The Bellwood-Antis baseball team spotted Penns Valley a run, then scored twice in the bottom of the first and once in the second to take a 3-1 advantage at Bellwood’s Stadium Drive field on Wednesday.
However, the Blue Devils stopped and Penns Valley scored four times in the third inning, then batted around to score five more in the fourth and finally put the Blue Devils of their misery with three more tallies in the top of the fifth to end the game by the mercy rule at the end of five innings.
Tyler McClellan was in command over the first two frames on the mound for Bellwood-Antis allowing only a first-inning run that was scored without Penns Valley hitting a ball, either fair of foul. Steve Alterio worked on a full count to open the game. McClellan fanned Jason Homan, got Josh Hull to ground out and struckout Nate Frankenberger. While all that was going on, Alterio, with a charmed life, took off for second, got caught in a rundown and was safe at second, attempted to swipe third, got caught in a rundown again and was safe again, then trotted home on a wild pitch.
The Blue Devils took the lead in their half of the inning. Josh Kleinfelter singled and stole second base to get into scoring position. With one out, Brandon Beech singled to get Kleinfelter home to tie the score. Beech advanced to second on a wild pitch by Penns Valley starter Andy Weaver. Chris Alley ripped a single to left to put runners at the corners, before Chad Coho got his first varsity RBI by looping a single into right field, scoring Beech with the go-ahead run.
In the second inning, the Blue Devils took advantage of a Ram miscue to score an unearned run. McClellan walked and went all the way around to third base when Weaver threw the ball away, trying to pick McClellan off. Brian Hostler ripped a one-out double to right center to score McClellan and went to third base later on a balk by Weaver. The Ram pitcher got out ofd the inning without further damage with a strikeout and groundout and then limited the Blue Devils to no runs and two hits over the final three innings, while his teammates broke out their hit machine.
Devin Alterio slammed a three-run homer to highlight a four-run third inning and Nate Frankenberger stroked a two-run single and Andy Foor homered to lead Penns Valley to five runs in the fourth stanza.
Beech led off the third inning for Bellwood-Antis and Hostler doubled with one out in the fourth, but Weaver left both runners on the bases.
“Brandon Beech and Brian Hostler definitely were bright spots for us hitting the ball and playing well,” said Bellwood-Antis coach Steve Conlon. “Defensively tonight, we played a pretty good game. Right now though we are just having trouble getting people out.”
Bellwood-Antis (2-9) will host Everett on Friday with the first pitch set for 4:30 p.m.
Penns Valley 13 Bellwood-Antis 3, 5 inn.
Penns Valley – S. Alterio, lf, 3-4-3; Wenrick, lf, 0-0-0; Homan, 2b, 3-1-0; Hull, cf, 4-2-2; Weaver, p, 0-0-0; Frankenberger, dh, 2-2-1; Jo. Kiefer, c, 4-1-3; D. Alterio, 3b, 3-1-2; Levan, 3b, 0-0-0; Ja. Kiefer, rf, 3-0-1; Harter, rf, 0-0-0; Rachan, 1b, 3-0-0; Miller, cr-1b, 0-1-0; Foor, ss, 3-1-1. TOTALS 28-13-13.
Bellwood-Antis – Kleinfelter, lf, 3-1-1; Brisbin, 2b, 3-0-0; Beech, rf, 3-1-2; Alley, 3b, 3-0-1; Coho, 1b, 3-0-1; Brunner, c-p, 0-0-0; Dorman, dh, 2-0-0; McClellan, p, 1-1-0; Winterstein, c, 0-0-0; Kelley, cf, 2-0-0; Hostler, ss, 2-0-2. TOTALS 22-3-7.
Penns Valley 104 53 13-13-2.
Bellwood-Antis 210 00 3-7-1.
2B: Jo. Kiefer 2, Hull, Ja. Kiefer, Hostler 2, Beech.
3B: S. Alterio.
HR: D. Alterio, Foor.
RBI: Frankenberger 4, D. Alterio 3, Hull, Foor, Beech, Coho, Hostler.
SO: Weaver 5, McClellan 5, Brunner 1.
BB: Weaver 1, McClellan 2, Brunner 1.
WP: Weaver LP: McClellan.
