It doesn't matter who leads throughout the game. It only matters who has the lead at the end of the contest. For the Park University Baseball team, they did not hold a lead in their series opener against Eastern Oregon University at Tempe Diablo Field 1 in Tempe, Ariz., until a Tommy Pinnow walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth.

The Bucs (1-4) picked up their first win of the season, while the Mountaineers (0-1) lost in their season opener.  

Eastern Oregon got on the board first with two unearned runs in the third off of Bucs starter Alex Buchanan. A lead off single followed by a dropped fly resulted in runners at second and third. A sacrifice fly followed by an infield single allowed both runs to score.

Buchanan would go five innings allowing five hits and striking out three in a no decision.

The Bucs found sledding hard against Mountaineers starting pitcher Easton Corey only getting one hit in four innings. The Bucs would tie the game in the fifth with two runs without the benefit of a hit. Two walks, a wild pitch to advance the runners to second and third, a ground out scored the first run and another wild pitch brough the second run home.

Then it became a battle of the bullpens, both teams scored two runs in the sixth. EOU would add solo runs in the top half of the seventh and eight innings before the Bucs would get two to tie the game in the bottom half of the eighth.

After a Jim Achen III walk to lead of the inning, Evan Vander Valk singled to right. Trey Markham then laid down a bunt to move the runners to second and third. But the Mountaineer second baseman did not cover first and EOU pitcher Rocco Loftis threw the ball down the right field line to allow both runs to score and Markham to get all the way to third with no one out. The Bucs were not able to get the go ahead run in as a ground out and two strike outs ended the inning.

Winning pitcher Lincoln Butt (1-0) picked up his first career win in relief after throwing the last two innings giving up four hits, but only allowing one run. Butt only pitched in five games in 2025 but today, making his second outing of the season in a high leverage situation came through with flying colors.

How we arrived at the Pinnow game winner is a story within itself. Pinnow was not the starter. Evan Vander Valk was in the lineup in the five hole. After his at-bat in the sixth, Ty Matz was entered into his spot in the lineup as a defensive replacement. Vander Valk re-entered the game in the eight to hit and reached on a single. Pinnow was put in as a pinch runner and scored the tying run on the errant throw on the Markham bunt single. He then stayed in the game in center field for the ninth.

In the Buccos last at-bat. Dylan Fisher got things going with a double down the left field line to lead off the inning. Eric Rojo followed with a quality at bat fouling off multiple two strike pitches before earning a walk. After a Jimmy Wood strikeout, freshman Jim Achen III grounded out in the hole at second but the out was a productive one, moving Fisher and Rojo into scoring position. Pinnow stepped to the plate 2-7 on the season. He took the first pitch he saw and drove it throw the left side for a single to bring home Fisher with the walk-off run for the win.

"I just told myself to have fun," said Pinnow about his last at-bat. "I was thinking if it was a fastball I was going to swing and hit it and I did it."

The Bucs were out hit in the game 10-7 but came up with the key knock when they needed it. Vander Valk and Markham both had two hits. Fisher, Markham, Eric Baratta and Pinnow had RBI. Fisher and Achen III had extra base hits.

These two teams have three games remaining in the series with two of them tomorrow afternoon starting at 12 p.m. Games will once again take place at Tempe Diablo.