth, Northwestern got a double, an Eagles error and an RBI single to tie the game at 7-7.

After failing to score in the bottom of the fifth, Youngsville appeared on its way to putting up a zero in the top of the sixth. However, with two outs and just one on, Northwestern would string together three hits, an Eagles error and a passed ball to take a commanding 11-7 lead with an inning and a half to play.

The Eagles ended a stretch of nine unanswered Wildcat runs by scoring once in the bottom of the sixth. Braydon Baker led off with a walk and scored when a ball hit by Dylan DePasquale was misplayed for an error.

Northwestern was able to answer the run in the top of the seventh again rallying with two outs. A hit batter and two straight walks forced a 12th run home and the Wildcats led by four heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Youngsville didn’t go down quietly.

With one out, Cole Johnson walked and Manning reached on an error. Cole Johnson soon scored on Baker’s RBI single and it was a three-run ball game. Moments later, DePasquale reached on an error for the third time in the contest and Manning scored to cut the lead to 12-10.

Youngsville’s Bryce Spinks was up next and he grounded out to third for the inning’s second out. However, in doing so he brought home Baker and moved the tying run in DePasquale to third base. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the next batter would be struck out and the tying run would be stranded 90 feet from home.

Baker reached base safely in all five plate appearances for Youngsville on Tuesday. He also accounted for two of the Eagles’ five hits with James Johnson, Cole Johnson and Spinks providing the others.

Youngsville concludes its region schedule Thursday when it travels to Seneca. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.

NORTHWESTERN (12)

Schaukowitsch, ss, 5-2-2-1, Stout, 2b, 4-3-2-2, Johnson, lf-p-rf, 5-3-1-0, Bland, 1b, 4-1-3-2, Kranz, cf, 3-0-0-1, White, rf-p, 4-0-1-2, Rader, 3b-lf, 4-1-0-0, Lear, p-3b, 4-0-0-0, Norris, c, 2-2-0-0. Totals 35-12-9-8

YOUNGSVILLE (11)

James Johnson, c-p-c, 3-2-1-0, Cole Johnson, 3b-c-p, 3-3-1-1, David Manning, ss, 3-3-0-1, Braydon Baker, p-3b, 2-3-2-1, Dylan DePasquale, 2b, 5-0-0-0, Bryce Spinks, cf, 5-0-1-1, Josh Pikna, 1b, 4-0-0-1, Aaden Patch, lf, 2-0-0-1, Logan King, rf, 3-0-0-1. Totals 30-11-5-7

Northwestern 002 414 1 — 12 9 5

Youngsville 412 001 3 — 11 5 7

2B–Stout (NW), James Johnson (Y), Schaukowitsch (NW). W–Zac Johnson. L–Cole Johnson.