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In control Martin Oil pitcher Nate Gray delivers to the plate during the game with Sheetz at Vets Field late Monday night. Gray pitched four innings of two-hit, one-run baseball to pick up the 15-5 victory. (The Daily Herald/Stacey Manning) |
Martin Oil notched their 13th win of the season by blasting Sheetz 15-5 in six innings, on Monday night, in the late game at Vets Field.
Often starting late on offense, Martin Oil playing the 8:30 contest against Sheetz, came up with three runs in the top of the first against Sheetz. Brian Hostler banged a triple with one out. Nate Gray was hit by a pitch from Sheetz starter Aaron Schmitt to put runners at the corners, before Gray swiped second base. Earnie Kelley drove in both runners with a double, then scored on a single to right by Trey Mock.
Martin Oil upped their advantage to 4-0 in the second inning. Justin Miller singled, went to second on a passed ball and scored on an error.
Sheetz scored a single tally in the bottom of the third. After Gray controlled the Sheetz hitters the first time through the lineup, with six strikeouts, Schmitt singled and scored on a base hit by Tyler Trexler.
Martin Oil sent nine batters to the plate in the fourth, scoring five times to shoot the margin to 9-1.
With all the scoring coming after the first two batters were out, Hostler walked to get things started slowly. Gray helped himself with a triple to score Hostler. Kelley singled to plate courtesy runner Matt Beech. Kelley stole second base and scored on an error on a grounder by Mock. Cameron Irvin doubled to score Mock, and Chad Coho’s single got Irvin home.
In the fifth, Martin Oil manager Ed Davis sent six straight pinch hitters to the plate and got two walks, two singles and a double to score three runs to increase the score to 12-1. Adam Kovac walked to begin the at-bat. Matt Beech singled after Kovac stole second to put runners at the corners, and then stole second himself. Matt Hinton doubled to left to drive in both runners. Jared Coho drew a base on balls, and Caleb Stephens bounced a single up the middle to score Hinton.
Gray struck out eight and walked five in four innings to pick up the win, allowing just one run on two base hits.
“Nate Gray pitched a strong four innings for us tonight,” said Davis. “He seems to get better every time out on the mound. He got a little tired in the fourth inning walking three batters, but was able to get out of the inning without any runs.”
Sheetz scored three times against Hostler, on in relief of Gray, on four hits, three of which never left the infield, to keep the game from being stopped by the 10-run mercy rule. Kyle Sheriden had a two-run single, the only base hit to make it out of the infield in the inning.
Not to be denied, Martin Oil scored three more runs and Hostler limited Sheetz to one unearned score in the bottom of the sixth to end the game there.
Chad Coho doubled to open the Martin Oil sixth, and scored on a single by Jimmy Watters. Hostler singled and Watters scored on an error by the Sheetz right fielder. Hostler stole both second and third base and scored the final run on a wild pitch.
“Our hitting has really been on the past few games,” said Davis. “Earnie Kelley had a pair of hits and three RBI, he’s has been hot lately after a slow start. Cam Irvin and Chad Coho had nice games with two hits and we had a chance to get everybody an at-bat and the pinch hitters gave us a nice charge in the fifth inning when we scored three runs.”
Martin Oil 15 Sheetz 5, 6 inn.
Martin Oil – Ja. Manning, c, 4-0-1; Beech, cr-ph, 1-2-1; Hostler, ss-p, 3-3-2; Hinton, cr-ph, 1-1-1; Gray, p-ss, 1-0-1; J. Coho, ph, 0-0-0; Kelley, cf, 4-2-2; Stephens, cr-ph, 1-0-1; Mock, 2b, 3-1-1; Wolfe, cr-ph, 1-0-0; Irvin, 3b, 4-1-2; C. Coho, 1b, 4-1-2; J. Miller, 4-1-1; Watters, lf, 3-1-1; Kovac, ph, 0-1-0. TOTALS 34-15-16.
Sheetz, Aa. Schmitt, p, 4-1-2; Trexler, 3b, 4-1-1; Wyper, cf, 4-0-1; T. Miller, 3-1-0; Ad. Schmitt, rf, 3-1-1; Sheriden, ss, 2-0-1; T. Hoover, 1b, 1-0-0; McCloskey, dh, 1-0-1; Roberts, lf, 1-0-0; George, lf, 1-0-0; Angle, c, 2-1-0. TOTALS 26-5-7.
Martin Oil 310 533 15-16-3.
Sheetz 001 031 5- 7- 4.
2B: Hinton, Kelley, Irvin, C. Coho.
3B: Hostler, Gray.
RBI: Kelley 3, Hostler 2, Stephens, Gray, Mock, Irvin, C. Coho, Watters, Sheriden 2, Trexler, Wyper.
SO: Gray 8, Hostler 3, Aa. Schmitt 2.
BB: Gray 5, Hostler 1, Aa. Schmitt 5.
WP: Gray LP: Aa. Schmitt
E: Gray, Irvin, C. Coho, Wyper, Sheriden, Hoover, Roberts.
