Martin Oil jumped out to a two-run lead before McMullen Furniture had a chance to bat at Juniata on Sunday, but McMullen used a pair of five-run innings to overcome the Oilers from Bellwood-Antis 13-6 in George B. Kelley Federation action.
Martin Oil opened the first with Andy Brisbin lining a single to right and Chris Alley belting a triple to score him, with both batters hitting the first pitch thrown by McMullen Furniture starter Dan Conrad.
McMullen got on the scoreboard in the second inning when Jake Settle singled and was replaced by courtesy runner Zach Epple. Epple went to second on a single by Bryan Plummer, then advanced to third on passes ball and scored when McMullen attempted a double steal. Plummer was thrown out at second, Matt Albright to Andy Brisbin, while Epple scored on the play.
The hosts took the lead in the third on a bases-loaded triple by Jim Moschella. Zach Haulman singled and Martin Oil starter Chris Alley walked both Tim Eck and Taylor Miller to load the bases. Moschella roped the first pitch for a bases-clearing three bagger and a 4-2 McMullen lead. Mike Weyandt was hit by a pitch and both runners came home when Bryan Plummer singled to left.
Down 6-2, Martin Oil scored a run in the top of the fourth to slice the lead to 6-3. Ryan Kenawell bounced a single over the head of McMullen third baseman Weyandt and scored on a stolen base and two errors.
McMullen put two more tallies up to take an 8-3 lead, before Martin Oil rallied to stay in the ballgame closing to within 8-6.
Dan Kovac, playing his first federation game, ripped an 0-2 pitch to left center for a triple to begin the fifth inning. Brisbin walked and with one out, Albright was safe on an error that scored Kovac. Cubby McCartney slammed a clutch two-out double down the right field line to score Brisbin and Mark DelGrosso courtesy running for Albright.
After cutting the deficit to two scores, however, Martin Oil couldn’t hold off McMullen.
When they needed a quick three outs, Martin Oil allowed four hits and committed two errors. McMullen Furniture added their second five-run rally and then Conrad pitch shutout baseball over the final two innings to earn the complete-game win for McMullen.
Kenawell, who led Martin Oil with two hits in three trips singled to lead off the sixth and Matt Plummer walked with two gone in the seventh, but in both cases, Conrad was able to get out trouble without any damage.
“We can’t stand the prosperity,” was how Martin Oil manager Ed Davis described the game. “We scored early and then fell asleep at bat. Then when we came back and got within two runs, we died again and let McMullen score more runs. Ryan Kenawell had another good game and Ryan McCartney had a big double for us. Chris Alley and Dan Kovac both hit triples. We just have to get it together for our game on Monday against Barkman Oil.”
Moschella and Bryan Plummer both had three hits for McMullen Furniture and Buddy Stotler added two. Moschella had a pair of doubles, a triple and six RBI.
Alley gave up all 13 runs for Martin Oil, 11 earned on 11 hits with four strikeouts and three walks, while Andy Brisbin pitched one and 1/3 innings, giving up one hit, no runs and one strikeout.
Martin Oil (7-8) travels to Martinsburg today for a 6 p.m. start against Barkman Oil.
McMullen Furniture 13 Martin Oil 6
MARTIN OIL – Brisbin, ss-p, 3-2-1; Alley, p-ss, 4-1-1; Albright, c, 4-0-0; M. Plummer, 3b, 3-0-0; McCartney, 1b, 2-0-1; Drost, 2b, 3-0-0; DelGrosso, cr-2b, 0-1-0; Kenawell, cf, 3-1-2; McDaniel, lf, 3-0-0; Kovac, rf, 3-1-1. TOTALS 28-6-6.
MCMULLEN FURNITURE – Miller, ss, 2-3-0; Moschella, cf, 4-1-3; Weyandt, 3b, 3-1-0; Settle, c, 4-0-2; Epple, cr, 0-2-0; B. Plummer, rf, 4-1-3; Mi. Sprouse, lf, 0-0-0; Stotler, dh, 4-1-2; Conrad, p, 3-0-0; Haulman, 1b, 3-1-1; Eck, 2b, 2-3-1. TOTALS 29-13-12.
Martin Oil 200 130 0 6-6-4.
McMullen Furniture 015 250 X 13-12-2.
2B: McCartney 1, Moschella 2, B. Plummer 1.
3B: Alley 1, Kovac 1, Moschella 1.
RBI: McCartney 2, Alley 1, M. Plummer 1.
SO: Alley 4, Brisbin 1, Conrad 8.
BB: Alley 3, Conrad 4.
WP: Conrad LP: Alley.
