Osbourn lives.

And so does their unbeaten season, now at 22 games.

Osbourn scored runs Tuesday night in typical Osbourn Eagle-fashion - namely, late in the game while trailing - to defeat Colonial Forge, 6-5, in a Northwestern Region quarterfinal.

Osbourn advances to host Hylton in the regional semifinal at 7 tonight.

Once again, Osbourn found itself behind late in a ball game. But it is the situation for which Osbourn seems to live in this season that has included 10 comeback wins and nine one-run victories.

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Osbourn trailed, 5-4, entering the bottom of the last inning. Jess Stewart drove home Kevin Potter with a one-out double to right field on an 0-2 pitch from Colonial Forge pitcher Eddie Rubbo

Devan Ewell was walked intentionally to load the bases and then Robert Lydick drove home Brian Dunleavy from third base with the winning run.

Lydick was at the plate in the exact same situation last Thursday in the Cedar Run District tournament against Osbourn Park. But a balk brought home the winning run (also Dunleavy) in that contest. Lydick was happy but wished he had had a chance to swing the bat.

He got his wish this time, driving a 2-1 offering from Rubbo to right-center field, deep enough to allow Dunleavy to score easily.

``I just wanted to hit the ball as hard as I could," said Lydick, a senior first baseman. ``I was trying to hit it to the right side. Their second baseman was playing deep and I wanted to either hit a hard ground ball in the whole or a fly ball to right."

Osbourn coach Keith Howell said Lydick and Potter are among his team's unsung heroes during their long unbeaten streak.

``I gave Robert the hit sign," said Howell. ``He and Kevin do a lot of the little things. With a 2-1 count, their kid didn't want to go to three balls with the bases loaded."

Colonial Forge was poised to end the Eagles' season when they posted five runs in the first two innings off of Osbourn' Jess Stewart, two on a first-inning double by Jake Brown.

Osbourn trailed, 5-1, entering the sixth inning and scored twice in that frame on a sacrifice fly by Jason Williams and an RBI-groundout by Mike Stover.

Stewart, meanwhile, settled down and blanked Colonial Forge over the last five innings on four singles (only one of which made it out of the infield). He ended up surrendering eight hits while striking out three and walking two.

``After he settled down," said Howell, ``Jess pitched well. He's been a slow starter all year. Colonial Forge was patient and they ripped him. He was having trouble with his curve and they were sitting on his fastball."

Rubbo, meanwhile, held Osbourn to three hits over the first two innings (including Chris Kearney's solo homer in the second inning). Rubbo (eight hits, five strikeouts, five walks) was able to strand five Osbourn runners in the middle innings before Osbourn broke through in the sixth.

``We just never give up," said Lydick. ``This was one of the worst beginnings we've had. But when they made mistakes, we made them pay for them."