Graham was able to just squeeze by Indian Lake.
The visiting Falcons edged the Lakers 3-1 in a battle between the team at the top of the Mad River division of the Central Buckeye Conference.
Indian Lake came in a half-game behind. They are now in third place behind Ben Logan, who got a win over Northwestern.
Indian Lake is 7-5 in the CBC and 8-7 overall. Graham improves to 8-3 in the league and 9-5 in all contests.
The Lakers manufactured a run in the third, with Graham equaling it in the top of the fourth.
It stayed deadlocked until the seventh, when the Falcons broke through for two more.
Graham senior Hayden Van Hoose was sharp on the mound, allowing just two hits and two walks. He recorded 12 strikeouts.
Lakers starter Jaxon Snipes pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run, with two hits and two walks. He got eight Falcons out on strikes. Tyler Tidwell pitched the rest of the sixth and then the seventh, taking the loss. He allowed three hits and walked one.
The Lakers’ hits were a single by Madden Lillard and a double by Brady Golliday. Bryce Burton got the RBI.
“It comes down to discipline, and Graham had more than us,” said Indian Lake coach Ryan Lillard. “It’s a learning opportunity for our young group.”
After striking out the first two batters, Snipes hit Holden Dunham and walked Adam Levy. But a groundout to short ended the threat.
Lillard led off for his side with a single through the middle. He advanced on a steal with two outs, but was left aboard.
After an inning and a half that moved quickly, Hall reached on a grounder. A wild pitch let him move to second, and he went to third on a groundout from Lillard.
Burton put down a squeeze bunt and Hall raced down the line to make it 1-0. Tidwell grounded out to end the inning.
Snipes retired the leadoff man in the fourth. Levy walked and Breyton Reisinger followed with a single to right. After a fly out, Levy swiped third with Dylan Lafollette at the plate. A wild pitch then permitted him to break for home and score.
Indian Lake’s best opportunity came in the bottom of the fifth. Snipes led off and battled his way to a full count. He fell awkwardly during a swing and was replaced in the batter’s box by Reed Strayer.
Strayer watched ball four go by and went to first. Colten Corcoran put down a bunt. The throw by Van Hoose sailed over the first baseman’s head and into foul ground, with Strayer speeding over to third base.
Corcoran attempted to take second, but Graham was able to get the ball and fire there in time for the first out. Van Hoose struck out Cooper Hall for the second.
Lillard was given an intentional walk, and Burton was plunked, loading the bases.
Tidwell hit a bouncer to shortstop, which was sent to second for the force out and leaving it tied at 1.
Graham got runners aboard in the sixth on an error and single, but were kept off the board. The Lakers went in order.
Lafollette began the final frame by hammering a pitch to deep right field for a double. Brody Jenkins beat out a bunt single, with Lafollette moving to third. The Falcons put in a pinch runner, Arden McGuire for Lafollette.
A walk to Van Hoose filled the bags with Falcons. Zach Wheeland’s squeeze bunt was covered, but he beat the throw, and McGuire gave the visitors the lead.
Jenkins, who had advanced to third, twice came down partway down the line with Owen Powell at bat. On the second time, the throw to third sailed down the line. Jenkins raced home with an insurance run.
Indian Lake then turned a double play as Powell’s bunt attempt was popped up and caught by Tidwell. He threw to third to double off Van Hoose. A popup in foul ground closed the at-bat.
Golliday, pinch hitting in Snipes’ spot, gave the Lakers some hope with a solid double to left. Corcoran struck out, as did another pinch hitter, Chance Persinger. Lillard swung and missed strike three. The ball was dropped, but quickly thrown to first to seal the contest.
Indian Lake is back on the diamond today with a game at Anna, then will host Bellefontaine on Friday.
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In other baseball action Wednesday:
Ben Logan 6, Northwestern 3
Ben Logan got a 6-3 win over Northwestern in a CBC Mad River clash.
Each team scored one run in the fourth inning. Ben Logan then had five in the fifth. The Warriors got two in the seventh, but were shut down after that.
Earning the win on the hill was freshman Adam Tinsman. He went the full distance, allowing six hits and no walks, with nine strikeouts.
Soli Hughes had two hits and drove in one run, while Camden Spriggs knocked in two. Others with RBIs were Cayden Brown, Bryden Morris, and Oliver Morse.
The Raiders are now 7-4 in the conference and 10-7 overall. They host Urbana on Friday.
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Urbana 5, Bellefontaine 4
Bellefontaine’s rally fell just short against visiting Urbana in CBC Kenton Trail action.
Urbana scored one in the second and two in the third, with Bellefontaine getting one in the third and one in the fourth to trail 3-2.
The Chieftains tied it with a run in the sixth. Urbana got two in its final at-bat. Bellefontaine got one across, but couldn’t get anything more.
Caleb Overmann had an RBI triple, with other hits by Lincoln Banta and Patrick Stolly. Sutton Daring, Sandoval, and Zylar Huffman drove in one run each.
Sammy Kline started and went three innings, giving up three runs on four hits, with two walks. Luke LeVan took the next 3 1/3 frames, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks. Jose Sandoval finished up. He allowed one hit and got one strikeout.
Bellefontaine (3-7 CBC, 4-9 overall) visits Indian Lake on Friday.
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Troy Christian 6, Riverside 2
TROY — Riverside fell to Troy Christian in a Three Rivers Conference contest. The game was postponed from Tuesday due to rain.
The Pirates scored twice in the first, then were shut out after that by Troy Christian.
The Eagles got one in the first, four in the second and one in the third.
Suffering the loss was Brody Orsborne. He pitched two innings, allowing five runs on four hits, with two walks and five strikeouts.
Syler Clark and Camden Shoe combined in relief, allowing one run on three hits. Shoe struck out three and Clark one.
Aiden Manning had two hits, while Orsborne drove in both runs.
Riverside (2-9 TRC, 7-11) takes on Lehman Catholic today at 5 p.m.