By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
BRADFORD, PA – Stepping to the plate with two outs on the board, the pressure of the Owls’ first look at home fell upon AJ Lama’s shoulders.
It was the bottom of the ninth and after knotting the game in the seventh, the Wolves bats were getting warm. Bradford had fended them off through two extra innings, but it seemed like it was only a matter of time until something gave out. Bradford found split success through four batters so far, with two striking out and two notching singles, of which the last one came alongside a Kane error, placing a runner on second and third. All Lama had to do was make contact.
Through his first four appearances, Lama had gone 0-for-4. However, with the game on the line and fans in attendance, he cocked back and found contact, sending a low-flying ball right past the Wolves’ second baseman. As the dugout exploded with cheers, Aidan Willard crossed home plate, sealing a hard-fought 3-2 win for the Bradford baseball team.
“It took grit. It’s something that you can’t teach. It’s something that these kids have to learn,” said Bradford head coach Eric Haynoski. “Over the past couple of rough seasons, they’ve gotten tougher, they’ve gotten stronger and have learned how to win. Now it’s time to keep it going.”
Ahead of these games, the Owls and Wolves had already had two glimpses of action. Bradford split their opening road trip, losing to Brookville on a walk-off before turning around and beating Brockway 13-2. Kane, on the other hand, entered the game against Bradford with momentum behind them, holding a 2-0 record with a combined score of 22-7.
Through the first handful of innings, neither team could find an advantage. Brody Haviland started on the mound for the Owls, fanning several batters while the infield efficiently held Kane at bay. While their defense was flowing, Bradford’s offense was slow to find their footing. After being dispatched in three batters during the bottom of the first, Bradford was sent back on defense after four batters in the second, only tallying one hit during the first two frames.
However, in the third, they got a jumpstart. Ben Woodhouse would lead off in the bottom of the third, facing Kane’s Brock Wensel on the mound. After tallying two strikes, Woodhouse would go yard, smacking a ball deep past left field and beyond the fence for the Owls’ first home run of the season and a 1-0 lead.
“Benny is one of those kids that has a violent swing and when he squares that bat up, it’s going to go,” said Haynoski. “With two strikes, it wasn’t really the two strike approach we’ve been working on but I’ll take it.”
Although Kane would respond in the following frame – a single and three walks in six batters would send in the Wolves’ first run of the day – Bradford’s bats would stay hot. In the bottom of the fourth, Talan Reese and Maksim Demic would start the inning with back-to-back singles – Reese would eventually be tagged out at second – before Bradford loaded the bases with a walk and another single from Evan Whitmore. Another walk would send Demic home, giving the Owls the lead once again.
Jay Parisella takes a swing during the Owls’ walk-off win against Kane in their home opener. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
Over the next two frames, neither team would be able to respond. Despite both putting men on base, the Wolves and Owls settled into a quiet lull.
With their backs against a wall, Kane would find a way to extend the game in the seventh. Eric Novosel would lead off with a single before stealing his way to second, followed by a deep shot into center field from Nate McCormack that brought in Novosel. Tying the game at 2-a-piece, the Wolves looked to threaten again. Having a man on second and third with no outs, Bradford was feeling the heat. However, Lama, who took the mound midway through the sixth, fanned the next batter before Kane tallied their second out on a pop-fly. Intentionally walking the next man up, Lama would find another clutch K, keeping the Owls’ spirits high.
Once again, both teams lost steam in the next inning and a half. Bradford continued to notch strikeouts, however, couldn’t come up with deep hits on the other side of the plate. Going into the bottom of the ninth, the game remained deadlocked.
Then came Lama who, after being unable to find contributions in the batter’s box through eight innings and facing two outs, cranked out a perfectly placed, game winning single.
Sean Ward led Bradford in the batter’s box, ending with two hits in three appearances at the plate. Along with Ward and Lama, four other Owls notched hits throughout the win. In five innings, Haviland threw for seven strikeouts and just one hit. Lama tallied four strikeouts and three hits while Reese closed with four strikeouts and just one hit.
Bradford will now enjoy more than a week worth of rest. Their next game will be on Wednesday, April 2 when they take to the road for a matchup against DuBois.
“The kids are feeling a lot of confidence. They’re seasoned. A lot of them have been playing baseball for four years in the program and they’re doing a great job of working together,” said Haynoski. “They’re believing in each other too. I think every kids’ got each other’s back and it’s great to see.”
AT BRADFORD
R H E
Kane 000 100 1 0 0 2 5 4
Bradford 001 100 0 0 1 3 7 0
Kane: Wensel (5 SO, 2 BB), Chamberlin (5) (6 SO, 1 BB) and Swanson
Bradford: Haviland (8 SO, 7 BB), Lama (6) (4 SO, 2 BB), Tar. Reese (7) (4 SO, 0 BB) and Demic, Haviland
