WILLARD — The April 9 Central Ozark Conference baseball game had been marked on many Nixa (10-1) and Willard (11-3) fans' calendars for quite some time.

After all, it pitted two Class 5 powerhouses against each other.

Like prize fighters, the tilt went hit by hit, blow by blow.

But, after the Eagles plated three runs in the 14th inning, busting open the 3-3 tie, Nixa remained standing after the 6-5 come-from-behind win at Willard High School.

"I have coached for 20 years and never had a 14-inning game," Nixa head coach Jason Daughtery said. "It is a long one. It is mentally exhausting."

Daughtery had to toe a narrow line throughout the night, as he worked his magic in monitoring his three pitchers' workloads.

Starter and University of Arkansas commit Isaac Mitchell hurled 6 1/3 innings — giving up a solo home run to Willard leadoff hitter, Ethan Thompson.

In the seventh inning, Mitchell gave way to senior Jake Uber — who surrendered a two-run home run to Cole Biellier with two strikes and two outs.

"It was a war of attrition. When we gave up the two-run shot in the seventh, everyone's heart just sank," Daughtery said. "But, Jake Uber went in there and kept battling. He hung one. We hung in there."

Uber settled in and didn't allow another hit until the 11th.

In the 14th, Uber was pulled for Caleb Crockett — who gave up a two-run double to Noah Wooldridge, to bring Willard within one run at 6-5.

For Daughtery, there isn't a simplistic formula for managing relief pitchers for seven-plus innings of work.

"It is tough because we have to face Carthage Thursday," Daughtery said. "I would like to have something going in there, but at the same time, you have to win the game in front of you. We will worry about Thursday on Thursday. It had been a lot worse if I spent all my pitching and we lost. But getting the win, it's huge."

For Nixa, its lone loss came at the hands of the Glendale Falcons a few weeks back — a 1-0 loss at Glendale against Falcons senior hurler and University of Missouri signee Ty Wilmsmeyer.

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