What a difference a night makes! Martin Oil scored 10 runs but it wasn’t enough in an 11-10 loss on Monday, to open their semifinal series against Barkman Oil/Russell Trucking. On Tuesday, Martin Oil scored 10 runs again. However, this time, Trey Mock controlled the Barkman batters, limiting them to three harmless singles and only a solo score through the first six innings. Barkman took advantage of two hit batters, a double by Drew Ebersole, and two wild pitches to score a couple seventh-inning runs, but Mock slipped it into another gear, recording a strikeout and popup to end the ballgame with Martin Oil a 10-3 winner. The Martin Oil triumph evened the semifinal series at one-game each and sent the series to a rubber match to be played tonight at Vets Field at 7 p.m., with the winner earning a berth in the George B. Kelley Federation best-of-five championship series against ReMax Realty.
Barkman’s only run over the first six frames, was a Jordan Saylor RBI single that plated Jared Snowberger after the Barkman second baseman had singled and stolen second base in the third inning.
Mock struck out six and walked five, and hit three batters, while throwing 119 pitches, to pick up the win.
“Trey Mock just threw a absolutely fantastic ballgame,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “Trey threw strikes and kept the ball down for the most part. He was able to throw his curve for strikes and that kept Barkman off track.”
Martin Oil opened the scoring with a single tally in the bottom of the second. Justin Miller singled for the first of his three hits, moved around to third base on a pair of ground outs and scored on a balk by Barkman starting pitcher Jacob Russell, that drew a lot of discussion and argument from all invloved.
In the home half of the third, Martin Oil took back a lead they would keep for the rest of the contest.
Nate Gray beat out an infield single, went to second base on a wild pitch, and scored on a single to center by Chad Coho.
In the fourth and fifth, Martin Oil opened the spread to 8-1 with three scores in each inning.
Miller singled to open the fourth, and was replaced by pinch runner Jared Coho. Coho went to third on a throwing error when Russell tried to pick him off first base, and scored on a base hit by Nate Plummer. After Alex Miller was hit by a pitch, Mock helped himself with a single to left that got Plummer home, and Alex Miller scored later on a wild pitch.
In the fifth, Chad Coho doubled with one down. Jimmy Watters walked. Justin Miller’s single scored Coho, and Plummer singled in both Watters and J. Miller.
Finally, Martin Oil added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.
With two gone, Jake Manning singled and Gray belted a home run over the left center field fence.
“The entire team picked up tonight, with 12 hits, and the defense was pretty good. We only had a couple errors and neither led to a run scored. Nate Gray really pounded that home run and Nate Plummer had two hits for the second straight night. Chad Coho and Justin Miller are two of our veterans and tonight they led by example, both getting three hits and scoring two runs.”
Martin Oil 10 Barkman/Russell 3
Barman/Russell – Ewart, rf, 2-1-0; Snowberger, 2b-ss, 4-1-1; Ebersole, 3b-2b, 3-1-1; Saylor, ss-p, 2-0-1; Russell, p-rf, 0-0-0; Simpson, dh, 3-0-0; Flaugh, 1b, 3-0-1; Neil, c, 3-0-0; Hardy, cf, 2-0-0. TOTALS 24-3-4.
Martin Oil – Ju. Manning, 2b, 4-0-0; Ja. Manning, c, 3-1-1; Gray, ss, 3-2-2; C. Coho, 3b, 3-1-3; Watters, rf, 3-1-0; J. Miller, rf, 3-2-3; J. Coho, cr-pr, 0-1-0; Plummer, 1b, 3-1-2; A. Miller, lf, 2-1-0; Mock, p, 2-0-1; Davis, cr, 0-0-0. TOTALS 26-10-12.
Barkman/Russell 001 000 2 3- 4-2.
Martin Oil 011 332 X 10-12-2.
E: Russell, Hardy, Ja. Manning, Plummer.
2B: Ebersole, C. Coho.
HR: Gray.
RBI: Saylor, Plummer 3, Gray 2, C. Coho, J. Miller, Mock.
SO: Russell 1, Saylor 1, Mock 6.
BB: Russell 4, Mock 5.
WP: Mock LP: Russell