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PORTAGE — For the second time in a week the Baraboo Legion team had to face Portage starting pitcher Brad Johnson, and for the second time in a week it was Johnson who led Portage to victory over rival Baraboo.

Johnson held Baraboo to two runs on six hits over seven innings, before giving way to Anthony Bortz, who threw a pair of scoreless innings, as host Portage scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on a RBI single by Ethan Greene, to beat the Bandits 3-2 at Bidwell Field on Sunday afternoon.

Baraboo head coach Tim Luger said his team had a tough time being patient at the plate against Johnson.

“It was the second time we faced Brad Johnson in a week and I thought we would do a little bit better the second time, because we’ve seen him so much, but he kept us off balance, and we just couldn’t throw any hits together,” Luger said.

Johnson had a strong outing last Sunday and got the win in Portage’s 5-4 victory over the Bandits at Mary Rountree Field, but the Portage righty wasn’t sure if he could have the same success the second time around.

“I was coming in a little nervous, because it was the first time I faced a team two times in a row,” Johnson said. “I didn’t know what to do, if the same technique that I used last time against them would work again this time, but it turned out that it did.”

Johnson said the key to his success was throwing a variety of different pitches, so the Baraboo batters couldn’t get comfortable.

“I was keeping them off balance. I hardly ever threw the same pitch twice in a row, even the fastball, I only threw, in a row, two or three times,” Johnson said. “I was always changing it up and keeping them off balance the best I could.”

Johnson lost his chance to get the victory when Baraboo (4-2) rallied to tie the game in bottom of the seventh inning. Baraboo entered the frame trailing 2-1, but got a leadoff single from Sam Seymour. Dakota Johnson came in to run for Seymour, and stole second and moved to third on a pop fly to right by Nathan Murphy. Down to its last out, Baraboo finally pulled even when Paul Luger drilled a double to center field to easily score Dakota Johnson.

Portage (5-1) had an opportunity to win it in the eighth, but Ben Boeck, who was running for Anthony Bortz, was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Cody Holloway, trying to score from third base on a fly ball hit by Travis Hamilton.

Portage did get the winning run in the next frame. With one out, Jake Nelson reached base on a Baraboo error and then moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Jake Parrott. After an infield single by Mike Jordahl kept the inning alive, Ethan Greene roped a line drive to right-center that just grazed the top of Jon Schlender’s glove before getting past him and allowing Nelson to come home for the winning run.

Portage head coach Bill Greene said his team did a good job of manufacturing a run when it got the opportunity.

“Back to the small ball again. We’re not going to beat anyone with home runs or anything,” coach Greene said.

Brad Johnson wasn’t the only pitcher dealing on Sunday, as Baraboo’s Sam Seymour went the distance, giving up just two earned runs on eight hits, while striking out nine.

“Sam deserved much better tonight. He threw 107 pitches and threw well again,” Luger said. “He had it working today. He’s a work horse for us and he deserved a much-better fate.”

Seymour gave Baraboo a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when his groundout scored Schlender from third. Seymour then almost produced another run in the fourth inning when he smoked a Brad Johnson offering well over the fence, but just foul down the left-field line.

After Baraboo grabbed the early lead, Portage scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. After Hamilton produced a one-out single, Brad Johnson knocked him in with a double. It was the first of three hits for Johnson on the afternoon. Nelson then followed with an RBI single to give Portage a 2-1 lead, which would hold up until the seventh.

Portage will return to action tonight for a 6 p.m. game at home against Sauk Prairie. Baraboo is off today, but will play host to Nekoosa on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Mary Rountree Field.

Pitchers (ip-h-er-bb-k) — Seymour (L; 8.2-8-2-2-9); Johnson (7-6-2-1-4), A. Bortz (W; 2-1-0-1-1).

Leading hitters — Lynch (B) 2x4, Johnson (P) 3x4, Hamilton (P) 2x4. 2B — Luger (B), McGann (B), Johnson 2.