Two and out
Beverly/Lowell ousted from Legion state tourneyBy Ron Johnston, rjohnston@mariettatimes.com
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THE PLAINS - A timely hit here and there might have benefitted the Beverly/Lowell American Legion baseball team.
As it was, Post 389/750 stranded 15 baserunners en route to a 6-5 setback to Portsmouth Post 23 in a 2009 Ohio American Legion State Tournament elimination game at Athens High's Rannow Field in The Plains Tuesday.
Beverly/Lowell exits with a 17-20 record, while Portsmouth now advances to another elimination game against Wickliffe Post 7 at 9:30 a.m. today.
"We had our chances," said Post 389/750 shortstop Tyler Stevens, who finished his American Legion baseball career with two hits, including a double, and one RBI.
"We had the bases loaded and runners in scoring position - and just didn't take advantage of it. We just didn't catch any (breaks)."
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Beverly/Lowell got the potential tying and game-winning runners on base on two-out singles by Chad Stengel and Tyler Spence. But Evan Brockmeier, who had already had three singles and scored three runs in the contest, flew out to center field to end the contest.
"We kept ourselves in the game, and we fought hard the whole time," said Brockmeier, who will be continuing his education and playing baseball at Marietta College next school year. "It's a real tough loss to take. We did all that we could but just couldn't come up with the hits at the end."
Brockmeier, the ace of the staff, suffered the mound loss. In seven innings of work, the Post 389/750 right-hander fanned seven, walked seven, and allowed six hits and five runs, one of which was unearned. He also picked off two Post 23 baserunners.
"I thought we had the right guy out there," said Beverly/Lowell skipper Todd Engle, who guided the 2006 Post 389/750 team to an Ohio American Legion state title. "He threw a lot of pitches, but again I think that a lot of that can be attributed to our lack of offensive output, too. Because, there are times as a pitcher, you're trying to do a little too much. He's trying to put us on his back and lead us. He's out there, running the bases. He's scoring, and taking extra bases and stuff - and I worried about that. Usually, I DH for the pitcher just for that reason. But Evan, he's one of them who likes to stay out there and play."
Stengel relieved Brockmeier in the eighth inning, and gave up one unearned run. Brockmeier moved over to second base.
Righty Dakota Luster relieved starter John Morrissette in the sixth inning and picked up the win. He struck out five, walked three, and allowed six hits and two runs, one of which was unearned.
"We're not real deep pitching-wise," said Portsmouth skipper Jack Branon. "So we were just trying to mix and match a little bit. Dakota got 'em on, then he got 'em out.
"The scary thing is, the eight and nine hitters (Stengel and Spence, respectively) get basehits, and that brought up Brockmeier, probably their best player, and he did his job. He hit the ball well, but (Zach) Bukiewicz ran it down."
Beverly/Lowell staked itself to a 1-0 first-inning advantage when leadoff batter Brockmeier singled, went to second on a throwing error by the Portsmouth catcher, stole third, and then legged it home on Stevens' groundout to short.
In the top of the second, Portsmouth plated three runs, one unearned, to take a 3-1 lead. Wes Loop doubled home one run; another scored on a Brockmeier wild pitch; and the third came in on Bukiewicz's suicide squeeze bunt.
After the second inning, Brockmeier settled down and tossed four consecutive scoreless frames.
Meanwhile, Beverly/Lowell got two runs in the third to tie the score at 3-all. Leading off, Brockmeier beat out an infield hit. Stevens followed with a double to left, putting baserunners in scoring position. One out later, Michael Bauman delivered a clutch double to right-center to drive in both Brockmeier and Stevens.
During the fifth and sixth innings, Post 389/750 filled the bases both times but came away empty. In the fifth, Post 23 shortstop Adam Wamsley made a nice catch of Mason Lang's blooper to left, which probably would've scored two runs if it had dropped.
Portsmouth regained the advantage in the seventh when Nick Kemper's slow roller to the right side of the infield plated Wamsley. Post 23 also scored on a double steal of second and home, making it 5-3.
In Brockmeier's last inning of work on the hill, he walked three batters.
"Around the sixth and seventh, my legs were getting tired," he said.
Portsmouth sretched its lead to 6-3 in the eighth on Bukiewicz's RBI single to left.
But in the bottom half of the frame, Beverly/Lowell battled back and reduced the deficit to one when Stengel raced home on an error, and Brockmeier scored on Bauman's infield hit.
Beverly/Lowell is expected to lose just four players from its 2009 18-man roster - Justin Pettit, Lang, Spence, and Stevens. Fourteen of them will be eligible to compete in 2010.
"I love the character of this team," Engle said. "I love this team to death. I think we learned some stuff that's been invaluable to us, especially the kids coming back next year. These kids love the game of baseball. As a coach, that makes your job much more enjoyable."
