ORWIGSBURG - The 11th hour had arrived, and Tamaqua’s baseball team was sitting in the driver’s seat.

It had mighty Blue Mountain on the ropes, gasping and reeling for fresh air.

Tamaqua was on the verge of pulling out a victory and staying undefeated in Schuylkill League play.

But down to its final out in an extra-inning contest matching two of the best teams in the Schuylkill League, the Eagles survived when Robert “Burt” Gromley lashed a liner to left centerfield scoring teammates Josh Bensinger and Vern Kleckner with the tying and winning runs.

It was game, set and match for Blue Mountain as Gromley’s long single enabled it to hand Tamaqua an 8-7 10-inning loss.

“All we needed was that one last out,” said Tamaqua manager Jeff Reading. “Our kids did everything needed to win a game. But sometimes the other guys get a little lucky.”

Gromley wasn’t swinging the bat all that well prior to his big hit, but according to Blue Mountain manager Jarrod Kramer, his game- winner was the result of adjusting his swing.

“When (Gromley) shortens up his swing, he can hit the ball,” Kramer said. “That’s what he did to get that winning hit.”

Normally, Gromley is noted for his pitching, not so much his hitting. But Tamaqua roughed up the Eagles’ ace on Monday afternoon, scoring six runs on eight hits before the highly-touted senior departed in the top of the seventh inning.

On the other side of the ledger, Tamaqua got a sterling outing from freshman Gavan Hess, who was strong in relief of Mason Ligenza, Ligenza was lifted after throwing 59 pitches and allowing a pair of runs in the first two innings.

“That’s what you call a bulldog performance,” Reading said of Hess. “For a freshman in a big game, he was outstanding. I can’t say enough about his effort. He really battled against a good team.”

The Eagles are definitely that as they improved to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in league play.

Tamaqua (6-2, 3-1) came ever-so-close to ending Blue Mountain’s unbeaten string when it took a one-run lead in the top of the 10th when Lucas Kamant reached second on an error. The Raiders then played it by the book as Cooper Ansbach bunted Kamant over to third. Designed hitter Max Najarro drove in the run with a crisp opposite field single to left.

“We had a good feel after scoring that run,” Reading said. “We had fought back after being down 6-1, so we had the momentum.”

But the Eagles flipped the momentum in the home 10th and remained perfect on the season.

“I’m very pleased how we faced adversity today,” Reading said. “Looking at the scoreboard with that six errors - we gave them a lot of opportunities. They were up 6-1, and our kids just battled back. What more can you say. There was no quit.”

Before extra-innings arrived, Tamaqua had to dig itself out of a five-run hole.

It posted two runs in the fifth inning thanks to Ligenza’s single, a Lucas Kane double, and a Blue Mountain error that made it 6-3.

The Blue Raiders continued their come back with two more runs in the sixth. Ansbach ignited the rally with a hit before Najarro reached on an error. Landon Kamant bunted both runners over. A Blue Mountain error and a Jake Yenser single produced the runs.

Tamaqua then forged a tie with a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Lucas Kamant that scored Wyatt Steigerwalt.

TOUGH IN THE CLUTCH… Hess allowed Tamaqua to stay in the game. In all, he threw 104 pitches, including 65 for strikes. Aiden Grace, the winning pitcher, relieved Gromley in the seventh. Gromley had tapped out with 99 pitches, striking out four and giving up eight hits. He threw 62 of his pitches in the strike zone.

SO CLOSE … Ligenza came oh so close to getting a big extra-base hit in the sixth. He hit a shot to rightfield that the wind kept from going yard, and right fielder Colton Leibold stayed with the ball to make a nice catch.

HITTING AWAY … Steigerwalt led Tamaqua with a pair of hits, while Kane roped a double. The Raiders also got singles off the bats of Ligenza, Ansbach, Najarro and Yenser.

Tamaqua 100 022 100 1 - 7 8 6

Blue Mtn. 020 400 000 2 - 8 9 3

Ligenza, Hess (3) Steigerwalt (8) and Kane; Gromley, Grace (7) and Gustitus. W - Grace. L - Steigerwalt.