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Phils fall to Hollidaysburg
Friday, June 15, 2012
By Jaclyn Yingling Sports Editor
PHILIPSBURG - After scoring two runs in the bottom of the first, the Philipsburg American Legion baseball team looked like it might have an easy time with visiting Hollidaysburg on Thursday evening.
But Hollidaysburg had other ideas, scoring five unanswered runs en route to a 5-2 victory over the Phils.
Philipsburg had four errors in the game, and just one of Hollidaysburg's runs was earned.
Phils' starting pitcher Caleb Pepperday went 3 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and four walks while giving up just one earned run.
"I told the guys, ‘I believe this year we are the best team in the league,' " said Philipsburg manager Dusty Minarchick. "I'm going to continue to believe that. We just need to make sure that we learn from this game.
"These guys are still getting familiar with each other. We have a lot of different guys from different schools. Once these guys get together and start playing together, we are going to be good. It's just a matter of time."
The Phils got on the board early, taking advantage of two miscues to score two runs. Robbie Smith led off the frame with a walk before coming home on a wild pitch by Hollidaysburg pitcher Jason Douglas.
Curtis Baugh reached base on a dropped third strike, then later scored when Pepperday drew a bases-loaded walk.
The Phils left three runners stranded though, as Douglas got a strikeout to end the inning.
Hollidaysburg finally got on the board in the third, scoring its only earned run of the game. T.J. Krol singled and moved to third on a double by Tanner Claar before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Trent Sipes.
Philipsburg appealed to the umpire that Krol left early on the fly ball, but he was ruled safe by the home plate umpire.
Pepperday was able to limit the damage, leaving runners on first and third after getting Eric Miller to pop up to second.
"Caleb pitched a great game," Minarchick said. "He came and did the job. He was working ahead of hitters and he got us out of a couple of jams. You can't ask for much more than that. He only gave up three runs and that's not really a whole lot."
Hollidaysburg took the lead in the fourth, as leadoff batter Macky Power reached on an error. Thayne Russell had a one-out single to move him to second before a two-run triple by Claar plated both runners.
That gave the visitors a 3-2 lead and chased Pepperday from the game. He was relieved by Greg Belko, who threw just one pitch to get out of the inning.
The pitch was a strike, but Claar got caught off third and tried to come home. Smith got him caught in a rundown that went through seven different throws before Claar was tagged out diving into home.
Meanwhile, Douglas seemed to get better on the mound. He carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning before it was broken up by a dribbler down the third-base line from Belko. Belko had the Phils' lone hits on the day.
After throwing a total of 41 pitches in the first, he needed just 42 to get through the next four innings.
"He pitched a real good game," said Minarchick of Douglas. "He kind of gave us those two runs in the first inning, and we were just really never able to start anything else today.
"That happens sometimes. You have your ups and your downs, and today was just a down day. We are going to learn from this and move forward, and start scrapping for more runs."
Hollidaysburg added unearned runs in both the fifth and seventh inning. Both runs were helped out by an error in each frame.
The Phils' chance to rally in the bottom of the seventh was quickly cut short by a double play. The final batter struck out to set the final at 5-2.
"Belko came in and shut it down, too," Minarchick said. "He gave us a chance to win. That's all we can ask for. Defensively, we had a couple of miscues, but we are going to learn from it."
Philipsburg dropped to 1-1 overall and travels to Mifflin County on Saturday.
Hollidaysburg-5
Claar ss 2022, Sipes 2b 1001, Sell rf 3010, Douglas p 3000, Miller 3b 4220, Power c 2112, Defay 1b 4010, Russell lf 3110, Krol cf 4120. Totals: 26-5-10-5.
Philipsburg-2
Smith c 2100, Harris 2b 3000, Baugh ss 3100, Harlow 3b 2000, Greene rf 3000, Golemboski cf 2000, Pepperday p 0001, Belko p 2020, Ammerman 1b 3000, Johns lf 2000, Matthews ph 1000. Totals: 23-2-2-1.
Score by Innings
Hollidaysburg 001 210 1-5 10 2
Philipsburg 200 000 0-2 2 4
Errors-Douglas, Power; Belko, Golemboski, Johns, Harlow. LOB-Hollidaysburg 10, Philipsburg 4. DP-Hollidaysburg 1, Philipsburg 1. 2B-Claar. 3B-Claar. SAC-Sipes. SF-Sipes, Power. SB-Claar 2, Sell, Power. CS-Claar 2 (by Smith). HBP-Russell (by Belko). WP-Douglas 2; Belko. PB-Smith.
Pitching
Hollidaysburg: Douglas-7 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 SO.
Philipsburg: Pepperday-3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO; Belko-3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO.
WP-Douglas. LP-Pepperday.
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