Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

Martin Oil scored a few here and a couple there on offense against ReMax on Tuesday in the opening game of the semifinal matchup between top seed Martin Oil and seventh seed ReMax. The defense was near perfect and Dan Houser and Nate Carlson combined to limit ReMax to just one hit in a 12-2 decision that was stopped at the end of five innings by the 10-run mercy rule.
“Danny Houser came back on two days rest and went four strong innings for us tonight,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “He struggled a little bit here and there (six walks), but he really gutted it out. That’s what we needed. He only gave up one hit. Then Nate came in and shut the door in the fifth and we got some extra runs in the bottom of the fifth to be able to get out on the 10-run rule.”
Martin Oil scored in every inning to take the opener in their semifinal series.
Houser, who cracked out three hits and a walk in four trips to the plate, singled to begin the Martin Oil first. Andy Brisbin moved Houser to second with a sacrifice bunt and Zach Stere singled Danny home with the first run of the game.
In the top of the second, ReMax scored twice to take a 2-1 advantage. Mike Montgomery walked and A. J. Palazzi got too good a pitch, ripping an 0-2 count for a double. With runners on second and third, Matt Zeak lifted a fly ball to center field. Damion Miller caught the ball and fired a sky ball over catcher Shawn Weiand’s head, allowing Montgomery to score and Palazzi to get to third. Palazzi scored on a wild pitch on the first pitch thrown to ReMax pitcher Chris Packard.
Shawn Weiand walked to open the second inning. The Martin Oil catcher moved up a base when Packard threw the ball away attempting to pick Weiand off first. Cory Daly lined a single just inside the third base line to put runners at the corners. Houser helped himself by belting a double to right-center that scored both runners to move Martin Oil back into a 3-2 lead they would never relinquish.
In the third, Nate Carlson walked to open the frame and moved to second when Packard also walked Derrick Miller to put runners at first and second. Mike Rodriguez threw away Damion Miller’s grounder allowing Carlson to score and sending Derrick Miller to third. Weiand bounced into a double play scoring Derrick Miller to give Martin Oil a 5-2 advantage.
Martin Oil batted around to score five times in the fourth stanza to take a 10-2 lead. Houser walked with one out, stole second and continued on to third when Montgomery’s throw went into center field. Brisbin ripped a shot down into the right field corner for a double to plate Houser. Stere hit a fly ball that bounced out of Jon Milliron’s glove and Carlson blooped a base hit into short right field that loaded the bases. With two outs, Damion Miller doubled to deep left-center to score Brisbin, Stere and Jesse Graham, pinch running for Carlson. Weiand doubled to get Damion in with the fifth tally of the inning.
In the fifth, Martin Oil put together three hits and a base on balls to stop the game by the mercy rule without an out. Chris Alley singled to begin the frame. Houser singled and Alley moved to third base on a passed ball. Brisbin walked to load the sacks. Stere ended the game by ripping a shot down the left field line to score Alley and Houser.
“Not only did Danny Houser pitch a heck of a ballgame,” explained Davis, “but he was three-for-three at the plate with a couple big rips. Zach had a couple big hits, a couple RBIs. Nate Carlson was hitting the ball hard. Shawn had a big double for us. Cory smashed the ball twice and could easily have been three-for-three, instead of one-for-three. He hit two crushing balls that they snagged. All-in-all, the defense was good, the pitching was excellent and the hitting was very timely.”
Martin Oil will continue their best-of-three semifinal series with ReMax tonight at 5:30 p.m. at Vets Field.
In the first game in the other semifinal series, McMullen Furniture, two-time defending Kelley Federation playoff champ Martin Oil’s opponent in the finals last year, outlasted Altoona First 16-11 in a game that featured 30 hits ad 14 errors, to take a 1-0 lead. Those two teams will play tonight following the Martin Oil/ReMax contest also at Vets.
Martin Oil 12 ReMax 2 (5 innings)
REMAX – Kaack, ss, 2-0-0, Milliron, cf, 2-0-0; Rodriguez, 3b, 2-0-0; McConnell, 1b, 3-0-0; Montgomery, c, 1-1-0; Palazzi, 2b-p, 1-1-1; Zeak, rf, 1-0-0; Packard, p, 1-0-0; Mercer, 2b, 0-0-0; Deyarmin, lf, 2-0-0. TOTALS 15-2-1.
MARTIN OIL – Houser, p-cf, 3-3-3; Brisbin, 2b, 2-1-1; Stere, ss-1b, 4-1-2; Carlson, 1b-p, 2-1-2; J. Graham. cr, 0-1-0; De. Miller, lf, 2-1-1; Da. Miller, rf, 3-1-1; Weiand, c, 2-1-1, Treese, cr, 0-0-0; Daly, 3b-ss, 3-1-1; D. Graham, rf-3b, 0-0-0; Alley, dh, 3-1-1. TOTALS 24-12-13.
ReMax 020 00 2-1-4.
Martin Oil 122 52 12-13-1.
2b: Palazzi 1, Houser 1, Brisbin 1, Carlson 1, Da. Miller 1, Weiand 1.
RBI: Stere 3, Da. Miller 3, Houser 2, Brisbin 1, Weiand 1.
SO: Packard 1, Palazzi 1, Houser 6, Carlson 2.
BB: Packard 3, Palazzi 2, Houser 6.
WP: Houser LP: Packard.

By Rick