GATLINBURG | Depending on how you like your baseball, Oneida's game against Gatlinburg-Pittman on Tuesday was either pretty or ugly.

From an Oneida point-of-view, it was mostly pretty, as the Indians escaped with a win to clinch third place in the District 2-2A standings. And the game was not without drama, as OHS needed extra innings to pull off what once looked like a run-rule game in the making.

The two teams combined for 40 runs in a 21-19 score that looked more like a football scoreboard than a baseball scoreboard. G-P had halted an Oneida rally in Monday's series opener at Bear Creek, but Game 2 in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains found the Highlanders unable to stop the Indians.

Oneida jumped to a commanding 10-0 lead through 1.5 innings, then managed to hold off Gatlinburg as the Highlanders made a mid-game run.

Incredibly, Oneida put up 21 runs despite having only one extra-bases hit. That hit came courtesy of Aidan Frazier, who had a big game with three RBIs and four runs scored on a three of five batting effort.

Caden Shoemaker had five RBIs, and Ben Sexton had four RBIs.

Every player in the Oneida lineup — which also included Caden Rector, Gabe Brennan, Elijah Strunk, Eli Rector, AJ Harper and Colby Tyra — batted in at least one run, with Eli Rector and Harper each driving in two runs.

Strunk scored a whopping six runs, while Brennan had four runs and Caden Rector had three runs.

Oneida scattered 12 hits across eight innings, and were patient with the bats, drawing 20 bases on balls.

Gatlinburg also had a big day on offense, which is what helped the Highlanders overcome the big deficit early. It was a 13-4 Oneida lead going into the bottom of the fourth when the Highlanders began to rally. They first cut it to 13-6, then to 14-11, and then took an 18-15 lead going into the final inning by putting up seven runs in the sixth inning.

Then it was Oneida's turn to rally. Needing three runs to keep their hopes alive, the Indians started off the seventh by loading the bases. Brennan was hit by a pitch, and Frazier and Strunk both walked.

That set up a key RBI single by Eli Rector, followed by an RBI groundout to cut the Gatlinburg lead to one with still just one out, and runners on second and third.

Sexton turned in what was the play of the game to that point with a sacrifice bunt to score Strunk and tie the game.

Gatlinburg was finally able to get out of the half-inning with a strikeout, but with Harper on the mound, the Highlanders couldn't generate any offense. He set the first two G-P batters down on strikes, then forced a fly-out with the winning run on first after a walk, and the game went to an eighth inning.

Oneida kept things going in the top of the extra inning, loading the bases with only one out after a hit-by-pitch and two walks. Strunk walked to score Caden Rector and give the Indians the lead. Then, with two outs, Shoemaker drew a walk to send Frazier home, and Sexton reached on an error that scored Strunk.

Strunk then took the mound for the final inning. And while Gatlinburg managed to get the tying run to the plate with just one out, the Highlanders could make no more noise than that. They scored one on a sacrifice fly, before Strunk got a strikeout to end the game.

Strunk got the credit with the win. Brennan started the game on the mound, and pitched the first six innings.

With the win, Oneida will face Austin-East in the opening round of the district tournament next month.

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