Although Martin Oil went down fighting, time ran out for the crew from Bellwood-Antis in the second game of their semifinal playoff series with ReMax.
A tight strike zone and the usual number or more of errors left Martin Oil with a long way to go against ReMax, the number one seed in the George B. Kelley Federation playoffs by virtue of their first place finish during the regular season. Number six seed Martin Oil fell behind 10-0 before they had an opportunity to bat, all but one of those runs unearned.
“Obviously that hurt, we did the same thing last night, a lot of walks, a lot of miscues early,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “It’s tough to come back.”
Martin Oil battled back with four runs in the first also taking advantage of walks, but then fell asleep for two innings, while ReMax scored four in the third to up their advantage to 14-4 and added two in the fourth to take a 16-4 lead.
Andy Brisbin, Ryan Kenawell, Kyle Drost and Matt Albright all drew base on balls to open the bottom of the first, with Albright forcing in Brisbin with a run. Chris Alley got Kenawell home on a fielder’s choice and Brandon Beech drove in Drost and Albright with a base hit to center.
In the fourth, Martin Oil got one run closer. Dustin Harris walked, moved to second when Brisbin reached on an error and scored on a fielder’s choice by Kenawell.
Six runs in the fifth closed the ReMax lead to 16-11 to put Martin Oil within shouting distance.
Alley singled to start the uprising. With one out, Zach Tomchick was safe on an infield hit and Harris was safe on a miscue that allowed Alley to score. Matt Plummer singled to load the bases. Brisbin scored Tomchick with a single up the middle and Kenawell drove in both Harris and Plummer with a single to left. Albright completed the rally with a double that scored Brisbin and Kenawell.
ReMax put two more runs on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh. While at the time, it appeared they were simply two more tallies, Martin Oil’s second six-run inning proved the final run to be the game winner.
Refusing to go out quietly, Martin Oil had the tying run at third base before the last out was finally recorded.
Brisbin lined a single past the first baseman to open the frame. Needing to take one base at a time, Drost and Albright followed with base hits to load the sacks with one out. Alley, Beech and Tomchick followed with singles with each driving in a teammate. Harris scored Alley with a sacrifice fly to cut the ReMax lead to 18-15. Plummer walked to reload the bases. Brisbin drilled his second hit of the inning and third straight of the ballgame to score Beech and Tomchick and send Plummer to third base. On the play Brisbin was thrown out on a controversial call at second for the final out of the game, although it appeared Andy got his arm on the bag before the tag was made.
“Basically, I am so proud of my kids,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “As I said the other night when we came back against McMullen Furniture to score nine runs in extra innings to win the game, the kids just don’t quit. Maybe we may not have the best team out there, but they have a lot of heart and they don’t quit. They showed again tonight, we got five or six down in the last inning and came right back and played their hearts out to try to win it. Brisbin was in at second when the tag came down on his back leg.”
Brisbin had three hits to lead Martin Oil and Kenawell, Albright, Alley, Beech and Tomchick had two each. Brisbin, Kenawell and Beech also each drove in three runs, Brisbin scored three times and six different Martin Oil teammates scored twice each.
Mike Rodriguez drove in six runs for ReMax with a double, two singles and grand slam home run and Adam Kaack had a double and two RBI.
Martin Oil finishes the 2004 federation season 12-14, defeating McMullen Furniture, the third seed in first round playoff action, with six starters back for next season, including their top four pitchers, plus Davis plans to add several of the local 15-year old athletes who played teener league baseball this season to what should be a strong nucleus.
ReMax 18 Martin Oil 17
REMAX – Kaack, cf, 4-3-2; Seymore, cf, 0-0-0; Milliron, p-rf, 5-1-0; Rodriguez, 3b, 5-3-4; Montgomery, c, 3-2-1; Palazzi, 2b-p, 2-2-0; Williams, ph-1b, 1-0-1; Webster, ss, 3-0-1; Thaler, ph, 1-0-0; Jubeck, lf, 0-0-0; Packard, dh-p, 4-1-2; Zeak, 1b, 2-1-0; Tromm, cr-2b, 2-1-0; Deyarmin, rf-lf, 3-2-1; High, cr-lf, 0-2-0. TOTALS 35-18-12.
MARTIN OIL – Brisbin, p-2b, 5-3-3; Kenawell, lf, 4-2-2; Drost, 2b-ss, 4-2-1; Albright, c, 4-2-2; Alley, ss-1b, 5-2-2; Beech, 3b-p-cf, 5-1-2; Tomchick, rf, 5-2-2; Harris, cf-p, 2-2-0; McDaniel, 1b-3b, 1-0-0; Plummer, 3b-p, 3-1-1. TOTALS 38-17-15.
ReMax (10)04 200 2 18-12-6.
Martin Oil 400 160 6 17-15-10.
2B: Kaack 1, Rodriguez 1, Deyarmin 1, Williams 1, Albright 1.
HR: Rodriguez 1.
RBI: Rodriguez 6, Kaack 2, Montgomery 1, Webster 1, Deyarmin 1, Kenawell 3, Beech 3, Brisbin 3, Albright 2, Alley 2, Tomchick 1, Harris 1.
SO: Packard 2, Palazzi 1, Brisbin 1.
BB: Milliron 5, Packard 1, Palazzi 1, Brisbin 4, Beech, 2, Plummer 2.
WP: Packard LP: Brisbin
