But at least two people expected Tuesday night’s matchup would be a mite different.

One was Ledford coach Kevin Gillespie. He felt his team was better than it had shown against the mighty Cavaliers. Gillespie also knew his ace (Travis Motsinger) would be ready, while North’s top gun, Daniel Moore, would not. Moore had thrown 160-plus pitches in North’s first two playoff games.

The other person who had a queasy feeling about Game 4 was Cavalier coach Bill Kesler. He was sure that even though Ledford’s lineup starts out with (Eric) Fish and (Josh) Hamm, this one would be anything but another Cav feast.

“Before our first playoff game with North Henderson I didn’t worry a bit,” said Kesler. “Before West Wilkes in the second round, I slept like a baby. But Monday night — I tell you on Monday night, I couldn’t sleep.”

Kesler tossed and turned, turned and tossed, because he knew Ledford would have a huge edge when it arrived in Spencer. “Ledford could only win this game, they had nothing to lose,” he said. “They weren’t supposed to get this far. All the pressure in the world was on us.”

Kesler’s words proved prophetic.

North eventually won a stomach-churner, 7-6. It was Kesler’s 211th career victory in 16 years in the green, white and gold and this tussle was as nerve-wracking as any of them. There was more high drama crammed into the seventh inning than a week’s worth of All My Children episodes. Unlikely heroes, unlikely plays and one gutsy call by Kesler that propelled the Cavs to Friday’s state semifinals against Southwest Randolph.

Not that the first six innings were entirely uneventful. North, which used four pitchers, trailed 2-0, led 4-2, trailed again at 5-4, and was tied 5-5 heading for the seventh as an overflow crowd screamed with anticipation.

But North was spookily bad in the top of the seventh. Three throwing errors, two of them by Moore, the other by reliable senior catcher Brad Canipe, gift-wrapped a 6-5 lead for the grateful visitors.

“That top of the seventh, oooooooh gosh,” moaned Jarrett.

“And put out about 10 O’s in that ooh,” said Moore. “My fault.”

Their season now three outs from the unhappiest of endings, the Cavs were about to learn what they were made of.

“I still had faith,” offered third baseman Tad Ogg.

“We came into the dugout frustrated,” said senior shortstop Nathan Woodburn. “But I told the guys that this last inning — this one had to come right from the heart.”

Meanwhile, Kesler battled the emotions raging inside him, He wanted to scream at his team about the previous half-inning that was its worst of the season. But he knew all 13 players had to find a way to put that dizzying disaster behind them. “Patience, guys, patience,” Kesler barked. “Everyone takes a strike. Get a pitch to hit.”

North was fortunate that Canipe was leading off the inning. He was the right guy. Canipe is a bulldog, a guy who once was a 150-pound starting center on the Cavs’ football team. But Canipe quickly picked up two strikes. Then Motsinger threw an ill-fated forkball up and in, and the resourceful Canipe managed to create a collision between his shoulder and the baseball.

“Maybe I turned into it some,” smiled Canipe. “But I’ll take it. I had to get on base.”

Moore, also searching for redemption, was next. Everyone knew he’d bunt. He squared around as the ball fortuitously nicked the glove of catcher Jared Hall and rolled to the screen, giving Canipe second. Then Moore did bunt — a gloriously awful effort that went airborne for tantalizing seconds, then plopped softly on the left side of the infield for an ugly hit.

“That was no bunt, it was a line drive,” joked outfielder Cass Jarrett.

“You get a break like that,” said Woodburn, “you get the feeling that someone wants you to win this game.”

“Talk about a team of destiny,” chuckled Moore.

Michael Smith ran for Moore at first, then jogged to second base unopposed. Now,Jarrett stepped into the box. He responded with the best ground ball to shortstop of his life. He was thrown out, but a sliding Canipe — who thought the play would be on him — scored to tie the game at 6-6. Gillespie then intentionally walked the bases full as he had to, setting up a force at home or a double play.

It all came down to sophomore Brandon Doby, whose day had been unbelievably ironic. Usually an effective starting pitcher, Doby had been routed from the mound early. On the other hand, the No. 9 hitter had been smacking the ball around like Hall of Famer Larry Doby.

Kesler told Doby before he went to the plate, that a squeeze call was possible. Doby didn’t exactly inspire confidence. He asked Kesler what the squeeze sign was.

The count went to 2-1 on Doby when a stunned Moore noticed that Kesler had just given the kid the sign to squeeze on the next pitch.

“What scared me was that Brandon didn’t react at all,” said Moore. “Nothing. Usually, he’d be like, ‘What!’ ”

Smith, running from third, indicated that he had picked up the sign, but Kesler noted Doby’s apparent obliviousness to his plan and was in a terrible dilemma.

“What do you do?” asked Kesler. “He didn’t give me the reply that he had gotten the sign. Do I call timeout and let everyone in the place know something’s going on?”

Kesler elected to go through with the squeeze, praying silently that the towering Doby wouldn’t swing away and knock Smith’s red head into left field.

“I made up my mind,” said Kesler. “Either Doby was going to bunt into a double play, someone was going to get killed or we were going to win the game.”

The latter happened.

As Motsinger started to heave homeward, Smith broke so quickly and furiously from third that his teammates feared he taken leave of his senses. Jarrett and Woodburn were afraid that Smith had decided to steal home. Moore knew what was supposed to be happening, but was afraid to look.

It all worked out. Doby knew what to do and dropped a perfect bunt up the first-base line. And Smith had such an awesome jump that he crossed the plate before a defender even touched the ball. It was over.

“I know what my greatest sports moment will be when I fill out that Salisbury Post questionnaire next year,” said second baseman Erik Mowery. “Doby’s bunt. That was for real right there.”

“There just aren’t words,” said Canipe. “Totally unexplainable.”

“Coach said bunts might take us far, so we practiced ‘em all year long,” said Woodburn. “But we never needed them. Not until tonight.”

“Yeah, but you all know what this means,” added Jarrett. “We’ll be laying down 10 bunts apiece at practice on Wednesday.”

The important thing, though, is that the Cavs will have a practice to attend today. Their wild ride was nearly over.

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