For the fifth time this season, Barry Gummo pitched the Tyrone Legion to victory Tuesday night, but this time he needed some help to nail down the victory. Right fielder Jared Rodgers provided that help, bunting in the tying run and then snagging a fly ball with the bases loaded in the final inning to preserve a 3-2 victory for Tyrone.
Gummo and Locker Room starter Aaron Harris were both shaky in the first but got out of trouble with zeroes on the scoreboard. Locker Room threatened again off Gummo in the second when Joel Reese led off with a single and was bunted to second. Reese took his lead off second, but strayed too far and was picked off by Gummo. Two straight singles put men at first and second, but Gummo got Lou Cala to ground out and end the threat.
A few Tyrone mistakes gave Locker Room an early advantage in the third inning.
With one out, Mike Albright singled, stole second, and moved to third when the throw ended up in center field. Bruce Diehl reached on an error that allowed Albright to score, and Diehl scored on a two out single by Reese to give Locker Room a 2-0 lead.
Rodgers started a rally for Tyrone in the bottom half of the inning when he was hit by a pitch. He moved to second on a Clint Wilson single and went to third on a Derrick Soellner base hit. After Harris got a strike out for the second out of the inning, he hit Jason Wilson with a pitch that brought in Rodgers to put Tyrone on the scoreboard.
Gummo kept the momentum on Tyrone\’s side with a quick 1-2-3 inning against Locker Room, and then helped Tyrone take the lead in the bottom of the inning.
Tyler Hoover led off with a single to right, and pinch runner Matt Morrissey stole second. A Ben Lynn ground out moved Morrissey over a base, and Jared Rodgers stood at the plate with one down. Rodgers fouled off a couple pitches, making the count 0-2, and head coach John Gummo called time out to talk with his right fielder.
“I asked him if he thought he could lay down a suicide squeeze, and he said he could do it. I believed it, and basically he made the call,” said Gummo.
If a batter with two strikes bunts a ball foul, he is ruled out, but the gutsy call paid off for Tyrone. Rodgers laid a perfect bunt down with Morrissey charging home and got the run in to tie the game.
Not satisfied with simply pulling even with Locker Room, Gummo singled and stole second and third. The next pitch got away from catcher Garrett Clawson and Gummo came in to score putting Tyrone ahead 3-2 with three innings to go.
Pitching with a lead, Gummo was amazing. He put Locker Room down in order in both the fifth and sixth innings, but Tyrone was unable to add any insurance runs.
“Barry is getting better every time out. He had great control today; he didn\’t walk one guy,” said coach Gummo about his starter.
The seventh inning would prove to be much more difficult than the previous two for Gummo. Greg Macionsky led off with his second single of the day and moved to second on a Dennis Walter base hit. Locker Room tried a bunt of their own with two strikes, but Cala was unable to get it down in fair territory. With the game on the line, Clawson hit a sharp grounder to the hole between first and second, but Lynn was able to stop it from getting to the outfield. With the bases now loaded, coach Gummo brought his infield up, and it paid off. Tyler Rickards fielded a grounder and threw it home to cut off the runner from third. One out away from victory, Gummo got Diehl to hit a fly ball to right, and Rodgers snagged it for the third out and the victory.
“It feels great to get this win, the kids really made the plays today,” said Gummo.
Tyrone\’s next action is Wednesday at home against Martin Oil. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:00 PM.
Legion Notes: Tyrone played without starters Brandon Maceno and Ben Gummo…Shane Gherrity started at shortstop and played error-free ball… Clint Wilson drew two of Tyrone\’s four walks… Every time Barry Gummo has taken the mound this season, Tyrone has won… Tuesday\’s game marked the second straight in which the opposing coach was ejected from the game.
Tyrone Legion 3 Locker Room 2
LOCKER ROOM – Clawson, c, 4-0-2; Mills, cr, 0-0-0; Albright, ss, 4-1-1; Diehl, lf, 4-1-0; Harris, p, 3-0-0; Reese, cf, 3-0-2; Rahoi, 3b, 2-0-1; Macionsky, 1b, 3-0-2; Walter, rf, 3-0-2; Cala, 2b, 3-0-0. TOTALS 29-2 10.
TYRONE LEGION – Ba. Gummo, p, 3-1-1; C. Wilson, 1b, 2-0-1; Soellner, c, 4-0-1; Rickards, 3b, 2-0-0; J. Wilson, cf, 2-0-1; Myers, lf, 3-0-0; Hoover, dh, 3-0-1; Gherrity, ss, 0-0-0; Lynn, 2b, 3-0-0; Rodgers 1-1-1, Morrissey, pr, 0-1-0. TOTALS 23-3-6.
Locker Room 002 000 0 2-10-0.
Tyrone Legion 001 200 X 3-6-3.
RBI: Diehl 1, Reese 1, J. Wilson 1, Rodgers 1.
HBP: J. Wilson (By Harris), Rodgers (By Harris).
SO: Harris 4, Ba. Gummo 6.
BB: Harris 4.
WP: Ba. Gummo LP: Harris
