Tyrone manager Tom Coleman had a message for his team in the moments after its 11-1 five-inning victory over Southern Huntingdon yesterday at the Harry K. Sickler Sports Complex.
“Enjoy it, but remember: tomorrow it doesn’t mean anything,” he said, referring to the Eagles’ game today on the road against Williamsburg.
It was a poignant statement because if Coleman has learned anything over his first five years as Tyrone’s skipper, it’s that fast starts don’t mean much come May, as evidenced last year when the Eagles opened 7-2 only to finish 11-8.
But then again, a quick start isn’t a bad thing if you can maintain the momentum, and there was a lot of it to ride after the Eagles’ 10-run rule suspended victory. Case in point: if senior Clint Wilson can stay anywhere near the form he displayed against the Rockets, he’s in for a special, special season.
The 6-3 lefty started on the hill and tossed a complete-game two-hitter, striking out four and walking only one. At the plate, he went 2-for-3 with two extra-base hits – including a fourth-inning homer – and four RBI.
It wasn’t the first time Coleman saw a senior open his final season with a strong showing, but he was impressed with Wilson’s control over all facets of his game in just the third outdoor work for Tyrone this spring.
“Clint is the kind of kid that gives 100 percent whether it’s in practices or games,” Coleman said. “Offensively, he’s going to be a really tough out, and pitching-wise, he calmed down and just threw strikes after looking a little anxious in the first inning.”
Wilson was one of four players with two hits as the Eagles pounded two Rocket pitchers for 11 hits. Junior first baseman Buddy Stottler went 2-for-2 with two runs and a pair of doubles, and Brice Mertiff had two hits and scored three runs. Mertiff, Ben Gummo and Brit Mingle each drove in a two runs as the Eagles rung up six extra-base hits.
But more importantly for Coleman, Tyrone committed just one error on a drifting fly ball near the right field foul line that mixed up Mingle and Mertiff in the third inning. But unlike last year, when an error often meant the start of a rally, the Eagles regrouped and never let the miscue translate into runs.
“If we don’t commit errors and make mental mistakes, we’re going to win a lot of games,” Coleman said. “Even after our one error, the team calmed down and got out of the inning without any damage. Defensively, I thought we were solid.”
Nathan Stains took the loss for Southern, lasting only two innings and surrendering 3 runs. He allowed three hits and walked two.
Brandon Shope came on in the third and allowed six runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings of relief.
Wilson was aggressive early, fanning four of the first six batters he faced. But Matt Baer’s infield single, combined with a walk, a wild pitch and a passed ball allowed Southern to score first and lead 1-0 into the second inning.
That was when the Eagles’ bats came to life, as Tyrone scored five runs in the frame with two outs. Mertiff – batting lead-off this season after spending last year anywhere from 3 through 5 – brought home Tyler Gillmen with a double, Gummo doubled to plate two more, and Wilson made it 5-1 with Tyrone’s third two-bagger of the inning, bringing home two more.
The Eagles made it 8-1 in the fourth with an RBI double by Mingle and Wilson’s two-run homer, a monster shot over the 365-foot-deep right field fence on a 1-0 count.
Tyrone ended it an inning later with three more runs, this time on a single by Mertiff, a sacrifice fly by Mingle and a bases-loaded walk delivered to Gillmen.
All the while, Wilson had the game well under control from the mound, at one point retiring 12 of 14 batters on his way to his first varsity victory.
Wilson also got some help in the field, most notably from Mertiff. Playing at second this season after switching from shortstop, Mertiff handled three hot liners for fly outs over the second and third innings, and recorded seven putouts with no errors.
GAME NOTES: Ben Gummo is scheduled to start against the Blue Pirates … sophomore Tyler Golden singled in his first varsity at-bat … Wilson and Mertiff figured in on 13 of Southern’s 15 total outs … only one ball hit by the Rockets made it our of the infield.
Tyrone 11 Southern Huntingdon 1
SOUTHERN HUNTINGDON – Everhart, cf, 3-0-0; Baer, 2b, 3-1-1; Kuhns, c, 1-0-0; Stains, p, 0-0-0; Shope, p, 0-0-0; Traxler, dh, 2-0-0; Yohn, 1b, 2-0-0; Wertman, lf, 2-0-1; Welsh, rf, 2-0-0; Schnarrs, ss, 2-0-0. TOTALS: 14-1-2.
TYRONE – Mertiff, 2b, 4-3-2; Gummo, ss, 3-1-2; Mingle, rf, 2-2-1; Wilson, p, 3-0-2; Lynn, cr, 0-1-0; Soellner, c, 4-0-0; Gillmen, 3b, 3-1-1; Maceno, lf, 3-0-0; Stottler, 1b, 2-2-2; Clark, cf, 2-0-0; Golden, cf, 1-1-1. TOTALS: 27-11-11.
S. HUNTINGDON 100 00X X – 1- 2-2
TYRONE 050 33X X – 11-11-1
2B: Stottler 2, Mertiff, Mingle, Wilson
HR: Wilson
RBI: Wilson 4, Mertiff 2, Gummo 2, Mingle 2, Gillmen
SO: Wilson 4, Stains 1, Shope 4
BB: Wilson 1, Stains 2, Shope 2
WP: Wilson LP: Stains.
