LEWISTOWN - Mifflin County's Central Penn League matchup with Bellefonte certainly wasn't one to use for a defensive highlight reel.
After committing six errors Sunday against Clarence in a lopsided loss, Mifflin County's sloppy fielding was back at it against the Bandits Monday.
A total of 10 errors between the two teams - eight committed by Mifflin County - led to a 4-1 win for visiting Bellefonte Monday. Two of the four Bandit runs were unearned.
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Sentinel photo by BRADLEY?KREITZER
Mifflin County’s Evan Pupo (13) leaps into the air for the ball as Bellefonte’s Dylan Moerschbacher slides into second base Monday evening in Lewistown.
With the loss, Mifflin County Legion drops to 8-13. The locals with travel to Frederick, Md., Thursday and stay through the weekend for a wood bat tournament.
"They were not particularly difficult plays to make," Mifflin County coach Larry Wolfe said of the muffs.
With all the second chances Bellefonte was getting, the bats needed to be out for Mifflin County. They weren't. Mifflin County had only two hits, one from Cy Treaster and one from Hayden Snook, against Bellefonte's Tyler Sunday.
"I think we know we're not hitting the ball well and the guys are putting a little pressure on themselves to not make mistakes," Wolfe said. "That's not a good way to play baseball."
Sunday was very effective for the Bandits. He finished going seven strong innings with five strikeouts and no walks.
Mifflin County used a pair of pitchers: Zach Yetter, who started, and Heath Hidlay. Yetter pitched the first three innings, allowing one run. Hidlay entered in the fourth and that's when the wheels seemed to come off for Mifflin County defensively.
The locals were able to match Bellefonte's one run in the third. Joey Knepp reached on an error and eventually moved his way to third by way of another error and a passed ball.
Knepp was then brought in by Isaac Strohecker's sacrifice fly for Mifflin County's only run. Mifflin County didn't have a hit in the inning, but managed to get one across.
"I don't know what it is," Wolfe said. "We just struggle to hit the ball and we don't have anyone that's delivering for us."
Bellefonte's Seth Weaver singled to open the fifth. He was followed by Brandon Quay reaching on an error. Weaver tried to advance to third on the play but a throw from Yetter, who was now playing at first, sailed wide of third base and allowed Weaver to score.
Kevin Tate then brought home Bellefonte's third with win a single.
And Mifflin County's defensive woes weren't finished there.
With the score 3-1 in favor of Bellefonte, two errors on the same play by Mifflin County led to the final run for Bellefonte. Zach Williams reached on a throwing error and was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt. Williams then tried to steal second. The throw from Treaster, Mifflin County's catcher, sailed into left field, allowing Williams to score easily.
"Any mistakes we make we're paying for it," Wolfe said. "We just can't give people extra bases and that's what we've been doing."
Mifflin County was very aggressive at the plate, allowing Sunday to work through some pretty quick innings. A lot of times the local batters were jumping at the chance to hit the first pitch.
Certainly aggressiveness is something that is nice to have, but how much is too much?
"We don't want to take away their aggression but we'd like to see them wait and see a better pitch," Wolfe said. "On the other hand sometimes you have to jump on the first pitch."
