By HUNTER O. LYLE
BRADFORD, PA – Seeing them for the second time this season, the Bradford Legion Post 108 baseball team’s mid-season turmoil continued as they dropped a third consecutive loss, this time by way of a 5-3 defeat to Kane VFW Post 1132.
A day after their worst loss of the season – a 16-5 loss to St. Marys on Wednesday – Bradford looked to muster some redemption against a team they previously beat. On Monday, June 2, Post 108 earned their second win of the season against Kane, 4-2. Looking to get back on the right track after back-to-back losses, Bradford’s focus started at the plate.
“We just wanted to get the bats going,” said Bradford Legion head coach Jim Henry. “I think we’d do alright with that and play a decent game.”
Aiming for revenge, Kane came into the rematch sharp and ready while Bradford had to fight through some early-inning mental haze. Post 1132 led off with a double from Elijah Snyder before a bunt and twin steals moved the pair into scoring position. Despite suffering their first out via pop fly, Kane then drove in the first run of the day with a sacrifice RBI from Carter Cochran.
Aside from a single from Trey Buchholtz, Bradford was unable to put the ball in play during their first at bat. After being dispatched in five, Post 108’s defense began to crack. Kane put two men on base with a walk and single, the latter of which narrowly escaped an out due a blown up play between the mound and second. Two batters later, Kane scored run No. 2 on a steal and an overthrown toss to third, giving Post 1132 ample time to reach home plate.
Down early due to self-inflicted wounds, tension began to rise in Bradford’s dugout. However, slowly they began to turn the tide. Lucas Wallace reached first on a single followed by a hard-hit shot from Ben Woodhouse. Although they both stole their way down the line, Post 108 tallied two quick outs in consecutive sluggers. Reaching the top of the order, Tarren Reese turned pressure into production, cracking Post 108’s second hit of the game to right field, bringing the game back to even with a two-run RBI-single.
Tarren Reese cracks a shot into play during Bradford’s last home game on Thursday. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
“It meant a lot to (respond early.) We’ve been struggling lately. Yesterday we struggled and didn’t put the ball in play much. We were flat,” said Henry. “There was a lot more pep in our step today.”
From there, Post 108 held Kane at bay with solid fielding and a handful of placed pitches. However, on the other side of the plate, their offense continued to sputter as they struggled to find real estate on the diamond.
Bradford’s ace, Trey Buchholtz, fires a pitch down range during Post 108’s third consecutive loss. Through just over five innings on the mound, Buchholtz fanned five Kane batters. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
In the top of the fifth, Kane would once again cash in on Bradford’s error. A hit batter and subsequent wild pitch brought a man to second before an error in right field allowed a double and run scored. One batter later, a double from Cochran scored their fourth run. While Post 108 was able to retaliate, they failed to tie the game. Ethan Obgerfell got on through a full-count walk before Trey Buchholtz crushed a triple against the centerfield wall to bring them within one.
Kane would again increase their lead in the sixth, this time for good, after putting a man on first and third followed by another passed ball that allowed a fifth run.
“I think we’re just trying to rush things,” said Henry. “We’re trying to rush around a little bit and not take our time when we have time.”
Although Bradford held Kane scoreless in the seventh, their efforts with the sticks proved futile, going three-and-out as they suffered their third straight loss and fell back to 0.500.
Reese was one of three batters to find contact on the day, ending 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Buchholtz’s RBI-triple was his sole hit in two trips to the batter’s box while Woodhouse finished 1-for-2 with one run scored.
With a shortened season due to lack of teams this summer, the loss against Kane stood as Post 108’s final chance to play in front of a home crowd. The remaining six games will all take place in hostile territory, including their third meeting with Kane on Thursday, June 19.
“I’d say we’re just playing flat and not ready. The first game (against St. Marys) the weather might have played an impact a little bit. (Yesterday) we were just not ready to play,” said Henry. “Today we might have had a couple calls that didn’t go our way and a few miscues in the outfield, but that’s baseball.”
AT BRADFORD
R H E
Kane 110 021 0 5 5 3
Bradford 020 010 0 3 3 3
KN: Cochran (8 SO, 4 BB), Carlson (6) (0 SO, 0 BB), Novosel (7) (2 SO, 1 BB) and Snyder
BD: Buchholtz (5 SO, 3 BB), Reese (6) (2 SO, 0 BB) and Lama
