After surviving a 16-12 marathon victory over Dick’s Pharmacy Saturday, losing starting catcher Brock Anders to injury and seeing the last of their fresh starting pitching depleted Sunday, the Tyrone Legion had to use what little was left in their tank to take on 8-1 ReMax Realty Monday.
Tyrone, playing for the fourth consecutive day, showed flashes of the talent displayed in their 12-11 win over ReMax Realty less than a month ago, but were unable to fully recover from a 4-1 deficit after one inning.
“Tyler Gillmen has been great for us on the mound this year,” Tyrone Legion Manager Mike Boytim said. “But he had just thrown a complete game victory Friday and his arm wasn’t 100 percent yet. He gave it his all, but he just didn’t have his stuff.”
Gillmen struck out Gregg Webster to begin the first inning, but consecutive walks to Anthony Williams and Adam Veckov came back to haunt Gillmen when Nick Perehinec hit a two-run double and Chris Tromm singled him in. Tromm scored on a Jeff Vaughn single, and Tyrone’s slim 1-0 lead it had built in the top of the first thanks to two ReMax errors and a Tyler Golden sacrifice bunt turned into a three-run deficit.
Golden entered the game on the mound in the second inning despite pitching four innings for the victory in Saturday’s marathon game. He retired ReMax in order, but another Vaughn RBI single and three consecutive walks an inning later put ReMax Realty up 6-1.
The Legion put together some two-out lightning in the fourth inning when Tyler Hoover walked and Jesse Hertzler singled in front of Ben Lynn’s two run double. Lynn came home to cut ReMax’s lead to 6-4 on a double by Justin Schopp.
Tyrone nearly tied the game an inning later when Shayne Tate singled and moved to second when Jamie Levinson reached on the fourth of five ReMax errors. Hoover then hit a deep drive to the warning track, but Max Sheedy gloved the possible two-run double.
ReMax carried the momentum into the bottom half of the sixth inning and took advantage of Tyrone’s only error of the game. Williams reached on an error to lead off the inning, but then was apparently thrown out stealing second. Williams’ cleat marks in the sand heading to second base never even reached the base, but a controversial safe call was made. Tromm singled in Williams an out later, and Brent Milliron popped out on what should have ended the inning.
An exhausted Golden walked the next three batters, allowing two more runs to score before getting Webster to ground out with the score 9-4.
Schopp singled to begin the seventh, but there would be no late inning comeback for the Tyrone Legion this day. Another ReMax error allowed Schopp to score and cut the final to 9-5, but Levinson lined out to end the game four pitches later.
“Golden having to throw some extra pitches in the sixth really hurt us,” Boytim said. “If we can get to the seventh with the score 6-4, it’s an entirely different atmosphere.”
With the win, ReMax Realty earned a split in the season series.
“We outplayed them defensively, and we stuck right there with them despite having almost no experience at the catcher position and tired arms on the mound,” Boytim said. “They deserved to win today, but I think our team would welcome a playoff series against them anytime.”
The Tyrone Legion will finally get a day off today and return to action Wednesday when they travel to Juniata to take on Juniata VFW. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Dan Sprankle’s Auto Outlet Notes: Justin Schopp had two hits Monday and has collected at least two in nine of his last 10 games… Tate had a streak of reaching base in 11 straight plate appearances snapped when he struck out in the first inning… Levinson and Schopp shared the catching duties in the absence of Brock Anders.
ReMax Realty 9 Tyrone Legion 5
TYRONE LEGION – Schopp, cf-c, 4-2-2; Golden, ss-p, 3-0-0; Gillmen, p-cf, 4-0-0; Tate, dh, 4-0-1; T. Conrad, rf, 0-0-0; Levinson, c-ss, 4-0-0; Hoover, 1b, 2-1-0; Hertzler, 3b, 3-1-1; Morrow, lf, 3-0-1; Lynn, 2b, 3-1-1. TOTALS 30-5-6.
REMAX REALTY – Webster, ss, 4-0-0; A. Williams, 3b, 3-2-0; Veckov, cf, 3-1-0; Perehinec, c, 4-0-3; Shedlock, cr, 0-3-0; Snyder, 2b, 0-0-0; Tromm, dh, 3-2-2; Milliron, rf, 4-0-0; Vaughn, 1b, 3-1-3; N. Williams, 1b, 0-0-0; Gehret, p, 2-0-2; Sheedy, lf, 2-0-0; Tomassetti, cr-lf, 2-0-0. TOTALS 28-9-10.
Tyrone Legion 100 300 1 5-6-1
ReMax Realty 402 003 X 9-10-5
2B: Schopp, Lynn, Perehinec.
RBI: Lynn 2, Schopp, Perehinec 2, Tromm 2, Vaughn 2, Webster.
SO: Gehret 10, Golden 6, Gillmen 1.
BB: Golden 6, Gillmen 2, Gehret 1.
WP: Gehret LP: Gillmen.
