Martin Oil and Tyrone Legion each had opened the George B. Kelley Federation season with a loss in their opening encounters, although Tyrone Legion was heading in the right direction in a game against Locker Room, leading 4-2, when suspended by rain.
On Friday evening at the Harry K. Sickler Athletic Complex, the two local federation entire met. The result as should be expected, wasn’t settled until the final batter had been retired, with the visiting Martin Oil edging Tyrone Legion 6-5.
With Legion starter Matt Brooks and Martin Oil’s Nate Gray on the mound, the two teams were involved in a scoreless deadlock, until the fourth.
Jimmy Watters was safe on a fielder’s choice for Martin Oil for the first out for Tyrone Legion after Trey Mock had led off the top of the inning with a walk. Ian Pankoke ripped a single, followed by a base hit by Chad Coho. A passed ball enabled one run to score. Justin Miller walked and Adam Kovac singled to clear the bases. Jake Manning was safe when a sacrifice bunt was misplayed and Nate Gray walked, but Brooks kept the score at 4-0, getting Justin Manning to pop out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, Tyrone Legion got onto the scoring column. Eric Desch walked to begin the frame and Brock Anders hit into a fielder’s choice. Jason Taylor ripped a single, and Kris Decker followed with a shot into the gap to score Anders.
In the fifth, Martin Oil added a run on several Tyrone Legion errors, despite Brooks fanning the side. Ian Pankoke was safe on one error, stole second and third bases and scored on an overthrow.
Tyrone Legion made it a 5-4 ballgame in the home half of the fifth. Donnie Hunter started the rally with a shot to the gap in right center. After Brooks walked, Anders singled to drive in both Hunter and Brooks. Taylor drilled a double, his second hit of the game to score Anders to knot the score at 4-4.
In the sixth inning, Nate Plummer walked, stole second, and continued around to third on a Tyrone error, and scored on yet another miscue on the return throw, for what would prove to be the winning run.
Cody Smith walked with one gone in the bottom of the sixth for Tyrone Legion, and an infield single by Justin Schopp with two outs put runners on first and second, but Ian Pankoke pitching in relief of Gray, for Martin Oil, got a strikeout to end the inning.
With one last opportunity in the bottom of the seventh to pull out a win, or at least send the game to extra innings, Brooks doubled to begin the stanza and then stole third base. Anders drove in Brooks with an RBI groundout to slice the Tyrone Legion deficit to a single tally, 6-5, but Pankoke got a strikeout and flyout to nail down the victory.
Gray, who picked up the victory, struck out 11 and walked four, and retired the first nine Tyrone Legion batters in a row, before Desch reached on his walk to begin the Legion fourth. Pankoke fanned three and walked one in relief, to earn a save.
Brooks struck out three and walked four, getting into trouble in the top of the third with the help an a Tyrone Legion error, that should have retired the side in order, with the help of a double play on the Martin Oil batter before the miscue. Tough-luck loser Eric Desch struck out five and walked two and didn’t allow a base hit in three innings, allowing three runs, all unearned.
Taylor was the only player for either team with multiple hits. Taylor and Brooks had doubles for Tyrone Legion (0-2), who out hit Martin Oil 7-5, but played loosely in the field, while Martin Oil had no extra-base hits.
“Nate Gray pitched a real strong game on Friday night against Tyrone Legion, with a lot of strike outs and then Ian Pankoke came in to close it down,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “We are still not hitting the way we should, but we will take a win, any win, ugly win or else is a good win.”
On Saturday, at Vets Field, Martin Oil (2-1) used a big seventh inning to top Dick’s Pharmacy for their second straight win. With the score tied 8-8, Ian Pankoke and Jimmy Watters singled to open the frame and force a pitching change by Dick’s. Another single by Chad Coho, a stolen base by Pankoke, two Dick’s Pharmacy errors, a wild pitch, a stolen base by Adam Kovac and before the dust settled four runs had crossed the plate for a 12-8 triumph.
Trey Mock pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh for Martin Oil to pick up the save, although Mock made it interesting by walking one batter and hitting two more. Justin Miller pitched the sixth for Martin Oil, blowing a save, by allowing two runs, both unearned on a pair of Martin Oil errors, but picked up the win when his teammates rallied in the seventh. Nate Plummer had a rough start giving up five runs on three hits and six walks in an inning and two/thirds. Mike Albright retired the final batter of the second and then added three innings of one-run baseball (unearned) over the next three innings to keep Martin Oil in the game.
Jake Manning and Pankoke each had three hits to lead Martin Oil, and Nate Gray and Jimmy Watters each added two hits and drove in one run. Pankoke had a pair of RBI and Manning had one RBI.
“Saturday was another one of those ugly games, and fortunately we were able to struggle through and come out on top,” said Davis. “Mike Albright did a nice job in relief, coming in and giving us three good innings. Then Justin Miller and Trey Mock came for an inning each and closed it down. Ian Pankoke had a good game at the plate, and so did Nate Gray and Jake Manning and Chad Coho, and we were able to get some good bunts down that led to runs. We had a good weekend.”
Martin Oil plays Corporal Miller tonight at Vets Field at 5:30 p.m.
