REL Inc.-MT pitcher Brian Halonen throws against Houghton Building Supply-Stanton on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, in Stanton, Mich. (Eddie O’Neill/The Daily Mining Gazette)

STANTON — Houghton Building Supply-Stanton ended the regular season in dramatic fashion with a 7-6 comeback win over REL Inc.-Mohawk Technology in Twilight Baseball League action Tuesday.

With a 6-5 score in the bottom of seventh, HBS-Stanton’s Connor Hannon stepped up to the plate with bases loaded. Facing a 2-1 count, Hannon ended the game with one stroke of the bat as two runs crossed home and made it a 7-6 tilt in HBS-Stanton’s favor.

Tuesday’s Twilight League game closed out the season for both teams. While it had no postseason implications for either team as REL Inc.-MT had clinched the first-place spot, that didn’t stop both squads from giving it their all.

REL Inc.-MT took an early 1-0 lead in the first with a Travis Pietila walk followed by a two-run RBI by Brent Loukus. However HBS-Stanton matched and upped the ante with two runs in their bottom frame of the second.

That didn’t last long as REL Inc.-MT came back t0 tie it at two and move the score to 5-3 in their favor after four.

In that frame, two walks off of HBS-Stanton’s starter Alex Tallman came back to haunt him and his team. A base hit by Pietila followed by a hard-hit double by Rory Anderson put the score at 4-3. Johnson would cross the plate as well before the third out, and REL Inc.-MT had a two-run lead.

Both player-managers said that they weren’t going to risk injury or accident to their pitchers by putting them in this final seemingly insignificant game.

“We are saving our aces for the playoffs this weekend,” said REL Inc.-MT’s coach Ty Loukus.

HBS-Stanton coach Daron Durocher said that he had his team doing the same.

“We are trying to save some pitching and stay tuned up for the weekend.”

Neither team scored in the fifth and REL Inc.-MT put their sixth and final tally on the board in their top half of the sixth. However, HBS-Stanton tacked on two in the bottom half of the to make it a one-run game. Bases were loaded with HBS-Stanton’s Kevin Bostwick at the plate and he was hit by a pitch to bring one run in. Durocher’s fielder’s choice a few batters later brought in Walt Lampell to make it a 6-5 game.

REL Inc.-MT went down easy in the top of the seventh and that set the stage for Hannon’s game winning hit for HBS-Stanton.

“It was a good game. Both teams hit the ball well back and forth,” Loukus said.

REL Inc.-MT 101 301 0 — 6

HBS-Stanton 021 002 2 — 7