There will be 7

STUARTS DRAFT — The Clover Hill Bucks just didn’t want the season to end.

The Bucks trailed the Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks 5-4 in the top of the ninth during Game 6 of the RCBL Championship series on Wednesday night in Stuarts Draft. Clover Hill scored two runs to take a 6-5 lead and, thanks to Drew Easter’s laser arm, held on to it to force a Game 7 on Friday night back at Buck Bowman Park.

“Great ball game, a great battle but someone had to lose,” said Draft manager Tinker Kiser.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Bucks had just finished rallying to take a 6-5 lead when Draft’s Jason Butterworth beat out an infield single and stole second. With two outs on the board, Ryan Cooper laced a deep single to left and Butterworth got the green light at third.

Easter fielded the ball cleanly, and in one motion sent his throw back to Bucks catcher Dustin Bowman — Butterworth was dead in the water.

“Honestly, fielding it, I was like ‘just don’t miss it,’ ” Easter said.

The Clover Hill bench cleared to greet Easter as he trotted from left field and manager Mike Martin just tried to catch his breath.

“I knew it would get there in time if it was on line,” Martin said. “It’s hard to keep from hyperventilating after a play like that to end the game.”

In the first inning, Clover Hill took a two-run lead after Easter singled and Christian Simmer hit a booming home run. The Bucks built up the lead after Draft starter Cooper threw only three pitches.

Draft later knotted the game at two with a two-run shot of its own. Zach Goodyear hit a dinger to bring in Ben Wise.

The Bucks hit yet another two-run home run in the top of the sixth to gain back the lead, this time coming off of Chris Cofer’s bat.

After Cooper scored in the bottom of the inning off of a Wes Dimitt double, Brandon Clark hit the game’s fourth two-run home run to give the D’backs a 5-4 lead.

“It was just a dead battle,” Martin said. “It’s nice to win one of these one-run games against these guys.”

In the top of the ninth, the Bucks took the lead for good, after Easter hit a double and scored when Simmers reached on an error. Simmers scored the eventual game winner on a Shane Banks single.