Penns Valley (5-0) put their unbeaten record on the line against the Blue Devils (4-1) on the Bellwood-Antis baseball diamond along Stadium Drive on Wednesday afternoon. Something had to give in the battle between the two Double-A powers.
The Blue Devils jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first and increased that margin to 9-0 after four innings and seemed on the verge of beating the Rams by the 10-run mercy rule. Penns Valley used a Matt Brubaker grand slam home run in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to 9-5 and make a ballgame of it. Adam Plummer tossed hitless relief over the final 2 1/3 innings however and the Blue Devils saddled Penns Valley with their first loss 9-5
The Bellwood-Antis bats were booming in the bottom of the first. Ricky Shannon opened the inning with a double to right and Zach Stere slammed a two-run homer into the trees beyond center field for a quick lead. Adam Plummer ripped a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. Shawn Weiand drew a base on balls and stole second base to put runners at second and third. Derrick Miller doubled both runners home for a 4-0 advantage. After Ram pitcher Scott Rachan got two quick outs, Miller scored on another wild pitch. Andy Brisbin, Chris Alley and Shannon all singled with Brisbin scoring on Shannon’s second base hit of the inning. Stere also singled for his second hit, but B-A left the bases loaded without further scoring.
Blue Devil starter Nate Carlson retired the first 14 batters he faced with some help from his teammates. After Andy Breon singled with one out in the first, Blue Devil catcher Weiand nailed Breon trying to steal second Following a single by Matt Brubaker to open the inning, Carlson struck out Breon and induced Jason Wert to ground into a shortstop Zach Stere to first baseman Adam Plummer double play ending the fourth inning.
In bottom half of the fourth, Bellwood-Antis scored three times. All the runs came with two outs and all came on one swing of the bat. Carlson helped himself with an infield hit and Ryan Myers lined a single into center. Brisbin took a low pitch and drove it off the scoreboard in right field for a three-run dinger to up the B-A lead to 9-0.
Penns Valley showed why they were undefeated coming into the contest. Bellwood-Antis gave them the smallest of openings and the Rams took advantage of it. Carlson retired the first two hitters in the fifth, but then ran out of steam, giving up a single to Brady Waltz. Designated Hitter Shawn McCaffrey struck out on a pitch down in the dirt, but the ball got away from Weiand and McCaffrey reached first base. Jason Hall doubled to score Waltz and Jason Homan walked to load the bases. Brubaker got a pitch he could drive over the center field fence for four quick runs to slice the B-A lead to 9-5. Following a single by Breon, Bellwood-Antis manager Steve Conlon brought in Adam Plummer.
Plummer walked Doug Leitch, struck out Matt Smith, and walked Waltz, the first three batters he faced in the sixth, but got himself out of trouble by picking off both base runners, then walked another batter in the seventh, but struck out the side to end the game.
“We got great hitting early on,” said Conlon. “ We came out and jumped on top right away. Our big sticks today were down at the bottom of the order. Chris Alley, in his first start went three-for-four. Andy Brisbin hit a three-run homer and had three hits. Give Penns Valley credit, they came back in it, but Adam Plummer came in and shut the door.”
Bellwood-Antis plays Moshannon Valley today at home. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m., weather permitting.
Bellwood-Antis 9 Penns Valley 5
PENNS VALLEY – Brubaker, cf, 4-1-2; Breon, 2b, 3-0-2; Wert, lf, 3-0-0; Leitch, rf, 2-0-0; Finocchio, c, 0-0-0; Smith, 1b-p, 3-0-0; Waltz, c-3b, 2-1-1; Rachan, p, 0-0-0; McCaffrey, dh, 2-1-0; Snare rf, 1-0-0; Houtz, 3b, 1-0-0; Hall, c-1b, 2-1-1; Homan, ss, 1-1-0. TOTALS 24-5-6.
BELLWOOD-ANTIS – Shannon, cf, 4-1-2; Stere, ss, 3-1-2; Plummer 1b-p, 4-1-2; Weiand, c, 3-1-1; Miller, lf, 4-1-1; Carlson, p-1b, 4-1-1, Myers, rf, 4-1-1; Brisbin, 2b, 3-2-3; Alley, 3b, 4-0-3. TOTALS 33-9-16.
Penns Valley 000 050 0 5-6-0.
Bellwood-Antis 600 300 X 9-16-0.
2B: Hall 1, Shannon 1, Plummer 1, Miller 1, Alley 1.
HR: Brubaker 1, Stere 1, Brisbin 1.
RBI: Brubaker 4, Hall 1, Brisbin 3, Stere 2, Miller 2, Shannon 1.
SO: Rachan 4, Carlson 5, Plummer 5.
BB: Rachan 3, Carlson 2, Plummer 3.
WP: Carlson LP: Rachan.
