A mercy victory: Beverly/Lowell downs Tuscarawas, 14-4

BEVERLY - Beverly/Lowell slugged four home runs to improve its winning streak to 22 games in a 14-4 victory over Tuscarawas Friday.

In the bottom of the sixth with a 10-4 lead, Nick Spurr and Eli Lenington each singled. Spurr came around to score on Austin Campbell's single to center field, and Lenington would score on a wild pitch. With Campbell on third, Proctor came to the plate and hit his second long ball of the game, to put Todd Engle's squad up 14-4 for a mercy.

"(Proctor) hit 18 home runs for us last year," Engle said. "With the bats toned down, we haven't hit as many this year. The kids were excited to come back home in front of our fans, although our fans have traveled with us most of the year. They do great job of coming out in the heat and humidity to support us."

Article Photos

JORDAN HOLLAND The Marietta Times
Beverly/Lowell’s Tyler Proctor (11) is greeted at home plate after slugging his first of two home runs against Tuscarawas in American Legion baseball action at Fort Frye High Friday. B/L won 14-4.

Beverly/Lowell (31-4) got off to an early start. In the bottom of the first, Proctor reached on an error, and scored on Landon Kern's two-run homer to right field.

The home team would tack on three more in the bottom of the third. After a walk to Kern, Clay Ullman hit the second home run of the day for Post 389/750, a shot over fence in left-center field. Grosel followed with a walk, advanced to second on a ground out by Spurr, and to third on a Zach Eddy single. Grosel would score on Eli Lenington's single to left field, giving Beverly/Lowell a 5-0 advantage.

The Panthers got two back in the fourth. Ryan Froman led off the inning with a single to left-center, followed by a single to right center from Mitch Smith. Zane Shuss brought in Froman with a double to center field, and Smith scored on a ground out to make the score 5-2.

Beverly/Lowell quickly got those runs back and more, putting up a three spot in the bottom half of the fourth. Proctor started the rally with a solo home run, his first of the day. Ullman reached on an error and scored on a double by Spurr, and then Spurr scored on Eddy's single to extend the lead to 8-2.

Tuscarawas scored two more in the fifth, one on a long ball from Froman to left field, and the second on an RBI double from Shuss that brought in Smith.

With an 8-4 lead, Beverly/Lowell scored two in the fifth. Wes Hatfield, who singled, and Kern, who reached on a fielder's choice, would each score on a double from Ullman to left fielder to make it 10-4.

B/L would tack on the four runs in the sixth to close the game out.

Evan Sawyer started on the mound and picked up the victory. The south paw went five innings, striking out one and walking three. Ben Barnas pitched a perfect sixth inning, striking out the side.

Brandon Fox was tagged with the loss for the Panthers, going four innings with two punch outs and four free passes. Brady Natoli pitched 1.2 innings of relief, striking out two and walking one.

The victory extended Beverly/Lowell's streak to 22 games, something Engle said he has not been a part of before.

"The year we won state (2006), we went something like 44-9, but we never rattled off 20 in a row," Engle said. "It's something we haven't really talked about much. We just go out and try to win every inning."

When asked, Engle only made one comparison between the '06 team and this year's team. "This team has a chance to something special, much like the team in '06 did," Engle said.

Post 398/750 will try to make it 23 and 24 in a row Sunday, when they play a double header against Cambridge in Beverly.