Bellwood avenged an earlier tournament final loss to Martinsburg in the Tyrone Area Youth Baseball Association 11 & 12 year old tournament held recently at the TYBA field. Martinsburg had defeated the crew from Bellwood in their own tournament at Martinsburg and Bellwood was destined not to have the same fate befall them again in the much-friendlier confines of the Tyrone diamond.
Starting their undefeated run through the Tyrone tournament by taking out a tough Houtzdale nine by a 5-4 decision, Bellwood next faced Dean Patterson Little World Series champ Tri-County, a team based in the Saxton area that finished the Dean Patterson tourney 24-0 on the season. In what spectators called one of the greatest little league games ever played at the facility, Bellwood, with Brian leap on the mound edged Tri-County 2-1.
Jarred Templeton, son of former Tyrone grad and athlete Todd Templeton and one of the best pitchers in the area, took the tough loss. The Tri-County all-stars had won the Dean Patterson event by stopping an incredible 59-game win streak by Altoona Kabello Contracting in the finals of that tournament and Templeton was chosen as the tournament MVP for his efforts. Todd Templeton also helps to coach the Tri-County All-Stars.
From there, Bellwood scored eight times in the fifth inning to outlast Northern Cambria 11-8 and slammed highly-touted Mount Union, who had downed Bellwood in a Williamsport tournament 11-3 to reach the finals against a once-beaten Martinsburg club.
In the championship contest, Bellwood overcame am early 2-1 deficit to post seven runs on the scoreboard in the second and third innings and then weathered a Martinsburg comeback attempt to take the championship with a 10-8 victory.
Brian Leap once again proved invaluable on the mound, going the distance in the six-inning triumph, scattering six hits and striking out seven while walking just one.
Leap also delivered three hits in four trips to the plate to lead the offensive attack for Bellwood, including a double. Brian McCracken doubled and drove in four runs and Derek Denny also had a double and drove in three runs. McCracken and Lucas Evans each stroked two hits and Evans, Cody Kreps and Rayne Grimes each had an RBI.
Wes Smith and Lucas Runk had two hits each for Martinsburg. Runk slugged two home runs and drove in five runs. Kyle Easly also hit a home run for the losers.
Eric Keefer took the loss for Martinsburg pitching two innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
“Bellwood came into this 14-team tournament with a very well-balanced tournament team with very few flaws,” commented TYBA Tournament Director Joe Faretta. “It was hard to find a weakness and the kids had a great coaching staff. I said from the beginning that they were the team to beat and for once, I was right! Congratulations, Bellwood!”
Bellwood 10 Martinsburg 8
Bellwood – Brian Leap, 4-1-3; Tyler Beach, 3-1-0; Cody Kreps, 3-0-1; Jarod Minori, 2-1-0; Tobias Patterson, 3-1-1; Derek Denny, 4-1-1; Lucas Evans, 4-2-2; Ryan Brown, 3-1-1; Rayne Grimes, 2-1-1; Brian McCracken, 3-1-2; Buddy Shaw, 0-0-0. TOTALS 32-10-12.
Martinsburg – Wes Smith, 3-2-2; Brandon Negley, 2-1-0; C. J. Gahagan, 3-0-0; Lucas Runk, 3-2-2; Lucas Blattenberger, 3-0-0; Brandon Smith, 3-2-1; Kyle Easly, 3-1-1; Eric Keefer, 3-0-0, Devin Smith, 2-0-0; Logan Stern, 2-0-0. TOTALS 27-8-6.
Score by Innings
Bellwood 143 002 10-12.
Martinsburg 210 230 8-6.
2B: BEL-Leap 1, Denny 1, McCracken 1.
MAR- W. Smith 1.
HR: MAR- Runk 2, Easly 1.
RBI: BEL- McCracken 4, Denny 3, Kreps 1, Evans 1, Grimes 1.
MAR- Runk 5, Easly 2.
SO: BEL- Leap 7.
MAR- Gahagan 4, Blattenberger 2, Keefer 2.
BB: BEL- Leap 1.
MAR- Gahagan 1, Keefer 2.
WP: Leap LP: Keefer
