Benilde-St. Margaret’s jumped out to a 4-0 lead but needed single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to overcome a 5-4 deficit to walk off with a 6-5 win over Robbinsdale Cooper on Senior Knight.

Honoring the team’s three seniors — Dan Labosky, Grant Besse and Matt Ambre — before the game, BSM jumped out a four-run lead in the first two innings.

Labosky singled, stole second and score on Sam Lynch’s base hit to give the hosts a 1-0 lead after just batters but they would miss a chance to add to that lead when they left the bases loaded.

In the second inning, Marshall Hoemke led off with an infield single and Nathan Hanks laid down a sacrifice bunt to pitcher Nate Lutmer. His throw to first base eluded Jesus Ballesteros and Hoemke scored from first with Hanks winding up on third. Two outs later, Keaton Studsrud doubled home Hanks and, after moving to third when Grant Besse reached on an error, he scored on a wild pitch.

Staked to a four-run lead, Michael Kaminski cruised through the first five innings, needing just 50 pitches while allowing just three hits. However, a walk and a pair of infield singles would load the bases before a double play ground ball by Ballesteros plated the Hawks’ first run.

Kaminski was unable to get an out in the seventh inning as Jacob Lindgren led off with a home run and, after a walk and a base hit, Labosky came in from center field to take over on the mound.

A bases-loaded walk by Labosky brought Cooper to within one run and, after a strikeout, Phillip Howard single in the tying and go-ahead runs before Labosky got Ballesteros to strikeout to end the inning.

BSM then needed a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend the game and Studsrud walked to lead off the frame with Besse bunting him over to second base. Mikey McGill then followed with an RBI single to tie the game and send it into extra innings.

Labosky settled in on the mound in the top of the eighth and needed just 11 pitches to work a 1-2-3 inning to set up the finish for the Red Knights.

Marshall Hoemke collected a one-out single and Nathan Hanks bunted for a base hit to bring Labosky to the plate with the winning run in scoring position and the senior co-captain lined a 1-1 pitch over the head of Cooper left fielder Trey Rooney to end the game.

The Red Knights, who left nine runners on base in the game, six of which were in scoring position, got a three-hit performance from Labosky, who earned his first win of the season on the mound.

Hoemke and Hanks, batting eighth and ninth in the BSM order, both had a pair of hits to set up the top of the lineup, with BSM’s top five hitters driving in five runs.

With a 6-1 record in conference play, BSM has a chance to earn a share of the NSC title, Wednesday, in a 4:15 p.m. game at Totino-Grace. The two teams are tied for the league lead with two games remaining on the conference slate.

The Red Knights taking on Irondale, Friday while the Eagles will also finish conference play, Friday, by playing at Cooper. Both of those games are also slated for 4:15 p.m. starts.

A PDF version of this story, along with a box score, play-by-play and complete statistics is available here.