What a difference 24 hours can make. On Tuesday, Martin Oil scored six times in the bottom of the first inning, and Martin Oil pitcher Earnie Kelley allowed just a game-opening single to Scott Zimmerman, while tossing three shutout innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Then the rains came to wash that game completely off the record.
When the game was finally played on Wednesday night after being rained out twice, the same thing happened, with one exception. Both teams started the same pitcher from the previous night. This time however, it was Barkman Oil/Altoona First that scored five in the first inning and three more in the second to jump out to an 8-4 advantage. This time, there was no rain, although the Martin Oil players stumbled and fumbled through the game as if they were the key characters in your latest nightmare.
On Tuesday, Martin Oil pounded out six runs and six hits in the first inning. On Wednesday, Barkman’s Jeff Curfman limited Martin Oil to seven hits in a seven-inning complete-game victory, adding seven strikeouts and six walks. Through most of the game, it almost seemed as if Martin Oil was sleepwalking.
Starting out with a five-run deficit before they had a chance to bat, Martin Oil attempted several comebacks, but was never able to tame Curfman, the way they did just one night earlier.
Brandon Beech led off the home half of the first with a single and starting pitcher Earnie Kelley walked. Zach Tomchick hit into a fielder’s choice to eliminate Alex Miller, courtesy running for Kelley and sending Beech to third base. Tomchick stole second base before Blaze Winterstein singled to right to get both Beech and Tomchick home.
In the second inning, down 8-2, Martin Oil scored twice to cut the margin in half without the benefit of a base hit. Tyler McClellan walked with one out, and Beech did the same with two gone. With Kelley at the plate, Curfman threw back-to-back wild pitches to get McClellan home and send Beech to third. Kelley was safe on an error that allowed Beech to score.
McClellan doubled with one out, and Beech was safe on an error with two down in the fourth, Tomchick beat out an infield single to lead off the fifth, and Chad Coho singled to begin the sixth. Curfman stranded everybody however, while his teammates added solo tallies in the fourth, sixth and seventh to take an 11-4 lead with Martin Oil down to their final chance in the bottom of the seventh.
Beech doubled to begin the frame and Kelley scored him with a double of his own. Tomchick walked and stole second base. Troy Brunner was safe on an error with Kelley scoring on the play. Coho and McClellan walked to force in Tomchick with the third run of the inning, but Curfman got a strikeout to end the threat and the game.
With the win Barkman/Altoona First (17-7) captures the second seed in the upcoming playoffs, which are scheduled to begin on Friday, July 8, 2005. Martin Oil (16-8) will take the fourth seed.
“There wasn’t anything about this game tonight that you could call positive,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “We got off to the best start of the year last night, only to have it rained out. Tonight, we played like we simply didn’t know how to play the game, especially over the first couple of innings, when Barkman jumped out to a big lead that made it hard for us to fight back. How we do in the playoffs will be determined by which team shows up-the one we looked like last night, or the one we played like tonight.”
Martin Oil will begin the first round of playoffs against McMullen Furniture on Friday at Mansion Park. The best of three game series opener will start at 5:30 p.m.
Barkman Oil/Altoona First 11 Martin Oil 7
Barkman/Altoona First – Zimmerman, cf, 4-2-2; Stiffey, 1b, 4-1-1; Curfman, p, 5-1-1; Johnson, c, 4-4-2; Lafferty, lf, 3-1-2; Detwiler, ss, 4-1-2; Dick, 2b, 2-1-1; Greenleaf, rf, 3-0-1; Will, ph, 1-0-0; Brumbaugh, 3b, 2-0-0; Hamilton, ph, 1-0-0. TOTALS 33-11-12.
Martin Oil – Beech, 2b, 3-3-2; Kelley, p-cf, 3-1-1, Tomchick, rf, 3-2-1; Brunner, lf, 3-0-0; Winterstein, c, 4-0-1; Dougherty, cr, 0-0-0; Alley, ss-p, 4-0-0; Coho, 3b, 3-0-1; Miller, cr-pr, 0-0-0; McClellan, 1b, 2-1-1; Harris, cf-p, 2-0-0; Hostler, ss, 2-0-0. TOTALS 29-7-7.
Barkman/Altoona First 530 101 1 11-12-1.
Martin Oil 220 000 3 7-7-2.
2B: Lafferty 2, Greenleaf, Beech, Kelley.
RBI: Lafferty 3, Johnson, Detwiler, Greenleaf, Will, Winterstein 2, Kelley, Brunner, McClellan.
SO: Curfman 7, Kelley 2, Harris 3, Alley 1.
BB: Curfman 6, Kelley 1, Harris 2, Alley 2.
WP: Curfman LP: Kelley
