By JIM RUMBLE

It was beginning to look as though the Northgate baseball team would break into the win column for the first time this season when they hosted Brentwood this past Wednesday.

Sadly, the wheels came off in the top of the seventh, where three errors contributed to a six-run inning for the Spartans, who came from behind to defeat the Flames 8-5.

The game was for the most part a defensive battle, one in which the Flames committed no errors in the field throughout the first five innings.

Brentwood took the lead in the top of the first against starting pitcher Justin Mayhugh, who surrendered a double, followed by a triple and a 1-0 Brentwood lead.

A walk had runners on first and third when an attempt to steal second base scored the run from third and a 2-0 Spartan lead.

Dylan Winters led off the bottom of the first with a walk and quickly moved into scoring position. He successfully stole second base, and when the throw on the play hit the runner and bounced into centerfield, Winters advanced to third base.

Jake Abernethy hit a sacrifice fly ball to right field that scored the run from third and had Northgate trailing 2-1.

Winters replaced Mayhugh on the mound in the top of the third and gave up one hit until surrendering two hits in the top of the sixth.

The Flames committed their first error in the inning, but Josh Chaussinand, who replaced Winters on the hill, was able to pitch out of the inning with two runners in scoring position.

Northgate took advantage of two Brentwood errors and a walk to Abernethy to load the bases in the bottom of the sixth. Mayhugh delivered a two-run triple with Abernethy being tagged out at home plate for the second out and a 3-2 Northgate lead.

Frank Camello then drove in a run with a base hit to put the Flames in front 4-2 going into the final inning.

Brentwood batted around the order in the top of the seventh to score six runs and lead 8-4.

Matt Garrison walked, then scored on a fielding error to put the final score at 8-5.

Dave Natale added a base hit in the seventh, which was only the fifth hit of the afternoon for the Flames.