Playing for the eighth time in 10 days, Martin Oil fell behind 3-0 after the first inning at Martinsburg on Saturday, before falling to Barkman Oil/Altoona First 5-2.
With Martin Oil pitcher Chad Coho getting his first start, Barkman took advantage of walks to Andrew Zimmerman and Kody Stiffy to begin the bottom of the first. Zimmerman stole second and third base and Stiffy second to put runners at second and third with nobody out. After Coho fanned Jeff Curfman for the first out, Caleb Johnson scored Zimmerman with an infield single, Nate Detwiler got Stiffy home with a fielder’s choice and winning pitcher Andrew Lafferty scored Detwiler by lining a double to left.
After the opening inning, Coho settled down, making just one mistake, a pitch that Zimmerman hammered for a two-run home run in the fifth. Ryan Blough had bunted for a base hit with one out, and scored in front of Zimmerman.
Alex Miller got Martin Oil going in the top of the third inning, going to the opposite field to smack a double to right. Brain Dougherty grounded to third and when first baseman Detwiler threw the ball away trying to throw back to third to get Miller, the ball went over the fence along the third base line to allow Miller to score.
In the sixth inning, Brandon Beech opened the frame with a double. Earnie Kelley followed with a single up the middle and Zach Tomchick drove in Beech with a single to center. Martin Oil wasted a chance for further damage however, with Curfman, pitching in relief of Lafferty retired the next three batters in order.
Martin Oil put base runners on in every inning but the seventh, but a caught stealing was the final out of the second inning and Barkman/Altoona First pulled off double plays in the third, fourth and fifth innings to minimize any further scoring by Martin Oil.
Although Barman/Altoona First stole three bases between their first two batters in the first inning, they were unsuccessful in their only two steal attempts after that. Martin Oil catcher Blaze Winterstein gunned down attempts in the third and sixth innings. Martin Oil also pulled off one double play of their own- Beech-to Miller-to Troy Brunner to end the fourth inning.
“We have been playing a lot of games in a row and have had to go with several of our starters working or on vacation,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “Chad Coho pitched one heck-of-a-game today for his first start ever, anywhere. He had a little bit of a rough start, but then settled down and pitched a beautiful game, giving up just two runs over the last six innings. We missed some opportunities to score and that kept us from making a closer ballgame of it. We just have to keep going, and do the best we can. We have five more games this week.”
Martin Oil (6-4) plays Tyrone Legion at the Harry K. Sickler Athletic Complex today, at 6 p.m.
Barkman Oil/Altoona First 5 Martin Oil 2
Martin Oil – Beech, ss, 2-1-1; Kelley, cf-1b, 3-0-1; Tomchick, rf, 3-0-1; Brunner, 1b-3b, 2-0-0; Winterstein, c, 3-0-0; Coho, p, 2-0-0; Harris, lf-cf, 2-0-1; Miller, 3-1-1; Dougherty, 3b, 2-0-0; McDaniel, cr-lf, 1-0-0. TOTALS 23-2-5.
Barkman/Altoona First – Zimmerman, cf, 2-2-1; Stiffey, lf, 1-1-0; Curfman, ss-p, 3-0-0; Johnson, c, 2-0-1; Ewart, cr, 0-0-0; Detwiler, 1b, 3-1-1; Lafferty, p, 2-0-1; England, cr, 0-0-0; Peppetti, rf, 0-0-0; Lanzandorfer, 3b, 3-0-0; Dick, 2b-ss, 0-0-0; Talbott, dh, 2-0-0; Blough, rf-3b, 2-1-1. TOTALS 20-5-5.
Martin Oil 001 001 0 2-5-1.
Barkman/Altoona First 300 020 X 5-5-2.
2B: Beech 1, Miller 1, Lafferty 1.
HR: Zimmerman 1.
RBI: Tomchick 1, Zimmerman 2, Johnson 1, Lafferty 1.
SO: Coho 1, Lafferty 1, Curfman 3.
BB: Coho 4, Lafferty 4.
WP: Lafferty LP: Coho.
