Wildcat baseball off to 6-0 start

MILL HALL, PA – The Central Mountain baseball program, historically good, is doing even better so far in the young 2023 season. The Wildcats of Coach Mike Kramer rolled to a 6-0 start with a 6-0 win Wednesday over visiting Jersey Shore.

As has been the case with the team’s perfect start, pitching has been outstanding. And it was again at Mill Hall Community Park Wednesday, Chase Brush and Brady Myers combining on a nifty 3-hitter. That showing followed a Monday combined no-hitter from Cru Stover and Ashton Bennett in a 14-1 win over Shamokin.

For the season the Wildcats have outscored their opponents by a 58-10 clip and five of those 10 runs came in their season-opening 7-5 win at State College.

For Brush Wednesday was the senior’s best performance so far: five shutout innings, giving up only three hilts, only one of which made it to the outfield; he briefly lost his command in the second inning as Jersey Shore used two walks and an infield single to load the bases, but Brush got a fielder’s choice and a groundout to end the threat. He struck out nine and walked just the two batters in inning two.

Myers followed with two perfect innings, striking out four, including all three batters in the game’s final inning.

Coach Kramer said Brush “found his command” as the game went on; “attacked and it worked out for him.” As for Myers who is unscored on so far this year, the coach said his junior hurler works hard and has “the mentality” to be successful this year and in the future.

Meanwhile Bulldog starter Conor Griffin kept his team in the game which was scoreless into the bottom of the third when the Wildcats punched across three runs. Gardy Fravel started with a single and Nate Helms walked; Kevin Grenninger loaded the bases with a bunt single. The first run scored on a Gabe Johnson groundout, another on wild pitch.

CM added a single run in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk to Braylen Corter and two in the sixth off three straight hit batters following two walks.

Three ‘Shore pitchers held CM to six hits, three of them bunts (two from Connor Foltz, one from Grenninger). Levi Schlesinger had a double, Grenninger with two hits, Foltz with two and Fravel with a single.

‘Shore hits came from Griffin, Gage Martzall and Ian Carlin.

The Wildcats are off until Tuesday when they host Loyalsock (2-2-1). Jersey Shore dropped to 0-5 with the loss. The Bulldogs are off until next Tuesday when they host Lewisburg.

JS    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 0-3-1

CM 0 0 3 0 1 2 x = 6-6-1