Monday evening at Vet’s Field, Tyler Gillmen overpowered Sheetz, striking out three and walking only two while allowing no hits in a 12-0 five-inning win for the Tyrone Legion.
The win, Gillmen’s second of the year in as many decisions, moved the Tyrone Legion to 4-3 following a 12-12 suspended game against Park Furniture this past Friday.
David Rodland, Tyler Golden, Doug Morrow and Gillmen had two hits each to pace the Legion offense, which put up four runs in the first and three in the second and fifth innings.
Sheetz starter Adam Schmitt struggled to find the strike zone while walking four batters and hitting Jamie Levinson with the bases loaded before being replaced by Chucky Wyper, who retired the side in order, but not before the bases were cleared thanks to wild pitches.
Gillmen threw the first of his three 1-2-3 innings in the bottom of the first, and Rodland greeted Wyper with a line shot to left field to begin the second inning. Singles from Golden and Gillmen as well as a sacrifice fly by Levinson for his team-leading 12th RBI highlighted the three-run inning.
“Although we scored four runs in the first inning, I really think Dave’s single energized the offense today,” Tyrone Legion Manager Mike Boytim said. “It was our first hit of the game, and it really loosened everyone up, and we hit the ball really well after that.”
Justin Schopp singled in Tyler Conrad, who had also singled, in the third to make the score 8-0. Gillmen ran into his only trouble of the afternoon in the bottom of the third when a batter reached on an error and another walked, but Gillmen induced a double play to escape the jam.
Andy Ashcroft, pinch-hitting for Levinson, was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning and scored when Morrow became the third hit-by-pitch victim of the game with the bases loaded to put Tyrone up nine.
Tyrone added three more runs in the top of the fifth inning that featured a Golden RBI single, a Jesse Hertzler sacrifice fly, and an Ashcroft RBI groundout.
Conrad made the second of two solid catches on deep fly balls in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Gillmen struck out the last two batters looking to end the contest via the mercy rule.
“Tyler pitched really well today,” Boytim said. “He didn’t let up once we got the big lead, and he kept giving it his all out there not only pitching but making some nice plays on balls hit back up the middle that could have been hits.”
With their three-game road trip completed, the Tyrone Legion return home Wednesday to take on Dick’s Pharmacy at 6 p.m.
Legion Notes: Gillmen’s no-hitter was the first shutout by a Tyrone Legion pitcher since Gillmen did it to Dick’s Pharmacy in a 1-0 win last season… Rodland raised his batting average by 400 points in the game… Tyrone batters worked nine walks and were hit by three pitches.
Tyrone Legion 12 Sheetz 0
TYRONE LEGION – Schopp, cf, 2-2-1; Golden, ss, 3-3-2; Gillmen, p, 3-3-2; Levinson, 2b, 0-1-0; Ashcroft, 2b, 1-1-0; Hertzler, 3b, 1-0-0; Anders, c, 2-0-0; Morrow, 1b, 3-0-2; T. Conrad, rf, 3-1-1; Rodland, lf, 4-1-2. TOTALS 22-12-10.
SHEETZ – Dillen, cf, 1-0-0; Sommer, ss, 2-0-0; Wyper, 1b-p, 2-0-0; Miller, c, 2-0-0; Aa. Schmitt, 3b, 2-0-0; Massar, 2b, 1-0-0; Ad. Schmitt, p-1b, 2-0-0; Eck, rf, 2-0-0; Hammer, lf, 1-0-0. TOTALS 15-0-0.
Tyrone Legion 431 13X X 12-10-1
Sheetz 000 00X X 0-0-3
RBI: Levinson 2, Schopp, Golden, Ashcroft, Hertzler, Morrow.
SO: Gillmen 3, Wyper 3.
BB: Wyper 5, Ad. Schmitt 4, Gillmen 2.
WP: Gillmen LP: Ad. Schmitt.
