 |
 |
| In the finals Martin Oil teammates gather to celebrate following a 7-0 triumph over ReMax Realty on Wednesday at Mansion Park. The win sends Martin Oil into the Kelley Federation finals beginning tonight against Barkman Oil. (The Daily Herald/Stacey Manning) | Brian Hostler |
The first three games of the George B. Kelley Federation season between Martin Oil and ReMax Realty went decisively to ReMax, who took 15-6 and 13-3 wins during the regular season and then stepped that domination up a step with a one-hit 10-0 victory in the first game of the Kelley semifinals. At that point however, Martin Oil veteran pitchers Earnie Kelley and Brian Hostler stepped in and turned the picture around. Over the last two ballgames, lefty Kelley and right-hander Hostler limited ReMax, the number one seed going into the playoffs, to just one run and eight hits. The Martin Oil defense which too often let their pitchers down during the season, committed only one error in those two contests and that runner was erased on a double play on the next batter.
On Wednesday at Mansion Park, because the earlier rain supposedly rendered Vets Field unplayable, Martin Oil’s Hostler did Kelley one better, shutting out ReMax on three singles, striking out five and walking only two batters in a 7-0 win that eliminated two-time defending league champion ReMax and sends Martin Oil into the championship finals against Barkman Oil. With that finals berth, a place in the upcoming NABF Regional at Altoona is also included.
“Brian Hostler was outstanding tonight, this was the best game he has pitched all year, including high school. I can’t say anything more than that,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “He only gave up three hits, he bore down when he needed to and made the pitches. He said to me, ‘I’m pitching all seven, coach, you’re not taking me out.’ And he was true to his word.”
ReMax had two baserunners in the first, but thanks to a spectacular play on defense there was no scoring threat. After Max Sheedy reached base on the only error Martin Oil would commit to begin the ballgame, and then stole second base, Zach Frederick lofted a fly ball down the right field line. Martin Oil right fielder Adam Kovac, who looked as if he wouldn’t get to the ball when it was first hit, ran it down for the catch and then fired the ball to second baseman Trey Mock, who threw a perfect relay to Chad Coho at third base to catch Sheedy, trying to tag up and advance to third. Losing pitcher Anthony Williams singled to left, but it meant nothing, and a Nic Perehenic fly ball became the third out.
Hostler was in control the entire game, holding ReMax without a hit over the final four innings. Matt Gehret beat out an infield single to lead off the third inning and swiped second, but Hostler retired three straight batters. In the fourth, Hostler hit Perehenic with a pitch and a sac bunt by Brent Milliron got him to second. Hostler struck out Adam Johnson and got a grounder to shortstop for the final two outs of the inning. Finally in the seventh, with just three outs to get to advance to the finals, Hostler hit Johnson and gave up a one-out walk to Chris Perry, but Gehret lined the ball to Mock, who tossed to Gray to double up Johnson for the final two outs of the ballgame.
“We have some good young hitters,” explained Davis. “Nate Gray is going to be a tremendous talent. For a 16-year old, he really strokes the ball, going just a home run short of the cycle. Cameron Irvin, another 16-year old had a couple hits, Chad Coho, one of our veterans who started slow, but has really been coming on, had another two big hits. Jake Manning is tough, playing with all kinds of injuries behind the plate, and he just won’t let me take him out of the line-up. He just keeps producing and producing. It was just a good team effort.
“We have kids that can pound the ball, not necessarily hit it out of the park, but they can hit good solid line drives and hit the gaps. We have enough speed, we can make other teams pay for it.”
Much like Tuesday night, the third inning provided the spark for the victory. Jake Manning singled to right to get Martin Oil rolling. Hostler walked in front of a Nate Gray triple that put Martin Oil up for good 2-0. Earnie Kelley plated Gray with a sacrifice fly.
The in the top of the seventh, Martin Oil sent 10 batters to the plate, scoring four times to give Hostler lots of insurance. Justin Miller started it with an infield single. Jake Manning drilled a triple to score Justin Manning, pinch-running for Miller, and then Gray doubled to get Manning home. Kelley followed with a single that scored Gray. Cameron Irvin singled and Chad Coho’s base hit drove in Kelley.
“This game was supposed to be played at Vets and to bring it out here (Mansion Park) messes with our psyche a little bit, playing on their home field,” said Davis. “But irregardless of where you play them, they are a tremendous ballclub. You have to play flawless baseball, you just got to beat them. It doesn’t matter where you play them. You have to take it to them. I think, tonight our kids came to play and we took it to them. That doesn’t take anything away from ReMax. They had a tremendous season and they have some really good kids on that ballclub.”
Martin Oil (17-10), the fourth seed, will play second seed Barkman Oil tonight at Vets Field at 7 p.m. in the first game of the best-of-five championship finals, with both teams advancing to the NABF Regional, scheduled to begin on July 26 and continue through July 29.
Martin Oil 7 ReMax Realty 0
Martin Oil – Ja. Manning, c, 4-1-2; Hostler, p, 3-1-1; Gray, ss, 4-2-3; Kelley, cf, 3-0-1; J. Coho, cr-pr, 0-2-0; Mock, 2b, 4-0-0; Kovac, rf, 0-0-0; Irvin, dh, 3-0-2; C. Coho, 3b, 4-0-2; Hinton, cr-pr, 0-0-0; Watters, lf, 3-0-0; Miller, 1b, 4-0-1; Ju. Manning, pr, 0-1-0. TOTALS 32-7-12.
ReMax – Sheedy, lf, 3-0-0; Frederick, ss, 2-0-0; Williams, p-3b, 3-0-1; Perehenic, c, 2-0-0; Milliron, rf-p, 2-0-0; Johnson, 1b, 2-0-0; Hammaker, 3b-rf, 0-0-0; Lawlor, dh, 3-0-1; Perry, 2b, 2-0-0; Gehret, cf, 3-0-1. TOTALS 22-0-3.
Martin Oil 003 000 4 7-12-1.
ReMax Realty 000 000 0 0- 3-3.
2B: Gray.
3B: Ja. Manning, Gray.
RBI: Gray 3, Kelley 2, C. Coho, Ja. Manning.
SO: Hostler 5, Williams 4, Milliron 2.
BB: Hostler 2, Williams 2, Milliron 1.
WP: Hostler LP: Williams
