Griffins fall in extra innings thriller.
By: Chris Manning | Towanda Daily Review | May 31, 2012 | Photo courtesy Chris Manning
2012 NTL and District 4 News
WILLIAMSPORT - For Sullivan County and Montgomery, Wednesday's Class A District IV semi-final baseballl game was one for the ages.
There were close calls, mistakes that were left uncapitalized, gutsy pitching performances and, ultimately a heartbreak ending for the Griffins as they fell 5-4 in the 8th inning.
"I think my boys played their heart out," Sullivan coach Walt Tubach said. "They wanted it so bad and they worked hard in practice all week and all last week. We made a couple mental mistakes here tonight that we thought we worked through over the course of the season."
Sullivan left 10 runners on base and had four errors in the contest. They also led throughout most of the game, starting out with the momentum but they were hanging on by the skin of their teeth in the second half of the game. Montgomery finally broke through to pick up the win.
Despite the loss Tubach isn't disappointed.
"I'm so proud of the boys," he said. "It's the fourth time they've ever had a team in the playoffs like this. Their is just no more I can say about the boys."
Zach Meyer went all eight innings for Sullivan, throwing 136 pitches in the process. He struck out eight while allowing four walks, nine hits and four earned runs.
"I asked him several times there when he got around 95-100 if he was alright," Tubach remarked. "He's a battler, he's a fighter, as with all the boys. He wanted it, he wanted the ball and as long as he was getting the guys out and the defense was making the outs we was going to let him go. You could tell he was tired but he's a battler and he battled the whole day."
Sullivan got started quickly as Lucas Hatton hit a one out single in the top of the first, followed by a Kelby Mullen hit to move him over. Meyer gave himself a lead as he hit an RBI single to drive in Hatton to put the Griffins up 1-0.
Montgomery battled back in the bottom half of the inning.
Alex Worthington led off with a walk, then went all the way third on an errant pick off throw. Kyle Russell knocked him in with a single to knot things up.
The Griffins threatened again in the second inning as Sean Flannery singled while Barry Heinrich walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Worthington got out of the jam, though, by striking out Hatton.
Meyer struck out the side in the bottom half of the inning.
Sullivan struck again in the top half of the third as Mullen led off with a walk, followed by a steal to second.
Meyer singled into left field, then purposely got himself caught in a pickle between first and second to try and score Mullen. It looked to work but a quick throw home caught Mullen and a run was averted but Meyer took second on the throw.
The inning wasn't over, though, as Conner Wylie was given first base on catcher interference. An error off the bat of Forrest Jordan on a routine groundball scored Meyer to put Sullivan up 2-1. Wylie, though, was caught leaning too far off first at the end of the play and picked off for the second out.
Another routine ground ball, this time off the bat of Tommy Blasi, was Montgomery's undoing as another throwing error ensued and Jordan scored to put the Griffins up 3-1.
Meyer once again retired the side in the bottom half of the inning, getting a little help from his defense this time.
Sullivan threatened again in the fourth as with one out Heinrich hit a bloop into short right field. The outfielder dove but mishandled the ball, allowing Heinrich to reach second.
Worthington would get out of the jam, though, striking out Hatton and Mullen to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, Montgomery got some momentum going.
Garrett Shnyder led off with a double. It was a deep pop fly that Hatton misjudged, putting a runner on second with no outs.
After a sacrifice fly moved him to third, Cameron McHenry brought him in with a single to cut it to 3-2. He would get as far as second before the Griffins stopped the rally.
The Griffins would threaten again in the fifth as back to back doubles by Jordan and Blasi with two outs put runners on first and third. Worthington once again came up big for the Red Raiders as he caught Flannery looking on a called strike three.
In the bottom half of the inning Corey Kriner led things off with a double down the left-field line. He was brought in on a Worthington single to knot things up.
Montgomery would load the bases in the inning with one out but McHenry grounded out into a fielder's choice, followed by Meyer getting Luke Forrestal to strikeout, ended the rally.
The Griffins would get one of those runs back in the sixth as Heinrich singled with one out. He stole second then reached third on a Hatton ground out. With two outs Mullen came through, hitting him in with a single to left field to put the Griffins back up 4-3.
Montgomery threatened in the bottom half of the inning as they had runners in scoring position but the Griffins hung on to their tenuous advantage as Meyer got Russell to ground out to the third baseman. Despite getting runners in scoring position, Worthington was able to keep Sullivan from adding to their lead in the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh Meyer was able to get Shnyder to ground out for the first out but John Goetz singled, followed by Cameron McHenry reaching after being hit by a pitch.
Meyer got McHenry to fly out to center on a routine pop-up. Goetz tagged to head to third and as Hatton transferred the ball from his glove to throwing hand he dropped it. That gave Goetz enough time to score and knot the game up at 4-all and send the game into extra innings.
That's when the Red Raiders went to their ace that they had been saving for Canton in the title game Friday. Shndyer came in and struck out the side in the top of the eighth.
Sullivan stuck with Meyer to start the bottom half of the inning. Tom Goetz led off with a walk with Kriner sacrificing him over to second.
Worthington reached on a an error but Meyer got Russell to strike out for the second out of the inning.
The Griffins intentionally walked Shndyer to load things up to bring up John Goetz. Then, on a 2-2 pitch Meyer hit Goetz in the head, bringing in the winning run.
Montgomery will now face Canton on Friday at Bowman Field with a 4:30 p.m. start.
Mullen went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases while Meyer was 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Heinrich added a 2-for-5 day with a double, run scored and stolen base. Jordan, Blasi and Flannery also had hits with Jordan adding a run scored.
Worthington was strong in the no decision for Montgomery.
He went six innings to strike out 11 while allowing nine hits, three walks and two earned runs. Shnyder gets the win with his one inning of work where he struck out the side.
Kriner had a good day out of the nine spot, going 2-for-4 with a double and run scored. Russell went 2-for-5 with an RBI as well.
Sullivan will now focus on next season where they bring all but two players back. This is a team that's a far cry from the one two season's ago that only picked up a handful of wins.
"You just can't compare how hard these boys have worked," Tubach explained. "They busted their tail since the first part of March when we could practice. Every night they worked hard, there was no monkeying around. They're all battlers. I looked forward to next spring with them and were going to go further next year."
