It took a while for the Martin Oil to get the clutch hits they needed, and Hoss’s jumped right on Martin Oil starter Brian Hostler. If you flash forward to the final score, Martin Oil overcame a 4-0 first-inning deficit to improve their record to 8-5 with a 9-4 triumph at Hollidaysburg.
Hoss’s leadoff batter Derrick Coppersmith unloaded a double on the second pitch of the game, and Matt Caputo laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line to put runners at first and third with nobody out. Hostler walked Barry Smith and after getting an out, hit Brandon Marasco. Coppersmith and Smith scored on wild pitches and Caputo came home when Hoss’s worked a double steal with Smith winding up on second base. Drew Ford added the fourth tally of the inning scoring Marasco with an RBI groundout.
“I thought the “Bad News Bears” were back again there in the first inning,” described Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “We threw the ball around, walked people, hit people, gave up the four runs right off the get-go. But the kids hung tough, played pretty good defense the rest of the way.”
The rest of the game belonged to Hostler on the mound and to the late offense by his teammates.
Hostler set Hoss’s down on no runs and just four hits over the final six innings, striking out seven and walking three.
The Martin Oil offense was producing base hits from the start, but after three innings still trailed 4-0.
“Hostler pitcher the best game, I have seen him throw, other than the first inning, all year. He did a real nice job. Early on, we were getting hits, getting guys on base, but we couldn’t get the key hit,” said Davis. “They started coming for us finally.
In the fifth, Cameron Irvin singled to begin the inning. Chad Coho walked sandwiched around a pair of strikeouts before Jake Manning beat out a bunt single to load the bases. Hostler helped himself with a single to score Irvin.
An inning later, Martin Oil scored a pair to close to within 4-3. Earnie Kelley lined a shot just inside the left field line and went all the way to third base on a two-base error by the left fielder. Trey Mock beat out an infield single to put runners at the corners. Mock then stole second base. Irvin bounced a base hit up the middle to get Kelley home and after taking third on the play, Mock scored on a sacrifice fly by Justin Miller.
Martin Oil then took advantage of some shoddy fielding by Hoss’s defense to put five runs on the board in the sixth inning on just two hits. Manning walked, Hostler was hit by a pitch and Nate Gray walked to load the bases without a base hit. Kelley singled in Manning and Matt Hinton, courtesy running for Hostler. Mock scored Gray with a sac fly. With one down, Miller was safe on an error with Derrick Wolfe, pinch running for Kelley scoring the fourth run of the inning. Chad Coho brought in the final tally of the inning with a single to right.
In the sixth, Manning added an insurance run. Manning walked, raced to third when pitcher Zach Ford threw wild trying to pick him off first base, and then scored on a wild pitch.
“Jake Manning had another three hits, Earnie another three hits, Cameron again had a couple big ones and Coho had two more. This was just an all-around good ballgame, everyone contributed. I just hope we can keep going in this positive direction.”
Martin Oil will host Corporal Miller at Stadium Drive field in Bellwood on Thursday. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Martin Oil 9 Hoss’s 4
Martin Oil – Ja. Manning, c, 3-2-3; Hostler, p, 2-0-1; Hinton, cr, 0-1-0; Beech, ph, 1-0-0; Gray, ss, 4-1-0; Kelley, cf, 5-1-3; Wolfe, pr, 0-1-0; Mock, 2b, 2-1-1; Irvin, 3b, 4-1-2; Miller, lf, 3-1-0; C. Coho, 1b, 3-0-2; Kovac, rf, 3-0-0; Stephens, ph, 1-0-0. TOTALS 31-9-12.
Hoss’s – Coppersmith, p-c, 4-1-1; Caputo, ss, 3-1-1; Smith cf-p, 2-1-0; Menard, p, 1-0-0; Roberts, c-1b, 4-0-1; Marasco, lf, 2-1-1; A. Ford, 2b-3b, 2-0-0; Thompson, 3b, 3-0-0; Hargus, 3b-2b, 1-0-0; Ulsh, rf-cf, 3-0-2; Bettwy, 1b-rf, 2-0-0; Z. Ford, p, 1-0-0. TOTALS 28-4-6.
Score by innings
Martin Oil 000 125 1 9-12-1.
Hoss’s 400 000 0 4- 6-4.
2B: Coppersmith, Roberts.
RBI: Kelley 2, Hostler, Mock, Miller, C. Coho, A. Ford.
SO: Hostler 7, Coppersmith 4, Smith 1, Menard 1.
BB: Hostler 3, Coppersmith 4, Menard 1.
WP: Hostler LP: Coppersmith.
E: Kovac, Irvin Smith, Menard, Marasco, Ulsh.
