By HUNTER O. LYLE
BRADFORD, PA – Walking up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, the Bradford baseball team’s season rested in one final at-bat. Down by a pair and on the brink of playoff elimination, it all came down to a couple of trips around home plate.
Unfortunately for the Owls, their struggles to find clutch hits in the box continued and after three quick trips, their fate was sealed, losing 3-1 to Warren and forced to play out the remainder of their season in vain.
Entering this week and playing under a 0.500 postseason rule, Bradford’s mission was clear: at 3-9, they had to win out the rest of their games for a chance to chase a District 9 title. Facing Brookville and Brockway on Monday and Thursday, the Owls’ playoff hunt proved fruitful, tacking on 7-3 and 6-5 wins, the latter of which was decided by a walk-off steal with two outs.
“Our mentality was just one game at a time,” said Bradford head coach Eric Haynoski. “We knew what we had to do. We knew we had to win out and the kids battled. These guys have the heart and desire (to win.)”
Defense had carried them through the first two games of the week, and against the Dragons, Bradford didn’t change course. Starting with a slick double-play in the top of the first, the Owls managed to swiftly dispatch Warren time and again, allowing just two men on base through the first three frames. The effort, in large part, came from Sean Ward, who protected the diamond by chasing down anything and everything that came his way.
“The field came down to Sean Ward at first base. I think he had six put-outs and caught four fly balls over his shoulder. That’s something I haven’t seen, it was just his senior leadership and his will to win,” said Haynoski. “He wants it and he puts his body on the line every time he can make a play for the team. He’s worried about the name on the front of the jersey and not his own.”
However, on the other side of the plate, the Owls’ found themselves stumped. Despite putting the ball in play and men on base sooner rather than later, they continuously left men stranded without finding a final base-hit. Unable to find the gaps in the field or a way past the Dragon’s ace, David Manning, Bradford routinely returned to the dugout empty handed.
Then the cracks began to show.
Heading into the top of the fourth, the Owls’ defense initially held strong, finding the first out in the first batter. However, giving up a walk and a steal of second immediately after, Bradford’s first error of the day would allow Warren to put another man on the baseline. Another walk filled the diamond before a hit batter drove in the first run of the day. With a Dragon still standing on every base, two more walks through the next three batters widened the margin on the scoreboard to three before the Owls finally tallied the final out.
Needing to sow up their self-inflicted wounds, Bradford’s response started with a single from Lucas Wallace. Two batters later, Jackson Peterson joined him on base with another single before, with two outs, the Owls loaded the bases with a hit batter.
Finding themselves in a microcosm of their season, with their backs against a wall and an opportunity in front of them, the Owls came up just shy. Their sixth man to take to the plate, Max Gow, rattled off a single, driving in their inaugural score of the afternoon, however, in an attempt to bring in a second runner, the Owls were tagged out at home plate, coming just inches short of extending their retaliation.
From there, they once again went silent. Although they were able to return to shutting out Warren, Bradford’s bats failed to draw the same production. Despite finding two more hits, singles from Tarren Reese in the fifth and Jaron Lohrman in the sixth, in the seventh they were retired in just three, putting an end to their potential comeback, as well as their hopes of a playoff berth.
The Owls’ three hits came from Wallace, who ended 1-for-2 with one run scored, Gow, who finished 1-for-3 and Reese, who went 1-for-4 in the loss.
Still having three games left on the season, Bradford’s final stretch will be one of continued developmental focus. While this season came up short of their expectations, the Owls are hopeful for what lies in the years to come.
“We’re going to give it all we got and play for these seniors. Lay it all on the line for (Ward and Ben Woodhouse.) Those two love the game, they love competing and I just hope it carries on with these younger kids,” said Haynoski. “I see a lot of drive with these younger kids and it’s a pleasure to see. It’s exciting. I think Bradford baseball has a bright future, I really do.”
AT BRADFORD
Warren 000 300 0 R:3 H:0 E:3
Bradford 000 100 0 R:1 H:3 E:2
Warren: Manning (7 SO, 3 BB), Neal (7) (0 SO, 0 BB) and SnyderBradford: Haviland (1 SO, 3 BB), Austin (4) (2 SO, 5 BB), Bell (6) (0 SO, 0 BB) and Gow
