Martin Oil scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning at Stadium Drive field in Bellwood and then spent the rest of the game catching up against Corporal Miller in George B. Kelley Federation baseball on Monday. With a lot of good relief pitching and defense, and some clutch hitting, Martin Oil was able to pull out a 6-5 win.
After finally getting even at 5-5, Martin Oil shortstop Nate Gray led off the home half of the seventh inning with a base hit to left. Gray moved up to second base on a throwing error, before Chad Coho delivered a single to center to score Gray with the walkoff game-winning single.
In all, Coho had three singles and a walk to enjoy a perfect night at the plate. Each single drove in a run.
In the first, Gray walked and stole second, then scored the first tally of the game on a single by Coho.
Cpl. Miller scored all their runs in the next two innings to take the lead.
First, Chris Carper doubled and scored on a single by starting pitcher Shawn Conrad, and Conrad came around to score on a double by Will Snyder.
Then, in the third, leading 2-1, Cpl. Miller scored three times, without a base hit. Ian Pankoke came in to relieve Mike Albright, who pitched the opening two innings for Martin Oil and promptly walked the bases full. Carper got one run home on an RBI groundout to first, and Pankoke got the second out on a strikeout. Conrad walked and Pankoke hit Snyder with a pitch to score the second run of the inning. Jared Coho came in to pitch and walked the first batter to force in the third run of the inning and give Cpl. Miller a 5-1 advantage, before Coho fanned the next hitter for the third out.
Coho then tossed two shutout innings, and Justin Miller pitched two more scoreless innings, giving the Martin Oil offense time to catch up. Coho gave up no hits, with one strikeout and one walk, and Miller, who picked up the victory, fanned four and walked two in two hitless innings. Cpl. Miller was held to just three hits by the four Martin Oil pitchers, all in the second inning.
“Mike, Jared and Justin all did a nice job pitching for us,” said Martin Oil manager Ed Davis. “We were down 5-1 and could have given in. Instead, our pitchers gave us an opportunity to get our bats going, and we took it and got a win. On a negative note, we still managed to give up seven bases on balls and hit a batter. We never seem to get an easy one, we have to do everything the hard way.
“Jared Coho, in particular, did a very good job on the mound, coming in with the bases loaded and limiting the damage, and then pitching two scoreless innings. Justin Miller shut the door and was able to get a win for us, when Nate and Chad got us the run we needed.”
Martin Oil closed the margin to 5-2 in the third inning on a pair of errors by Cpl. Miller, and then tied the game with three runs in the fifth to set up the finish by Gray and Chad Coho.
Justin Manning doubled to open the bottom of the frame and Jimmy Watters singled him to third. Watters stole second to put runners at second and third with nobody down. Gray drove in Manning with a sacrifice fly to center. Coho singled to get Watters home. Adam Kovac drew a walk, before Jake Manning singled to center to score pinch runner Jess Davis with the tying run.
Martin Oil (11-7) plays Locker Room today in a doubleheader. The first game, suspended because of rain and lightning on June 23, has Locker Room up 2-1 and batting in the bottom of the fourth. Then the regularly scheduled game will be played at the conclusion of the first game.
Martin Oil 6 Corporal Miller 5
Cpl. Miller – Russell, lf, 3-1-0; J. Snyder, 2b, 2-1-0; Smith, rf-ss, 2-1-0; Carper, ss-rf, 4-1-1; Murphy, cf, 4-0-0; Conrad, p, 3-0-1; Whipple, cr, 0-1-0; W. Snyder, c, 2-0-1; Gaeto, 3b, 1-0-0; Cheslock, 1b, 2-0-0; Prugar, cr-1b, 1-0-0. TOTALS 24-5-3.
Martin Oil – Ju. Manning, 2b, 4-1-1; Watters, lf, 4-1-1; Gray, ss, 2-2-1; C. Coho, 3b, 3-0-3; Davis, pr, 0-1-0; Albright, p, 1-0-0; Pankoke, p, 0-0-0; J. Coho, p, 1-0-0; Kovac, rf, 0-0-0; Plummer, 1b, 3-0-0; Ja. Manning, c, 3-0-1; J. Miller, rf-p, 3-0-1; Mock, cf, 3-1-0. TOTALS 26-6-8.
Cpl. Miller 023 000 0 5-3-3.
Martin Oil 101 030 1 6-8-0.
E: Russell 2, Carper.
2B: Carper, W. Snyder, Ju. Manning.
RBI: Carper 2, W. Snyder, Conrad, C. Coho 3, Ju. Manning, Gray, Ja. Manning.
SO: Conrad 7, Albright 3, Pankoke 1, J. Coho 1, J. Miller 3.
BB: Conrad 2, Pankoke 4, J. Coho 1, J. Miller 2.
WP: J. Miller LP: Conrad
