Bellwood-Antis traveled to Mount Union for a MAC Division 3 game against the always dangerous Trojans. For the second game in a row, the young Blue Devils had chance after chance, but couldn’t capitalize in a 4-0 loss to Mount Union.
Bellwood-Antis had a runner in scoring position in every inning, but wasn’t able to come up with the clutch hit when it was so badly needed.
Troy Brunner pitched the complete game for B-A to suffer the loss. Brunner threw three bad pitches all afternoon, but two of them went to Trojan leadoff hitter Danny Puchalla and all three went for extra bases. In fact all but one of Mount Union’s six hits went for extra bases. There were two doubles, two triples and a home run.The only Trojan to hit a single was designated hitter Seth McVey leading off the fifth inning and he was erased one batter later on a double play when Puchalla lined a shot right back to Brunner who fired the ball to first baseman Tyler McClellan to double off McVey.
In the first, Puchalla worked the B-A sophomore right-hander for a two-balls, one-strike count when Brunner threw a pitch dead across the plate, waist-high, which Puchalla belted for a double. The Blue Devils only error of the game-their best defensive effort of the 2004 season, nevertheless, scored Puchalla with an unearned run.
Then an inning later, Brunner walked Ryan Pellicino and faced Puchalla again with two outs. The pitch came in a bit high and Puchalla deposited it over the left field wall for a two-run home run and a 3-0 Mount Union lead.
Brunner took control over the next three innings allowing just one hit, and that was erased a batter later on a double play.
Tiring a bit in the sixth, Brunner surrendered another run on triples by Justin Inch and John Martinez, again with two outs for the final tally of the game.
“Two bad pitches, maybe three bad pitches is all Troy made today,” said Bellwood-Antis coach Steve Conlon. “He threw a good game today. You should be able to put at least a couple runs on the board, 4-0 shouldn’t beat you.”
Bubba Brown picked up the victory for Mount Union, allowing seven hits as the Blue Devils outhit their opponents for the fourth straight time this season. Brown struck out seven and walked four over seven innings.
In six of the seven innings, it was either Andy Brisbin or Troy Brunner who was able to move into scoring position, but never got to home plate.
Andy Brisbin walked to open the game for Bellwood-Antis and then stole second base, but Brown struckout the side to leave him at second base. Brunner dropped a single in front of the Trojans left fielder to begin the second, advanced to second on a ground out and third on a wild pitch. With two outs in the third inning, Nick Treese walked and Shawn Weiand and Matt Albright followed with singles. Through a miscommunication Treese ended up being thrown out at home in a rundown, instead of scoring easily.
Brunner walked to start the fourth and went to second on a one-out base hit by Tyler McClellan. Brisbin’s single opened the fifth inning and the B-A junior moved up to second on a groundout. In the sixth, Brunner singled and went to second on still another groundout. The in the seventh inning, it was Brisbin cracking a double and Treese followed with his second walk of the ballgame. Brown retired the Blue Devils on a fielders’ choice and game-ending double play to preserve the shutout.
“I don’t know that Mount Union was that much better than us, or that much better ball team,” stated Conlon. “We just couldn’t come up with a big hit. Ten runners left on base in a game like today, just can’t happen against a team the quality of mount Union. They make the plays on defense and we have our number three and four hitters come up with runners on base and can’t get a hit. That is what kills us.”
Bellwood-Antis (1-2) will play Claysburg-Kimmel today at home, weather permitting in a makeup of a ballgame that was rained out last Friday. The game will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Bellwood’s Stadium Drive field.
Mount Union 4 Bellwood-Antis 0
BELLWOOD-ANTIS – Brisbin, 2b, 3-0-2; Treese, 3b, 2-0-0; Weiand, c, 4-0-1; DeArmitt, cf, 0-0-0; Albright, dh, 4-0-1; Brunner, p, 2-0-2; Alley, ss, 3-0-0; McClellan, 1b, 3-0-1; Luke, rf, 3-0-0; Rhoades, lf, 1-0-0; Seidel, lf, 2-0-0. TOTALS 27-0-7.
MOUNT UNION – Puchalla, cf. 3-2-2; Baird, ss, 3-0-0; Brown, p, 3-0-0; Inch, 3-1-1; Donaldson, cr, 0-0-0; McConaughey, cr, 0-0-0; Hoffmaster, rf, 3-0-1; Martinez, 1b, 3-0-1; Pellicino, 2b, 2-1-0; Yocum, 3b, 1-0-0; McClain, lf, 0-0-0; McVey, dh, 2-0-1. TOTALS 23-4-6.
Bellwood-Antis 000 000 0 0-7-1.
Mount Union 120 001 X 4-6-0.
2B: BA- Brisbin 1, MU- Puchalla 1, Hoffmaster 1.
3B; MU- Inch 1, Martinez 1.
HR: MU- Puchalla 1.
RBI: MU- Puchalla 2, Martinez 1.
SO: BA- Brunner 0, MU- Brown 7.
BB: BA- Brunner 1, Brown 4.
WP: Brown LP: Brunner
