Duel.

The definition is simple ... a contest with deadly weapons arranged between two people in order to settle a point of honor.

Substitute deadly arms for deadly weapons and that’s what best describes the Colonial League baseball match-up between Palmerton and Palisades on Tuesday.

Bombers pitcher Wade Haydt and Pirates flamethrower David Platt dueled for seven innings, but in extra innings, the Palisades’ bats came alive at the right time to pull out a 5-2 victory.

“I knew coming in this was going to be a great game with a playoff-type atmosphere,” said Palmerton head coach Brian Taschler. “Credit to Palisades, they were able to come through with the key hits in extras, but there was no give-up in our boys today.”

Palisades pitcher David Platt was dominant early on and it looked like he may have his way with the Bombers (10-4, 9-4) throughout the day. He pitched four shutout innings, striking out six, and holding Palmerton hitless.

Palisades (12-4, 11-3) did just enough offensively early in the game to give Platt the lead. Jacob Welsh knocked in a run in the first and Platt added an RBI double in the fourth.

Trailing 2-0, the Palmerton bats came to life in the fifth as they collected two hits and two runs to tie the game. Tanner Burnett had the big hit of the inning with an RBI triple, and Tyler Roe also knocked in a run with a single.

Haydt used that offensive momentum to settle in, pitching three scoreless innings in the fifth, sixth, and seventh, allowing just one hit in that span.

“I knew our kids weren’t going to go away. There’s no quit in this team, and I think they showed that today,” said Taschler. “We were able to get some guys on in the fifth, and then our bats came through. We put the ball in play, and good things happened.”

With both pitchers exhausting their pitch count at the end of the seventh, it was anyone’s game heading into the eighth.

That’s when the Pirates got hot, coming through with four hits in the inning. Welsh, Kyle Oechsle, and Drew Nickles all had RBIs in the eighth.

“Both pitchers threw very well today, it was just a great baseball game. You have to give them credit, because they battled back, and then our kids showed their toughness by putting something together at the end to win the game,” said Palisades head coach Gary Koenig. “This was the kind of game that can prepare you for the postseason, I knew it was going to be a game like this, we’re happy to get out of here with the win.”

CLOSING IT OUT ... Palisades relief pitcher Ethan Brader held the Bombers at bay in the bottom of the eighth, retiring them in order to close out the victory.

PITCHING DUEL ... Platt pitched seven strong innings, striking out 10, allowing just two runs on two hits for the Pirates. Haydt was strong for the Bombers, pitching seven solid innings, allowing two runs on four hits.

Palmerton 000 020 00 - 2 2 1

Palisades 100 100 03 - 5 8 0

Platt, Brader (8), and Oechsle; Haydt, King (8), and Burnett. W - Brader L- King.