Trailing by one with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Brock Anders propelled the Tyrone Legion to a walk-off victory over recent rival ReMax Realty with a single to left field that scored winning pitcher Tyler Golden and Tyler Gillmen.
ReMax, picked by the majority of George B. Kelley Federation managers to win the league this season, lost for the first time after winning 10-0 in each of their first two games.
One year ago, a win by Tyrone Legion over ReMax Realty would have seemed improbable. ReMax took advantage of a lack of pitching depth to run up the score on Tyrone 22-0.
Tuesday, Tyrone Legion Manager Mike Boytim posted a list of comments made by ReMax coaches and players during the rout, including a comment made by ReMax coaches that the Tyrone Legion did not belong in the league.
As Gillmen slid into home, scoring the winning run, the Tyrone Legion dugout exploded and mobbed Gillmen at home plate.
“This win was probably the most satisfying I’ve had in more than 15 years of organized baseball as a player or coach,” Boytim said. “When the schedules came out, everyone who was a part of what happened last year looked to this game as a chance at redemption.”
Things were business as usual in the top of the first inning for ReMax. Joey Mummert led off with a single, Anthony Williams bunted him to third after he stole second, and John Snyder hit a RBI ground out to give ReMax Realty the early lead.
However, the Tyrone Legion wasted no time breaking ReMax’s string of 11 straight shutout innings to begin the season as Golden and Gillmen singled with one out, moved to third on a wild pitch, and starting pitcher Jamie Levinson brought both runners home with a two-run single.
After a scoreless second inning, ReMax Realty got to Levinson for three runs in the third, an inning highlighted by a Mummert triple and a Nick Perehinec RBI double.
The Tyrone Legion responded by loading the bases with one out and letting ReMax Realty do their work for them. An error by Snyder allowed Tyler Hoover to score, and a walk to Ben Lynn with the bases loaded forced home another run to tie the score at four.
In the fourth inning, Levinson’s tank reached empty on a day which the temperature soared to more than 90 degrees at most points. ReMax posted five runs to take a 9-4 lead, but perhaps the most important aspect of the inning was the one run that did not score. With one out, Tyrone Legion reliever Golden struck out Chris Tromm, but because the ball was in the dirt, Anders had to throw to first for the out. Perehinec, who was on third, tried to score, but Anders blocked the plate and made the tag to end the inning.
Despite ReMax’s five-run inning, momentum and confidence surged throughout the Tyrone Legion dugout, and Golden carried it over to the offense by blasting a solo homerun to begin the bottom of the fourth inning. Gillmen walked, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error. Levinson collected his third RBI of the game by grounding out to shortstop.
Justin Schopp’s triple to score Lynn cut ReMax’s lead to two in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the top of ReMax Realty’s lineup picked up two more runs off Golden to extend their lead back to four to set the stage for Tyrone’s final inning heroics.
“Before the bottom of the seventh, I told the guys that Jesse Hertzler and Ben Lynn were going to set the table, and the top of the order had to clear it,” Boytim said. “I told them we had been scoring runs all day and we had five left in us.”
Hertzler began the rally with a single up the middle and moved to second when Lynn walked. Schopp capped off a three-hit day with a RBI single that moved Lynn to third, and Golden and Gillmen followed with one-run singles of their own. Hoover grounded out to first to move the tying run to third and the winning run to second.
ReMax opted to intentionally walk Levinson, and ReMax hurler Jeff Vaughn got his team within one out of victory by striking out Shayne Tate before Anders’ walk-off single.
“Brock made the two most important plays of this game by blocking home plate and getting the tag on Perehinec and then of course the game-winning hit,” Boytim said. “Despite only being 16, he’s becoming a leader on this team.”
The Tyrone Legion had their projected opening day lineup on the field for the first time this season.
“This games proves that without a doubt, when we have our entire arsenal of players, we are very tough to beat, and no matter what happens the rest of the season, the players should look to this game as proof they can play with anyone,” Boytim said.
The Tyrone Legion (2-1) will resume action Saturday when they travel to Bellwood-Antis to take on Martin Oil at 5:30 p.m.
Sprankle’s Auto Outlet Notes: No one suffered any injuries in the pileup that formed at home plate after the winning run scored… Golden (2-1) has been involved in each pitching decision this year… Tyrone walked seven times, bringing their season total to 22 in only three games… Every Tyrone starter had a hit or scored a run.
Tyrone Legion 12 ReMax Realty 11
REMAX REALTY – Mummert, cf, 4-4-3; A. Williams, 3b-p, 1-1-0; Snyder, ss, 4-3-3; Veckov, rf, 3-0-0; Perehinec, c, 3-1-2; Tromm, 2b, 4-0-1; Vaughn, dh-1b-p, 4-0-0; Milliron, p, 0-0-0; N. Williams, 1b-3b, 2-1-1; Hammaker, pr, 0-0-0; Sheeny, lf, 4-1-0. TOTALS 29-11-10.
TYRONE LEGION – Schopp, cf, 5-1-3; Golden, ss-p, 5-3-3; Gillmen, lf, 4-3-3; Hoover, 1b, 3-1-0; T. Conrad, pr, 0-0-0; Levinson, p-ss, 3-1-1; Tate, rf, 5-0-1; Anders, c, 5-0-2; D. Conrad, cr, 0-0-0; Hertzler, 3b, 3-1-1; Lynn, 2b, 2-2-1. TOTALS 35-12-15.
ReMax Realty 103 502 0 11-10-2
Tyrone Legion 202 210 5 12-15-2
HR: Golden
3B: Mummert, Schopp
2B: Perehinec 2
RBI: Snyder 4, Perehinec 4, A. Williams 2, Tromm, Levinson 3, Schopp 2, Golden 2, Anders 2, Gillmen.
SO: Milliron 5, A. Williams 1, Vaughn 1, Levinson 2, Golden 2.
BB: Milliron 5, A. Williams 1, Vaughn 1, Golden 4, Levinson 1.
WP: Golden LP: Vaughn
