They trailed by deficits of 5-0 and 7-3. They needed a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to stay alive and they needed a triple play to get out of the 11th inning.

The Orem Owlz then used a walk-off infield single to beat Casper 9-8 in 11 innings and improve to 23-4 in the second half of the Pioneer League season on Monday night in Orem.

The Owlz finally finished off the Ghosts when Dillon Baird singled to lead off the bottom of the 11th. Casey Haerther bunted him to second. Michael Wing hit a ground ball to shortstop David Hernandez, who threw to third to get Baird. Terrell Alliman walked and Jon Karcich hit a ground ball deep in the hole between first and second. Casper second baseman Dominic Altobelli made an incredible play to get his glove on the ball. He couldn't get Karcich at first so he fired home, but Wing beat the throw to end the game.

"I was trying to get a pitch to hit. With two strikes I knew I had to battle," Karcich said. "I hit a change-up that was up in the zone. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good."

It was a bizarre finish. Casper looked like it would take the lead in the top of the 11th when David Dinatale led off the inning with a double off the left-field wall. Chandler Laurent bunted and Orem reliever Jonathan Garrett tried to get the runner at third, but it was too late, leaving runners on first and third.

Nolan Arenado then hit a line shot to Garrett. He threw to Casey Haerther at third for the second out and Haerther fired to first to reward the fans who stuck around to one of baseball's rarest feats, a triple play.

The Owlz needed other dramatics to pull this one out. Trailing 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth, Carlos Ramirez singled and was lifted for pinch runner Daniel Eichelberger. Baird hit a chopper to Rose that allowed Eichelberger to reach second. He then took third on a wild pitch and scored on a single from Haerther to tie the game and send it to extra innings.

"The relief pitchers did an outstanding job tonight. They came in and kept us in the ball game," said Orem manager Tom Kotchman. "We kept pecking away at the lead. Baird's home run was big for us. He got us a quick run with the homer."

Trailing 5-0, Orem came back with a 3-run inning in the second.

Baird homered to lead off the inning. Wing singled and would score on a Alliman single and Alliman came home on a Karcich double.

Orem got a run in the fourth on a Wing home run and in the fifth the Owlz came up aces again when Richard Cates reached base on one of four Casper errors. Ramirez walked and Baird ripped a single to score a run.

Casper added a run in the sixth, but Orem got it right back with a run in the bottom half of the inning.

The Owlz continued to put the pressure on. In the eight Justin Bass came through with a two-out, pinch-hit RBI double to cut the lead to 8-7, but Casper then called on its closer Chad Rose. He got out of the inning but couldn't close out the Owlz in the ninth.

Orem and Casper will play again tonight at 7:05 p.m. in Orem.