Martin Oil, trying to put on a qualifying rush as George B. Kelley Federation playoff times nears, took the early lad and looked like they might defeat McMullen Furniture by the Mercy Rule, then outlasted a valiant attempt by McMullen to get back into the contest to take 15-9 triumph that improved their record to 10-12. The Martin Oil victory drops McMullen Furniture to 14-7, with two wins in three tries this season over Martin Oil. These two foes have faced each other in the last two championship series with three-time defending champ Martin Oil winning in both 2002 and 2003.
Jim Moschella rapped the first of two doubles and scored on a single by Mike Weyandt to give McMullen a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Martin Oil was the home team in this contest, despite the game being played at Geesey Park in Altoona. The Hollidaysburg Legion team, with one Bellwood coach and one Bellwood player was playing as the home team at Bellwood’s Stadium Drive High School baseball field.
Kyle Drost went the distance for Martin Oil to pick up the win. The 16-year old right-hander threw a ton of pitches, allowing nine runs, four earned on nine hits, with nine strikeouts and nine walks.
“Kyle has been doing a good job for us all year,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “Tonight he went out there and threw 151 pitches. That’s more than I like to have a kid throw, but he just wanted the ball and wanted to win. I just didn’t have the heart to take him out. He shut them down there at the end when we needed it.”
In the second, McMullen threatened getting Moschella’s second double and three walks, but Martin Oil catcher Matt Albright threw out Mark Sprouse trying to steal second base and left the bases loaded without any runs crossing the plate.
Martin Oil came right back after the quick McMullen tally to plate four runs in the first and three more in the second.
Andy Brisbin was hit by a pitch to begin the home half of the first and Ryan Kenawell tomahawked a single to left. Matt Plummer was safe on an error to load the bases. Brisbin scored on a sacrifice fly by Albright. Drost was safe on an error that allowed Kenawell to score. Chris Alley got Plummer home with a ground out and Brandon Beech singled to drive in Chris McDaniel courtesy running for Drost.
In the second, Zach Tomchick opened the inning with a solo home run. Brisbin doubled and with one out Plummer came out of an 0-for-18 slump by lining a shot over the left field fence for a two-run home run and a 7-1 advantage.
Martin oil wasn’t done yet. In the third, two more runs came across the plate. With one out, Beech was safe on an error and Harris singled him to third base, then stole second to put both runners in scoring position. Brisbin belted his second double to right center to score Beech and Harris..
In the fourth, Martin Oil opened the margin to 11-2, after McMullen scored a single run in the top of the frame.
With one out, Albright drew a base on balls. Alley singled and the McMullen pitcher threw the ball into center field trying to pick McDaniel, running for Albright, off the base. McDaniel scored on the play and Alley went to third, when another McMullen miscue allowed him to score.
“The kids hit good tonight and other than the fifth inning,” said Davis, “we played real good defense-except for that one inning. We were throwing it all over the ballpark. Fortunately we brought our hitting tonight.”
McMullen used five Martin Oil errors, three walks and two hits to bat around and score seven times in that fifth inning to get back into the game and close the score to 11-9.
Martin Oil got going again immediately, however.
Refusing to give in, Martin Oil opened the game back up coming back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take 1 15-9 lead and Drost never let McMullen get any closer. Drost allowed a double in each of the sixth and seventh innings, but no scores.
Brisbin singled to start the frame and Kenawell walked. Plummer looped a base it over first base to load the bases. Brisbin was forced at home on a fielder’s choice for the first out of the inning. With McMullen changing pitchers, Drost and Alley each walked to force in Kenawell and Plummer. Albright scored on a fielder’s choice by Beech. Beech and McDaniel, running for Drost pulled off a double steal with Beech stealing second and McDaniel, hesitating, then stealing home. Beech wandered too far off second at the end of the play and got caught for the final out ofd the inning.
“Andy Brisbin had three big hits, a couple doubles and a couple RBI,” counted Davis. “Matt Plummer had a big home run for us, a couple RBI. He came out of a slump in a big way tonight. Matt Albright had a nice game. Brandon Beech has been playing good solid ball he had a hit and RBI. Dustin Harris really broke out of it tonight. Don’t let me forget about Zach Tomchick. We just picked him up about seven or eight games ago and he has just been playing into things. He got us started tonight with a big home run for us.
“I think the kids are starting to come together. It might be a little late, but playoffs are just around the corner. I think if we can make the playoffs, we can be dangerous.”
Martin Oil concludes their regular season tonight, weather permitting. They will play ReMax at Vets Field at 5:30 p.m. and then move over to Mansion Park to play Sheetz at 8:30.
Martin Oil 15 McMullen Furniture 9
MCMULLEN FURNITURE – Moschella, cf, 5-2-2; Conrad, p-ss, 4-0-1; Weyandt, ss-p, 4-1-1; Settle, c, 5-1-3; Stotler, 3b, 1-0-0; Craig, 3b, 2-1-0; B. Plummer, 1b, 4-0-0; Ma. Sprouse, rf, 3-1-2; Epple, 2b, 3-1-0; Briggs, 2b, 0-0-0; Mi. Sprouse, lf, 0-2-0. TOTALS 31-9-9.
MARTIN OIL – Brisbin, 2b, 4-2-3; Kenawell, lf, 3-2-1; M. Plummer, 1b, 4-3-2; Albright, c, 2-1-1; McDaniel, cr, 0-3-0; Drost, p, 3-0-0; Alley, ss, 3-1-1; Beech, 3b, 3-1-1; Harris, cf, 4-1-2; Tomchick, rf, 4-1-1. TOTALS 30-15-12.
McMullen Furniture 100 170 0 9-9-5.
Martin Oil 432 240 X 15-12-6.
2B: Moschella 2, Settle 1, Ma. Sprouse 1, Brisbin 2.
HR: Tomchick 1, M. Plummer 1.
RBI: Ma. Sprouse 2, Conrad 1, Weyandt 1, Brisbin 2, M. Plummer 2, Alley 2, Beech 2, Albright 1, Drost 1, Tomchick 1.
SO: Conrad 3, Drost 9.
BB: Conrad 3, Weyandt 1, Drost 9.
WP: Drost LP: Conrad.
