Reedsville staying on pace with Belltown
By RAY WILDE, Sentinel correspondent
POSTED: May 15, 2008
MILROY — The game between Reedsville and Yeagertown on Wednesday night in the Mifflin County Babe Ruth League had upset written all over it.
Reedsville already had beaten Yeagertown in a 10-run rule game, it was raining off and on, and only a small crowd was on hand to see the game. And on top of that, Reedsville has an important game with league leading Belltown on Sunday.
Reedsville jumped off to a 6-0 lead and Yeagertown came right back in the fifth inning to the tie the game, 6-6, before Reedsville pulled out the win, 15-7.
In other games Wednesday, Milroy shut out Strodes Mills, 10-0, and Burnham beat Belleville, 17-7.
The win for Reedsville (9-1) has it in a virtual tie with Belltown (8-0). Reedsville trails by .100 percentage points. Lewistown West is only a game behind at 8-2.
“Give Yeagertown credit for coming back,” Scott Reigel, the Reedsville manager, said, “There coaching staff and players never gave up. But also give our players credit, after being ahead 6-0 and getting tied, our players found a way to come back.”
The big hitters for Reedsville on Wednesday were Ben Wilt and Joseph McElwain. Each just missed hitting for the cycle.
Wilt hit his second home run of the season with a two-run blast in the third inning. He finished with a double and a single and needed a triple for the cycle. Meanwhile, McElwain had a single, double and a triple and he needed a round tripper to complete his cycle. McElwain had four RBIs.
McElwain keyed the comeback with three-run triple in the fifth inning.
Yeagertown scored six runs in the fifth inning to tie the game, 6-6. Reedsville’s Nathan Mayes had a one-hitter through four innings, but in the fifth ran into control problems. Mayes walked the bases loaded and hit Matt Knode forcing in a run.
Reigle then went to one of his ace pitchers, Nathan Walters. Walters worked his way out the jam, but not before he gave up two hits, including a two-run single to Jonathan Bean and an RBI double to Dylan Kauffman.
Jeremy Koller finished for Reedsville. He pitched the last two innings, giving up one run and two hits. Yeagertown finished with just five hits, two from Zane McNitt. The three Reedsville pitchers gave up eight walks and hit two batters.
Koller struck out six, including the last three in the seventh after giving up a single to McNitt. McNitt had Yeagertown’s only extra-base hit, a double in the first inning.
Reedsville finished with 17 hits against four Yeagertown pitchers. Along with the big nights from Wilt and McElwain, Koller and Ross Wagner each had three hits, while Alex Hughes had two hits including a double and three RBI’s.
Milroy 10, Strodes Mills 0
LEWISTOWN — Tanner Kibe pitched five shutout innings as he picked up the win for Milroy Wednesday night as he help Milroy even its record at 4-4.
Kibe struck out seven, walked one and gave up just one hit in his five innings of work. Hunter Narehood and Kyle Gisewhite each pitched one inning.
Strodes Mills (1-6) finished with just two hits, singles from Tyson Searer and Curtis Weston.
Milroy only had seven hits. Ethan Torquato and Gisewhite each had two hits for Milroy, while Cameron Rhoades and Kibe each had doubles. The Rhoades and Kibe doubles came in the fifth inning when Milroy scored two runs and took a 4-0 lead.
Milroy broke open a scoreless game in the fourth inning with three runs thanks to four singles from Torquato, Gisewhite, Josh Maben and Caleb Bailor.
In the seventh, Milroy scored five times as it only had one hit, a Torquato single. Strodes Mills walked three, had three passed balls and committed four errors.
Burnham 17, Belleville 7
BURNHAM — Burnham (3-4) pounded out 17 hits and scored a 17-7 win over Belleville Wednesday night. The game ended after six innings due to the 10-run rule.
Burnham’s Nate Copenhaver and Mike Zoppetti, a rookie, each had three hits, while Seth Wagner, another rookie, and Joe Curry each had two hits. The Zoppetti brothers, Mike and Matt, each had extra-base hits. Matt Zoppetti had a triple, while his younger brother smashed a double. Matt Eddy had a three run single in the third inning to help Burnham take a 10-4 lead.
Curry got the win as he pitched into the fourth inning. He struck out two, walked two and gave up five hits. Wagner finished for Burnham.
Belleville (2-8) had eight hits and half of them came from Lucas White and Josh Rosefsky. White, a 13-year-old, had two singles, while Rosefsky finished with two doubles.
