Martin Oil opened their George B. Kelley Federation season over the weekend with a pair of victories. The Bellwood-Antis-based crew beat up on Hoss’s at Hollidaysburg 13-2 in six innings on Saturday and then came back and ripped Sheetz 12-5 at Vets Field on Sunday.
Earnie Kelley pitched five strong innings against Hoss’s on Saturday striking out eight and walking two to pick up the win. Kelley made just two mistakes on the mound, walking number nine hitter A. Menard and then threw a pitch that leadoff hitter Heist hit over the left center fence for a two-run home run. Chris Alley threw an inning of relief to complete the triumph.
On the offensive attack, Martin Oil pounded out 15 hits, including three each by Kelley, Brandon Beech and Blaze Winterstein, and two by Alley. Kelley drilled a homer leading off the fourth inning and added a pair of walks to reach base five straight times in the game from his leadoff spot.
Martin Oil scored twice to get the game underway and kept the pressure on from there. Kelley and Beech opened the top of the first with singles and first baseman Brian Dougherty smacked a single through the right side of the infield to score Beech with an big first run of the contest. Alley’s fielder’s choice made it 2-0.
Alley singled home a run in the third inning and then stole both second and third base and cruised home on the second of two Hoss’s errors in the inning as Martin Oil scored four times.
Following Kelley’s fourth-inning dinger, Beech and Alley drilled doubles to score Beech and increase the Martin Oil advantage to 8-2.
Winterstein singled and scored on a two-bagger by Kelley in the fifth. A single by Beech made the lead 10-2.
Martin Oil sent nine batters to the plate, putting three final tallies on the board in the top of the sixth.
Winterstein and Garrett Rabold smacked doubles and Chad Coho drove in a run with a single.
“This was a nice way to start the season,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “Earnie went out and threw five real strong innings, and then Chris came in to finish it out with a strong sixth.
“Our bats were good today and we played pretty good defense for the most part. Brian Dougherty got us started in the first inning with an RBI single. That really helps when you get started early. The Earnie and Beech both had big days at the plate. Drost had some important walks and Winterstein had three hits. The guys just hit the ball around pretty good today.”
On Sunday, Martin Oil used three pitchers and cruised out to a 12-1 lead before Sheetz put together a four-run sixth inning that forced the game to go the regulation seven innings, just when Martin Oil was ready to end it early on the 10-run Mercy Rule.
For the second straight day, Martin oil opened up a lead in the first inning. Kelley walked moved up a ground out by Beech and scored on a single by starting pitcher Kyle Drost. Alley slammed a double to score Garrett Rabold, courtesy running for Drost, then stole third base and scored on a wild pitch.
In the second, Winterstein singled, but was forced by Alex Miller and Dustin Harris walked. Miller stole third and Harris stole second. Both runners scored on a two-out error on a sharply hit ground ball by Drost.
In the third, Alley walked to lead off the frame, stole second and third and scored on a two-out single by Miller. Harris singled and Kelley walked to load the bases. Beech slugged a double to the gap in left center to clear the bases, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple.
Chad Coho was safe on an error to lead off the fifth, and Winterstein singled and went to second when Coho was out at third. Harris doubled to score Winterstein.
Chad Schilling drew a free pass to begin the sixth. Alley singled with two outs and Coho drove a single to center to score Schilling, and Alley scored on a wild pitch.
Sheetz took advantage of a walk and Martin Oil’s only error of the game, combined with four singles to score four times to close the contest to 12-5, but couldn’t get any closer. Justin Adams singled to score one tally and Bryant Steinbugl doubled to score two.
Troy Brunner, the second of three Martin Oil pitchers picked up the win, going three innings, allowing no runs on four hits, with six strikeouts and one walk.
“I kind of figured those guys (Kyle Drost, Troy Brunner and Dustin Harris) would be a little rusty, after not throwing since last year. For Kyle, it’s been two years. We needed to get them some work. All-in-all, they didn’t do too bad. They struggled a bit as we expected, but we saw some good signs. Troy was sharper than what we expected, but we were pleased with all of them.
“Hitting-wise, we were timely again. Alley had a couple good hits, and Winterstein had another good day. It was nice to see Dustin Harris ripping the ball again. It was a win and that’s the important thing.”
