When these two teams met the last time, less than a week ago, ReMax shut Martin Oil down offensively getting a no-hit performance from Brent Milliron, while the Martin Oil defense looked like the Bad News Bears in a 10-0 five-inning contest.
On Wednesday at Bellwood, Martin Oil challenged the George B. Kelley Federation leaders, even held the lead twice, before ReMax scored four times in the top of the sixth and then snuffed out a bases loaded, none out situation to hold on for the 5-3 triumph.
Martin Oil finally got a hit when Brandon Beech singled up the middle in the first inning-their first hit in six innings following the no-hitter.
An inning later, Martin Oil pushed across a run. Chris Alley opened the bottom of the second for Martin Oil with a double, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Chad Coho.
After Martin Oil starter Earnie Kelley had breezed through the first three innings, giving up just one hit, ReMax tied the score without the benefit of a base hit.
Kelley walked Nic Perehinec, then picked courtesy runner Mike Shedlock off first base for the first out. Chris Tromm was hit by a pitch, and Kelley walked Jon Lawlor and Milliron to load the bases. Nate Williams plated Tromm with a sac fly to knot the score at 1-1.
Martin Oil quickly jumped back into the lead in the home half of the fourth. Catcher Troy Brunner walked, then Alley crushed a pitch high up on the left field fence to score Brunner, all the way from first base for the 2-1 advantage.
Kelley sailed along through the fifth, but ReMax struck for four scores in the top of the sixth on a walk to Tromm, RBI double by Milliron, run scoring single by Nate Williams and two-run single by Greg Webster.
With their backs to the wall, Martin Oil began the seventh with a single by Alex Miller, single by Garrett Rabold and Dustin Harris reached base on an error to load the sacks with nobody out against ReMax pitcher Jon Lawlor, who had started the seventh in relief of Webster. Matt Gehret relieved Lawlor at that point. Beech singled to score Miller to close the gap to 5-3, but Gehret struck out Brunner and Alley and got Coho to hit a long, but easy fly out to nail down the win for ReMax (13-1).
“It seemed like we decided to play ball today, but came up just a little bit short,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “Earnie just didn’t have his “A” game today. He threw a lot of pitches in that fourth inning, walked three or four batters and hit a kid.
“Offensively we still aren’t hitting, we left too many guys on base, all over the place. We just have to pick it up. You can’t sit on your laurels in this league and our guys just haven’t comprehended that yet.”
Martin Oil, which falls to 11-5, has now lost five of their last seven games, and will be in action at Bellwood today at 6 p.m. against Juniata VFW.
