Martin Oil pushed a pair of teams a little further away in a bid for the highest possible playoff seed over the weekend.
In a game that almost didn’t happen, Tyrone Legion took an 8-3 lead over Martin Oil at the Harry K. Sickler Athletic Complex on Saturday evening, only to have Martin Oil reliever Chad Coho put the stops to the Legion offense. In the meantime, the Martin Oil offense outscored Tyrone 17-1 over the final four innings to take a 20-9 six-inning win.
Only one umpire was there until 5:15 for the 5 p.m. scheduled ballgame. When the second umpire arrived at that time, a very incensed Tyrone Legion manager Mike Boytim announced he was playing the game under protest, because of the second umpire not getting to the game before that.
“First of all, this is my one quote,” said Boytim following the game. “‘This game should not have been played under George B. Kelley Federation rules’- print that.”
Tyrone Legion jumped on Martin Oil starter Chris Alley and reliever Coho for eight runs in the first two innings to take an 8-3 lead after two frames.
Martin Oil scored a solo tally in the top of the first. Earnie Kelley led off with a single to right, stole second and advanced to third where he scored on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Beech.
Tyrone Legion took advantage of inning-opening walks to Jesse Hertzler and Jamie Levinson and a Tyler Gillmen single to load the bases with nobody out. After Alley fanned Tyler Hoover, Doug Morrow walked to force in Hertzler, Andy Ashcroft walked to force in Levinson, and Gillmen scored on a wild pitch to give Tyrone Legion a 3-1 lead.
In the second, Garrett Rabold singled with one out, stole second and came home on a single by Kyle Drost. Alex Miller got Martin Oil even by looping a soft double to right that scored Drost.
Back on the offensive, Tyrone Legion catcher Bob Emigh drew a walk to open the second. Hertzler singled to left and Levinson walked to juice the bases for the second straight inning with zero outs, and to end the day on the mound for Alley. With Coho pitching, Gillmen walked to force in Emigh, and Hoover stroked a single to get Hertzler home. After Morrow hit into a pitcher-to-catcher fielder’s choice for the first out, Andy Ashcroft singled to right to score Gillmen. Tyrone Legion pitcher Mike Romano walked to bring home Hoover for an 8-3 advantage.
Mike Romano pitched the first five innings for Tyrone Legion, plus three batters in the sixth, and Tyler Hoover got the final three outs for Tyrone Legion.
Coho allowed a solo home run by Gillmen, who crushed a shot that may still not have landed yet, and Hoover followed with a ringing double, but Coho was able to get the final two outs of the frame on pop-ups.
Coho, who struck out four and walked four, took command from that point, retiring the final 11 Legion hitters in order, with the help of picking a runner off first, after he walked to begin the bottom half of the seventh.
Martin Oil put their offense in drive for the rest of the game to improve their record to 14-5.
Eight Martin Oil hitters batted in the top of the third, nine in the fourth, and a total of 12 in the sixth to end the game with the 10-run Mercy Rule.
Kyle Drost led the Martin Oil attack with three singles and three RBI and Kelley, Dustin Harris, Troy Brunner, Chris Alley and Rabold each added two hits. Brunner drilled a three-run homer in the third and had a total of five RBI. Harris, Brandon Beech and Rabold each drove in a pair of runs.
Gillmen and Hoover each had two base hits for Tyrone Legion (13-7), and Gillmen scored three times and drove in two.
“We were in a lot of trouble early,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “But Chad took control and gave us a chance and the offense finally came alive.”
Martin Oil-Tyrone Legion Notes: Brunner has driven in 12 RBI in the last three games, including a pair of three-run home runs….Tyrone was extremely short on players, missing starters Tyler Golden, Shayne Tate, Justin Schopp and Donnie and Tyler Conrad….With the shortage of available position players, Emigh was behind the plate for the first time since little league, Hoover hadn’t pitched since teener minor league and Romano was playing in just his third game back following surgery, and pitching in his first game in a year.
On Sunday, at Vets Field, Martin Oil jumped out fast with a six-spot in the top of the first against Corporal Miller and held on for a 10-6 win to give the Bellwood-Antis-based squad a little more breathing room in their bid for the third seed in the upcoming playoffs. Martin Oil improves to 15-5, while Cpl. Miller falls to 12-5.
Earnie Kelley belted a double to begin the contest. Dustin Harris was hit by a pitch, and Brandon Beech dropped a perfect bunt down the third base side to load the bases. Troy Brunner singled to score Kelley and Harris. Chris Alley walked to reload the sacks. Garrett Rabold hit into a pitcher-to-catcher-to first base double play for the first two outs of the inning. Chad Coho, who would go four-for-four on thye game, singled to get Brunner and Alley home. Kyle Drost walked. Coho scored on a wild pitch, and Kelley walked. Harris drew another base on balls to score Drost for a 6-0 lead.
Martin Oil added a pair of unearned runs in the third. With two down, Harris walked and Brandon Beech was safe on an error. Brunner beat out an infield hit and when Cpl. Miller third baseman Andy Criste threw the ball away on the play, both Harris and Beech were able to score.
Finally, in the top of the sixth, Coho, Drost and Alex Miller all singled to load the bases. Coho scored on a balk, and Drost tallied on a wild pitch.
Cpl. Miller scored two unearned runs in the first and added three in the fifth, two earned and an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh. Andy Criste led the way for Cpl. Miller with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI, and Drew Gehl had a solos home run and a single.
Kelley went the distance, scattering eight hits, allowing six runs, two earned, with nine strikeouts and no walks, although he hit Corporal Miller leadoff hitter Jeremy Vogel three times.
“We hit well in bunches, but still left too many runners on and still need to get a better sense of what is a ball and what is a strike,” explained Davis. “Earnie Kelley pitched a whale of a game, although the defense was a little sloppy at times. Chad Coho had a good day at the plate, Troy Brunner had another nice effort and Earnie had another two-hit day.”
Martin Oil 20 Tyrone Legion 9, 6 inn.
Martin Oil – Kelley, cf, 4-3-2; Harris, rf, 5-3-2; B. Beech, 2b-3b, 1-2-0; Brunner, c, 4-1-2; A. Alley, cr, 0-3-0; C. Alley, p-2b, 4-3-2; Rabold, 1b, 3-3-2; Coho, 3b-p, 3-1-1; M. Beech, cr, 0-0-0; Drost, ss, 4-2-3; Miller, lf, 4-0-0. TOTALS 32-20-14.
Tyrone Legion – Hertzler, 3b-lf, 3-2-1; Levinson, ss-c, 2-1-0; Gillmen, cf-ss, 3-3-2; Hoover, 1b-p, 4-1-2; Morrow, lf-1b, 2-1-1; Ashcroft, 2b, 3-0-1; Romano, p-3b, 3-0-0; T. Conrad, rf-cf, 2-0-0; Emigh, c-rf, 2-1-0; Rodland, rf, 0-0-0. TOTALS 24-9-7.
Martin Oil 125 408 20-14-0.
Tyrone Legion 351 000 9- 7- 4.
2B: C. Alley, Coho, Miller, Hoover.
HR: Brunner, Gillmen.
RBI: Brunner 5, Harris 2, Beech 2, Rabold 2, Drost 3, C. Alley, Coho, Miller, Gillmen 2, Ashcroft 2, Hoover, Morrow.
SO: C. Alley 3, Coho 4, Romano 1, Hoover 1.
BB: C. Alley 6, Coho 4, Romano 7, Hoover 1.
WP: Coho LP: Romano
