Wildcats ‘Eclipse’ Jersey Shore, 5-2
By Tom Elling
MILL HALL- Whether it was the effect of the solar eclipse or the foreboding clouds, Central Mountain’s baseball team seemed to be in somewhat of a funk the major part of the game against visiting Jersey Shore. Credit Joe Dunn’s team. The Bulldogs came out swinging against Wildcat ace Brady Myers. Brady Depasqua (who played an outstanding shortstop) lead off the game with a solid 0-1 single to left. Starting hurler Hunter Enders followed with a similar smash to left. A Wildcat error and a tro-run double to center off the bat of Jerris Loomis gave Shore a 2-0 start. It could have been worse, but an alert play by catcher Watt Probst tagging Loomis as he tried to score on a ball the flicked off Probst’s mitt kept the third run from scoring. Myers worked out the that bad start with his second strike out.
The damage had been done. The scoreboard showed Shore up 2-zip. That lead would hold for most of the contest. Myers worked out of a jam mostly of his own making, walking an uncharacteristic five batter. He competed hard and rung up nine ‘Ks’ to prevent any further damage. His pitch count was getting near the perilous 100 limit. In the top of the sixth, after giving up a single to Loomis (his second hit) and issuing a base-on-balls to catcher Gideon Dapp, Coach Mike Kramer called on mostly-untested Austin Frank. The rangy right hander got a fly to short center, a comebacker, before loading the bases with a walk. He calmly bore down and recorded a strike-out to retire the side. He kept the deficit to two runs. His clutch effort may have sparked the ’Cats. The heretofore silent bats came to life. Team sparkplug Kevin Grenninger led off with a walk. He moved up a base on a Gardy Fravel single and scooted to third on an outfield error.
With runners on the corners, Blake Walker followed with a two RBI rap past short. At that point Coach Joe Dunn pulled his starter, bringing Zach Myers in to relieve. Myers hit Elek Fravel on his first pitch, The go-ahead run on second and some insurance at first- nobody out.
Connor Foltz looked bad on a bunt attempt, nearly popping out in foul territory. He rectified that near-disaster and delivered a textbook push bunt towards the right of the mound. Myers’ only play was to first. The runners moving up 90 feet. DH Malaky Moyd plated both those with a safety to center. He moved all the way to third on the second Bulldog error and scored on a Watt Probst Sac Fly to dead center. Myers worked out of a bigger jam getting a grounder to first. The resilient Wildcats came back from a very non-productive day to surge ahead by three.
Shore had one final chance, but a confident Austin Frank was in a groove. The RHP whiffed two batters sandwiched around a grounder to short, picking up his first win in his young career.
The final line-score read Wildcats 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 errors; Shore 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 errors.
The Cat’s are now 3-1 with JS dropping to 4-3. Mike Kramer’s team will travel to Sunbury Wednesday to challenge Shikellamy.
After the game, Kramer praised his team for hanging in there when all seemed bleak. “Brady (Myers) kept us in the game. He wasn’t his usual self, but he was able to bear down and do what he could to give us a chance. Our batters finally came to life. Our approach at the plate really needs to improve. Some are trying too hard to hit homeruns.”
Kramer had high praise for his young relief pitcher. “Austin is very composed, especially for a first year varsity player. He is confident and has four pitches he is willing to throw in any count. Jersey Shore is a very good team. (Hunter) Enders did a very good job keeping us off balance. I think Coach Dunn’s team will win a lot of games this season.”
