‘That was freaking awesome’: Buss delivers game-winning single in bottom of seventh for Brown County

MENDON, Ill. — Good luck wiping the smile off of Jack Buss’ face any time soon.

Buss, Brown County’s senior catcher, delivered a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the seventh inning of a 3-2 victory in Wednesday’s Class 1A Mendon Unity Regional semifinal game against Unity.

“That was freaking awesome,” Buss said.

After the first three Brown County batters reached base, Buss went with a 2-0 pitch from Avery Frese and hit a line drive through the right side, allowing Matt Boylen to waltz home with the winning run.

“That was unlike any other,” Boylen said of the Hornets’ dramatic victory.

After the ball got through the infield, Buss sprinted up the first-base line with his arms raised high in the air and was mobbed with hugs and high-fives from his teammates after he touched first.

The ear-to-ear grin was slathered on Buss’s face from the time of his walk-off through the end of his post-game interviews. It may not go away until the Hornets face Jacksonville Routt in Saturday’s regional title game at 11 a.m.

“I don’t think you will (be able to get rid of my smile) then, either,” Buss said.

Brown County will be the designated away team against Routt, meaning Buss will not have another chance at a walk-off, but Hornets coach Jared Hoots planted a seed in Buss’ mind as they exited the field.

“I told him hopefully he has a bigger moment in the regional title game so he can keep smiling for next week,” Hoots said.

Myer Maxwell, who was on deck when Buss delivered the knockout punch, had an inkling he would not have to bat.

“I expect nothing less out of JB,” Maxwell said. “He’s a fiery guy, and he lives for that sort of moment. The moment was too perfect for him to not get something like that done.”

Buss’ swing ended the game, but Maxwell’s swing tied it. With one out in the sixth, Maxwell pierced his first home run of the season through the wind blowing in from left field to bring the Hornets and Mustangs into a deadlock at two.

“It was a good time to hit it,” Maxwell said of his first longball.

Buss had just returned to the dugout after grounding out to lead off the inning when he heard the deafening sound of the ball hitting Maxwell’s bat.

“I had just sat down on the bench, and I heard the crack off the bat, and I just knew that ball was crushed,” Buss said.

Hoots was just as impressed.

“That was probably the hardest hit ball I’ve seen hit all year to get through that wind,” Hoots said. “He’s been kind of the tough luck guy this year in our lineup. His average doesn’t tell how good of a hitter he is because he’s hitting line drives at people. That’s baseball, but when you stick with it, you have big moments like that.”

After each team scratched across a run in the first inning, Frese and Maxwell traded zeros on the mound for the next four innings before Unity took a 2-1 lead on a two-out single by Adler Gray with runners on second and third. Johnathan Lucie, who was on second, appeared to collide with Hornets third baseman Tyce Fullerton and stumbled over the third-base bag, but interference was not called. Brym Parrish flew out to end the inning, stranding Lucie at third.

“I told (my players) after the end of the game that I felt like we deserved to win,” Unity coach Tyler McAllister said. “That was one of our better-played baseball games of the year, honestly. We came to hit and battled. We play them that tough, and a couple of calls go our way, I think it might be a different outcome.”

Instead, the Hornets will get a third crack at Routt this season. The Rockets won the first meeting 10-5 on April 1 in Mount Sterling, and the Hornets returned the favor with a 7-3 victory in Jacksonville six days later.

“It’s going to be a dogfight,” Boylen said.

Buss was brimming with excitement.

“It’s time to fight,” Buss said. “Two good teams going head to head. I can’t wait for it.”