Martin Oil (7-0) took the first inning off against Sheetz on Friday evening while Sheetz scored the initial run of the game at Bellwood to take an early 1-0 lead.
That one-run lead didn’t hold up very long however. Martin scored four times in each of the next three frames to win going away 12-2, in five innings.
Derrick Miller gave up a lead off single to Sheetz shortstop Even Stoehr, who advanced to second on a ground out by Tim Frederick and scored the first tally on the first of two hits by Alex Sisto.
Miller recovered to throw shutout ball over the next four innings before Nate Carlson and Zach Stere finished out the fifth by striking out the side to punctuate the win. Miller fanned three and walked five to pick up the victory. Carlson struck out two giving up a hit and a walk and one unearned run. Stere struck out the only batter he faced to end the game.
“Derrick gave us four real strong innings tonight,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “This was just the second time out for him this year. We pitched Nate for 2/3 and Zach for 1/3 just to give them a little more time on the mound.”
Shawn Weiand, who broke out of a 1-for-14 slump to start the Federation season, opened the second with a base hit. Carlson walked and Miller belted a double to score courtesy runner Nick Treese. Carlson scored on the play when Miller was thrown out at second base. Cory Daly rocketed a home run well beyond the fence in center field. Chris Alley started things over again with a two-out single. Alley took off for second and Danny Houser rapped a single to right to score Alley all the way from first base.
In the third inning, Zach Stere opened the inning with a double, advanced a base on a wild pitch and scored on an infield single by Weiand. After courtesy runner Chris McDaniels stole second, Derrick Miller singled him to third. Daly plated McDaniels with an RBI groundout. Adam DeArmitt walked and Alley singled home both Jesse Graham, courtesy running for Miller and DeArmitt.
Martin Oil completed their scoring in the fourth. Damion Miller walked to lead off the frame. Weiand was safe on an error, sending Damion Miller to third, where he scored on a wild pitch. Running for Weiand, Jesse Graham stole second and third while Carlson was being walked. Derrick Miller singled to bring home Graham and Carlson. Daly walked and McDaniels singled. Nick Treese hit into a fielder’s choice to drive in Derrick Miller with the final run.
“Fortunately we were able to start hitting tonight. Shawn started hitting for us, he got a couple hits. Cory Daly hit a big home run. Chris Alley had a couple big hits again. Derrick Miller was three-for-three with three RBIs and a double. We knew the hitting was coming, our kids are too good not to hit. Pitching and defense once again were the key.”
Martin Oil 12 Sheetz 2 (5 Innings)
SHEETZ – Stoehr, ss, 3-1-1; Frederick, 3b-p, 2-0-0; Tomlinson, ph, 0-1-0; Sisto, 1b, 3-0-2; Riley, cf, 3-0-1; Lemaster, p-3b, 2-0-0; Boone, rf, 3-0-0; McIntyre, 2b, 1-0-0; Slowik, c, 0-0-0; Garhart, lf, 1-0-0. TOTALS 18-2-4.
MARTIN OIL – Houser, cf, 4-0-1; Da. Miller, rf, 2-1-0; J. Graham, cr-rf, 0-2-0; Stere, 2b-1b, 3-1-1; Weiand, c, 3-0-2; Carlson, 1b-p, 1-2-0; De. Miller, p, 3-1-3; d. Graham, 2b, 0-0-0; Daly, ss, 2-1-1; DeArmitt, lf, 1-1-0; McDaniels, lf, cr-lf, 1-1-1; Alley, 3b, 2-1-2; Treese, 3b, 1-1-0. TOTALS 23-12-11.
Sheetz 100 01 2-4-1.
Martin Oil 044 4 12-11-1.
2B: De. Miller 1, Stere 1.
HR: Daly 1.
RBI: Sisto 1, De. Miller 3, Daly 2, Alley 2, Treese 1, Houser 1, Weiand 1.
SO: Lemaster 3, De. Miller 3, Carlson 2, Stere 1.
BB: Lemaster 2, Frederick 4, De. Miller 5, Carlson 1.
WP: De. Miller LP: Lemaster.
