The big inning played a huge part in Friday afternoon’s 16-4 Bellwood-Antis loss to Claysburg-Kimmel.
The game lasted just five innings, before the 10-run Mercy Rule kicked in, with Claysburg scoring seven in the first inning and nine more in the fourth for all their tallies.
For the second straight contest, the Blue Devils had trouble getting out of the first inning unscathed. On Monday, at Bellefonte it was four runs for the Raiders, when an error and bases-loaded double scored everybody.
On Friday, at Stadium Drive Field, Bellwood, four walks, an error and a bases-loaded double (sounds like we’re repeating ourselves, but it’s true) were responsible for seven scores, six of them unearned.
The big blow was a double to right by Roman Weyant that scored winning pitcher Kaleb Fleck, catcher Aaron Doroba and left fielder Chad Iachini. Number nine hitter Shane Burkett followed with a base hit to left to get Weyant home and give the Bulldogs a big cushion.
B-A sophomore Justin Miller recorded the final out in relief of starting pitcher Josh Kleinfelter and then notched two more scoreless frames, before running out of steam in the fourth. Claysburg scored nine times off Miller and Trey Mock in the inning ti take a 16-1 lead. Bellwood-Antis needed at least one score to keep from losing by the advanced 15-run rule that is in effect at any time during the game at the completion of an inning.
“Justin Miller threw a lot better than he did on Monday against Bellefonte, but then he threw something like 77 pitches on Monday,” said Bellwood-Antis coach Steve Conlon. I’m sure he was tired, but he did a nice job today.”
Bellwood-Antis was able to score three runs in the bottom of the fourth to close to 16-4 to get another chance, but couldn’t manage anything more in the fifth, as Doroba moved from behind the plate to the mound to set the Blue Devils down in order in the fifth.
Brandon Beech, who walked and scored the Blue Devils first run in the second inning, on a sacrifice fly by Nate Gray, knocked Fleck out of the box, literally. Leading off the fourth frame, Beech lined a shot that rocked off the foot of the Claysburg pitcher, causing him to leave the game. After relief hurler Matt Aungst got two quick outs, Trey Mock lined a pitch up the middle to score Beech from second base. Mock moved all the way around to third base on an error by Claysburg and scored on a wild pitch. Designated hitter Alex Miller drew a walk and advanced to second on the wild pitch that scored Mock. Justin Manning, who had half of Bellwood’s four hits then singled to right to get Miller home with the third tally of the inning.
“It seems like we are not ready to play when we first go out there,” said coach Conlon, who is admittedly searching for the answer. “It takes us a couple innings to get into the motion. We have to put that to a stop.
“Justin Manning swung the bat well today. We had some chances, but just couldn’t get enough momentum going.”
Claysburg-Kimmel 16 Bellwood-Antis 4,
5 innings
Claysburg-Kimmel – Claar, 2b, 2-1-1; J. Weyandt, ph, 1-0-0; Claycomb, ss, 1-2-0; Kittle, ph, 1-0-1; Fleck, p, 2-2-1; Aungst, p-3b, 1-0-0; Doroba, c-p, 3-2-0; Nale, cf, 3-1-2; Iachini, lf, 3-2-2; Reffner, rf, 2-2-0; D. Weyandt, ph, 1-0-0; Weyant, 1b, 3-2-1; Burkett, 3b-c, 4-2-2. TOTALS 28-16-10.
Bellwood-Antis – Ju. Manning, 2b, 3-0-2; Kleinfelter, p-lf, 2-0-0; Kelley, cf, 3-0-0; Coho, 1b, 3-0-0; Beech, 3b, 2-2-1; Winterstein, c, 2-0-0; Gray, rf, 1-0-0; J. Miller, p-lf, 1-0-0; Mock, p, 1-1-1; Alley, ss, 0-0-0; A. Miller, dh, 1-1-0. TOTALS 19-4-4.
Claysburg-Kimmel 700 9 16-10-1.
Bellwood-Antis 010 3 4- 4- 2.
2B: Nale, Iachini, Weyant.
RBI: Weyant 3, Fleck 2, Iachini 2, Claar, Claycomb, Reffner, D. Weyandt, Burkett, Gray, Mock.
SO: Fleck 2, Kleinfelter 2, J. Miller 4.
BB: Fleck 2, Aungst 1, Kleinfelter 6, J. Miller 4, Mock 2.
WP: Fleck LP: Kleinfelter
