Every time teams from Tyrone and Bellwood get together, you know it’s going to be a tight game, with each side going all out to bring home a win. Tuesday’s George B. Kelley Federation baseball game between Tyrone Legion and Martin Oil was certainly no different. Both teams were 6-6 going into the game. When the two clubs met the first time in the season two-game series, Martin Oil jumped out to a big lead, only to see Tyrone Legion cut a 4-0 advantage to 5-4, only to see Martin Oil triumph 6-5, with each team scoring once in the last two at-bats.
On Tuesday, Martin Oil jumped out in front 2-0 and the two squads spent the rest of the game exchanging runs, before Martin Oil finally emerged a 6-5 winner, the exact same score as the first game, in a contest that was just sooo close.
“I thought it would be a tough game, and I figured it would go back and forth,” said Tyrone Legion coach Chris Futrick. “And the guy with one or two runs who was ahead at the end was going to win and Martin Oil ended up with the one-run lead at the end. This was two very evenly matched teams and there was good pitching and god hitting and Martin Oil came put on top this time.”
Martin Oil starter Mike Albright pitched perfect baseball over the first three innings, retiring the first nine Tyrone batters in order.
After giving up a pair of runs, one earned, in the Martin Oil first, Tyrone Legion starter Matt Brooks matched Albright, until Martin Oil pushed across another unearned run in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.
Justin Manning, who enjoyed a perfect day at the plate, with a double, walk and two singles, scoring twice and driving in a run, singled to begin the Martin Oil first, stole second base and scored on a line single to left by Nate Gray. Gray continued on to second on a Tyrone error, and then scored on an RBI fielder’s choice by Chad Coho.
In the top of the fourth inning, Matt Brooks lined a one-out double to right center to break up Albright’s perfect game and no-hitter, went to third on a wild pitch and scored Tyrone Legion’s first run on a sacrifice fly by Eric Desch.
Jimmy Watters reached on an error, Tyrone Legion would commit five in the game, in the bottom of the fourth then moved around to third base on another error on a ball hit by Nate Plummer. Justin Miller scored Watters with a ground out to give Martin Oil a 3-1 advantage.
Tyrone Legion sliced the deficit to 3-2 on one swing, when Mike Moore connected on a three ball-one strike pitch taking it over the center field fence for a home run in the fifth..
Nate Gray came in to pitch for Martin Oil at this point. Cody Smith was safe on an error and Adam Bonsell singled, but Gray retired the next three batters in order to get out of the inning without further damage.
Martin Oil continued their one-run an inning trend in their fifth to increase their slim lead to 4-2. With one gone, Manning doubled. With Tyrone Legion replacing Brooks with Eric Desch, to begin the inning, Gray walked and Chad Coho lined a single to center to score Manning.
Coming up with the biggest inning of the ballgame, Tyrone Legion took their first lead of the game in the top of the sixth. Anders singled with one out and Jason Taylor was hit by a pitch. Moore singled to left to score Anders and when the ball was bobbled, Taylor went to third and Moore continued on to second base. Cody Smith screeched a line drive that Nate Plummer at first base for Martin Oil, dove and made a spectacular catch to save two runs, at least temporarily. It was only temporarily, because Bonsell singled to center to score both Taylor and Moore and put Tyrone Legion ahead 5-4.
That set the stage for the bottom of the sixth for the two federation teams. Plummer opened the frame with a walk and moved to second on a passed ball. Desch got Justin Miller on a comebacker to the mound for the first out, but walked Alex Miller. Trey Mock fouled out for the second out of the inning, but Manning stroked a shot to center that scored Plummer and when the ball squirted away, Miller also scored with the go-ahead tally.
Gray recorded a fly out, strikeout and ground out to set the final score in favor of Martin Oil.
Martin Oil pitchers recorded eight strikeouts, and neither walked a batter, with Albright fanning five, while Gray struck out three and, although blowing the save, he picked up the win.
Tyrone Legion used three pitchers. Brooks started, giving up three runs, only one earned in four innings, with one strike out and one walk, Eric Desch tossed an inning and two/thirds, to pick up the loss, before pulling a muscle on his side, allowing three runs, two earned, with two Ks and three walks, and Donnie Hunter got the final out in the sixth, the only batter he faced.
“It wasn’t particularly pretty, but it was a win,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “The most positive thing was we didn’t walk anybody. Our hitting is really bad right now, although Judd (Justin Manning) had a nice day at the plate, scoring two runs, and getting three hits and a walk. Now we jjust need to get everybody else going.”
Martin Oil 6 Tyrone Legion 5
Tyrone Legion – Hunter, ss-p, 4-0-0, Brooks, p-1b, 4-1-1; Desch, 1b-p, 3-0-0; Anders, c-3b, 3-1-2; Taylor, cf, 2-1-0; Moore, 2b, 3-2-2; Smith, 3b-rf, 3-0-0; Bonsell, lf, 3-0-2; Barnhart, rf, 1-0-0; Decker, c, 2-0-0. TOTALS 28-5-7.
Martin Oil – Ju. Manning, 2b, 3-2-3; Ja. Manning, c, 3-0-0; Gray, ss-p, 3-1-1; Davis, cr, 0-0-0; C. Coho, 3b, 3-0-1; J. Coho, pr, 0-0-0; Watters, lf-cf, 3-1-1; Plummer, 1b, 2-1-0; J. Miller, rf, 3-0-0; Albright, p, 2-0-0; A. Miller, lf, 0-1-0; Mock, cf-ss, 3-0-0. TOTALS 25-6-6.
Tyrone Legion 000 113 0 5-7-5.
Martin Oil 200 112 X 6-6-2.
E: Hunter, Anders, Taylor, Smith, Bonsell, C. Coho, Mock.
2B: Brooks, Ju. Manning.
HR: Moore.
RBI: Moore 2, Bonsell 2, Desch, C. Coho 2, Ju. Manning, Gray, J. Miller.
SO: Brooks 1, Desch 2, Albright 5, Gray 3.
BB: Brooks 1, Desch 3.
WP: Gray LP: Desch
