Failure to keep the leadoff batters off the bases contributed heavily to Bellwood-Antis’ 15-6 loss to the Juniata Valley Hornets at Bellwood on Friday afternoon. In five of the six innings played before the game was halted at the end of the sixth inning due to darkness, Juniata Valley put multiple runners on base before the Blue Devils could record an out. Eight of the Hornets 15 runs got on base before the first out was made, giving Juniata Valley excellent chances again and again to get the runs home.
Bellwood-Antis led 3-2 after one inning and 6-3 after three stanzas, but couldn’t hold the lead.
Juniata Valley batted around in both the fourth and fifth and plated 11 runs to run away from the Blue devils in their first MAC division contest.
Five errors and five walks helped Juniata Valley to keep innings going with Valley pounding out 17 hits, including four by leadoff hitter Corey Lightner and two each by Ryan Perow, Justin Borst, John Hall and Joey Basil.
With his team down 6-3, Lightner switched from his shortstop spot to pitcher and limited Bellwood-Antis to no runs and just two hits over the final three innings to pick up the victory.
After the Hornets put up a pair of tallies in the top of the first, Bellwood-Antis came right back to take a 3-2 lead at the end of the inning.
Josh Kleinfelter walked to open the frame. Andy Brisbin was safe on an error by Hornet starting pitcher Ryan Perow. Chris Alley drew a walk to load the bases. Kleinfelter scored on a wild pitch, designated hitter Kyle Drost drove in Brisbin with an groundout and Alley scored on an error by Lightner at short.
Juniata Valley tied the score with a solo run in the third before B-A scored three times to take a 6-3 advantage.
With one down, Troy Brunner walked and moved all the way around to third on a base hit by L. J. Seidel. Seidel stole second base. With runners at second and third, Brandon Beech lined a single to right center to score both Brunner and Seidel. Beech moved up to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Tyler McClellan groundout.
The Blue Devils mounted mild threats in both the fourth and sixth, but in each case Lightner was able to get out of the situations with no further scores.
In the fourth, with two out, Drost singled and Brunner was hit by a pitch. In the sixth, Brisbin drew a one-out walk and Alley beat out an infield hit.
“It was a tough game overall,” Bellwood-Antis third-year coach Steve Conlon observed. “Early in the season, you expect some errors, hopefully not as many as we had today. We’ll just have to bounce back Monday and come ready to play.”
The Blue Devils (1-1) host Mount Union on Monday with the first pitch set for 4:30 p.m., then play at West Branch on Wednesday and back at home against Bellefonte on Friday.
Juniata Valley 14 Bellwood-Antis 6
Juniata Valley – Lightner, ss-p, 5-2-4; Perow, p-lf, 3-0-2; T. Hall, c, 4-0-1; Jor. Hall, cr, 0-0-0; Boyd, 3b, 4-2-1; Borst, 1b, 5-2-2; Gildea, 2b, 4-1-1; Patterson, rf, 0-0-0; Mohnkern, cr-rf, 0-3-0; Joh. Hall, dh, 4-2-2; Ammerman, pr, 0-1-0; Basil, cf-ss, 3-1-2; Hostler, lf-cf, 4-1-2. TOTALS 36-15-17.
Bellwood-Antis – Kleinfelter, cf, 2-1-0; Brisbin, 2b, 3-1-1; Alley, ss-p, 3-1-1; Winterstein, c, 1-0-0; Drost, dh, 3-0-1; Brunner, 3b, Coho, 1b, 1-0-0; Seidel, rf, 3-1-2; Kelley, p, 0-0-0; Beech, ss-3b, 3-1-1; McClellan, 1b-p, 3-0-0; DeArmitt, lf, 3-0-0. TOTALS 26-6-6.
Juniata Valley 201 831 15-17-3.
Bellwood-Antis 303 000 6-7-5.
2B: T. Hall 1, Basil 1.
RBI: Lightner 3, Basil 3, T. Hall 2, Boyd 2, Perow 1, Gildea 1, John Hall 1, Beech 2, Drost 1, McClellan 1.
SO: Perow 1, Lightner 3, Alley 1, McClellan 2.
BB: Perow 1 Lightner 1, Kelley 1, Alley 3, McClellan 2.
WP: Lightner LP: Alley.
