I decided to just put up my own copy of the Belpr-Fed Hock game I did the other day for Parkersurg. They never put my stories on the web so here it is, there may be some mistakes since I was the only one to edit it.
Special to The News
By Nick Brockman
STEWART, Ohio — The Belpre Golden Eagles baseball team may have ended the season for the Federal Hocking Lancers the past two years in postseason play, but Belpre could not reenact the past on Tuesday night.
Belpre entered with a chance to give Federal Hocking its first loss of the year in Tri-Valley Conference play, but instead left with a 12-7 loss.
Although the game’s first three innings seemed to favor the Golden Eagles, Belpre pitching’s 11 walks finally caught up with the team.
“I think you have to get a wider strike zone than what we had tonight,” Belpre coach Terry Mullen said. “Both teams were squeezed, they just managed to score more runs than we did.”
Federal Hocking coach Rocky Brunty also said it was difficult to adjust to the strike zone.
“I thought it was a game that left a lot to be desired as far as balls and strikes,” Brunty said. “I thought (Lancer starter Jared Gandee) threw a lot of nice pitches that we didn’t get. They threw a lot of nice pitches that they didn’t get.”
The Golden Eagles escaped a jam in the first inning after loading the bases on three straight walks. After the second walk of the inning Mullen removed starter Sean Haverty in favor of reliever Mike Waderker. Waderker walked the first batter he saw, but retired the next three and Belpre allowed just one run.
Mullen said Haverty started because the team’s pitching has been overworked this week and he went with Wederker to prevent a big inning.
“With this team and the way they hit, I didn’t want to get down early,” Mullen said. “Mike came in and shut the door.”
Belpre gained its only lead of the game when the team scored two runs in the top of the third inning. With one out Haverty and Clay Ullman managed back-to-back walks. R.J. Walker moved both runners over on a sacrifice bunt and Mark Tate provided the two-run single to left field to go ahead 2-1.
Federal Hocking responded, however, in its next two at-bats with eight more runs, including seven runs in the fourth inning.
The bottom half of the Belpre batting lineup got it going again in the fifth inning with the Golden Eagles down 9-2. No. 7 hitter Jared Azar reached on a single followed by two straight walks. Walker, the leadoff hitter, then hit an infield single that scored Azar. Belpre scored two more runs on a passed ball and a sacrifice fly, but the middle of the order failed to do more damage.
Belpre’s No. 6-9 also reached consecutively in the sixth inning as the team scored two runs and cut the deficit to 11-7. The rally fizzled again, however, when it reached the top of the lineup.
“That’s where we have been in crucial situations,” Mullen said. “Right now our three, four, five, and six hitters are not hitting the baseball. If they do, they are not hitting it hard.”
The Lancers added a single run in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 12-7. Belpre managed just one base runner in a seventh inning comeback attempt.
After the game, Mullen said it’s important not to let one loss define the season.
“It’s a long season,” Mullen said. “It could be better, it could be worse…You just got to keep at it.”
B 002 032 0 7 6 1
FH 101 721 X 12 7 0
B (4-4, 2-2): pitchers Sean Haverty, Mike Waderker (1), Tyler Watkins (4), and R.J. Walker (6), catcher Mark Tate
FH (5-2, 3-0): pitchers Jared Gandee, Tyler Thompson, and Zach Burke, catcher Dewayne Clark
Start: 5:08 End: 7:30
WP: Gandee LP: Waderker
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