Errors doom Sayre in 6-2 loss to Millville.
By: Chris Manning | Towanda Daily Review | June 2, 2016 | Photo courtesy Chris Manning
2016 NTL and District 4 News
WILLIAMSPORT — Going into the district title game Sayre coach Jon Pack felt his team was the better team on paper.
But games are won on the field.
And unfortunately for the Redskins they had their worst game of the season in their 6-2 loss to Millville in the District IV, Class A title game.
"No doubt in my mind were the better team on paper but at the end of the day you've got to come out and perform," said Pack. "We didn't do that."
Defensively they committed six errors, botched a couple fly balls and threw the ball into pretty much every corner of the field.
"We had our worst defensive game of the year," Pack remarked.
Offensively they didn't get that one hit they needed to get back into the game, leaving nine runners on base.
"We had a couple spots where we could have clawed back in," said Pack. "We left bases loaded a couple times but unfortunately we weren't able to scratch anything across. We had our chances to tack some runs on; when were down 4-2 we had a chance and when we were down 6-2 we had a chance."
The loss overshadows a tough outing by Jordan Rockwell.
The sophomore pitcher didn't allow an earned run, going six innings to throw 82 pitches with four strikeouts. He allowed seven hits and two walks.
"He pitched very well," Pack said.
Matt Williams went the final inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced as he retired the side.
In fact Sayre couldn't have asked for a better start to the game.
After a scoreless first inning John Esposito and Rockwell led off the bottom of the second with back to back hits to put runners on first and third.
James Esposito then put a hard ground ball into play that bounced off the third baseman's glove that allowed John Esposito to score.
They threw home to try and get John but it was too late. Millville's catcher Trent Longenberger than threw to third base to try and get Rockwell but put it in the outfield.
That allowed him to run home and put the Redskins up 2-0 with no outs.
And it looked like Sayre wasn't done as Jake Goodrich reached on a fielder's choice when he sacrificed James over to third.
James was safe but Goodrich went for second and got thrown out for the first out of the inning.
After another out Sayre loaded the bases but Millville pitcher Britton Kittle got Williams to ground out for the final out.
It looked like 2-0 might be safe as Rockwell was lights out the first time through the Millville line-up, allowing just one hit.
With two outs in the top of the third the top of order came back up for Millville and that's when they got their offense cooking.
Singles by Kelly Holdren and Tyler Johnston put runners on first and second. Rockwell then issued a walk to Kittle to load the bases.
That's when it was Sayre's turn to be struck by a calamity of errors.
Longenberger hit a ground ball to John Esposito at short stop that got through, scoring Holdren and Johnston.
Kolten Smith then scored as Sayre's centerfielder Chris Ray tried to get him at third but threw it past the base.
Longenberger then tried for home but the throw got past Nate Sweet at home allowing him to clear the bases to give the Quakers a 4-2 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning it looked like Sayre would respond as Hanafin hit a lead-off double but was ultimately stranded at third.
In the top of the fourth the errors continued for Sayre as Millville's Kody Eyer was able to reach on an outfield miscue.
The Quakers would get runners on first and third with one out but Sayre got out of it as Rockwell caught a little pop up then threw to first for the double play.
Millville would strike again in the top of the fifth as Holdren led off with a double.
Rockwell would get Johnston to ground out but Williams threw to third to try and get Holdren but it was off the mark allowing Holdren to score and make it 5-2.
Kittle would then double but was ultimately stranded on third.
The Redskins got going in the bottom half of the inning as Williams hit a 1-out single.
Then with two outs he reached second on an overthrow to first, followed by John Esposito walking to put two runners on.
Rockwell hit a single to left field and Williams came around to score.
But the Quaker outfielder Eyer gunned him out at home to end the threat.
Millville then tacked on another run in the top of the sixth as Eyer hit a 1-out double that was a high pop up in short left field that happened to fall between all the Sayre defenders.
An error off the bat of Greg Lyons by Sam Wheeler allowed Eyer to score to make it 6-2.
Sayre's best chance to get back into the game then came in the bottom of the sixth.
James Esposito led off with a walk followed by Colby Sindoni, now hitting for Goodrich, reaching on an error to put runners on first and second.
Ray would reach on a fielder's choice that got Sindoni out at second but establish runners on the corners with one out.
Wheeler then got beaned to load the bases for Sweet.
Millville buckled down defensively as Sweet hit a hard ground ball to Lyons, who tagged third base then threw to first to beat Sweet by half a step for the double play to end the inning.
Sayre went down in order in the bottom of the seventh and Millville claimed their first district title.
Rockwell was 2-for-3 to lead Sayre while Williams, Hanafin and John Esposito had the other hits.
Britton Kittle went the distance for Millville but it was a struggle.
He threw 122 pitches in seven innings of work and was at 64 pitches through three innings.
He struck out two while allowing five hits, four walks and two hit batsmen.
An outing that almost didn't happen as Millville had a relief pitcher warming up in the second inning.
"I think if they didn't score four (runs) in the third inning they would have pulled him," Pack said. "Obviously that changed the whole thing, you're obviously going to ride your ace as long as you have the lead."
Early on Sayre batters took Kittle deep into counts, especially Hanafin, who forced Kittle to throw 11 pitches in his first at bat.
"He labored the first two (innings)," remarked Pack. "He was rattled, he's not used to getting hit like that but then like I said, we give them four runs back and he settled down."
Eyer (2-for-3) and Holdren (2-for-4) led Millville at the plate.
Ultimately Pack hopes that this game will motivate his young team as he gets back all of his starters next season.
"If that's not then I don't know what is," he remarked. "You hope they use it positively and come back with that mindset that it's gold or bust next year."
