AUGUSTA — Eighth-inning heroics helped lift Bulloch Academy to a 5-4 win over Westminster of Augusta Monday in Region 4-AAA play.
    With two outs in the top of the extra inning, the Gators pushed across a run for the lead. Then, they stopped the Wildcats not once, but twice in the bottom of the frame for the win.
    Westminster knotted the score 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth to take the game into extra innings.
    In the eighth, Bulloch (9-5, 5-4) surrendered two quick outs before Bailey Smith got on base with a single. He stole second and raced home when Chris Young blasted a double to straight-away centerfield.
    In the bottom of the inning, Westminster’s Taylor Nabholtz singled and stole second. Mike MacCreath hit the ball to relief pitcher Walker Blitch. Nabholtz got caught too far off the base and Blitch alertly went after him. Nabholtz got in a rundown and BA shortstop Win Lee popped the tag on him for the first out.
    Garrett Trent reached on an error and MacCreath went to third. Westminster tried a double steal and BA catcher Erik Renew fired the ball to second. But Lee cut the ball off and threw back to Renew at home, who applied the tag on MacCreath for the second out. Charles Heron grounded out to preserve the important region victory.
    Blitch, who came on in the seventh, got the win. Starter Jarret Humphries went six innings, giving up just six hits while striking out three and walking one.
Leading hitters for Bulloch were Blitch and Forest Spence, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI each, and Smith, who was 2-for-4, stole two bases and scored two runs, one of which was the game-winner.
    Bulloch hosts Pinewood Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the final regular-season contest of the year.
    Prior to the game, seniors Lee and Blitch will be honored.