By HUNTER O. LYLE
SMETHPORT, PA – Despite some seventh inning dramatics, the Bradford Legion Post 108 baseball team was able to outlast Crosby Post 976, earning a 9-8 win on the road as they finally ended their lasting slump.
Coming into Monday’s contest, what would be the third meeting with Crosby, Bradford was in a tailspin. The past three weeks had not been kind, as they piled up six consecutive losses dating back to their 3-0 start on Wednesday, June 4.
“We’ve been struggling with hitting the ball, capitalizing on scoring opportunities with runners in position and errors,” said Bradford Legion Post 108 head coach. “We’ve had too many basic mistakes.”
Looking to set the tone early, Bradford did so with equal parts aggression and patience. Tarren Reese opened the game with a first-pitch single, then moving to second with a sac-bunt from Lucas Wallace. Two more runners stepped into the diamond on successive walks before a third in a row scored the first run of the day. Post 108 would tag on another score with an RBI-single from Brody Haviland. However, despite a strong start at the plate, Bradford’s defense was unable to hold their own.
After getting the first out in the first batter, back-to-back walks and a pair of passed balls put Crosby in scoring position. A sac-grounder would chip the lead back down to one before a wild pitch brought the game back to even. Post 976 would end the inning on top, scoring once more on another wild pitch.
After a lay-over inning in the second, Bradford dispatched Crosby in four before then finding another breath of life.
Wallace reached first on a lead-off walk before stealing his way to second. With one out, Ethan Obergfell crushed a hit past the infield as he brought in Wallace to re-tie the game. By the time Post 108 earned their second out, they had managed to put a man on second and third, allowing Ben Woodhouse to rise to the occasion, finding his first hit of the day which produced their third score as Obergfell rounded home.
Although Crosby would knot the game once again in the bottom of the third, scoring on yet another wild pitch, Post 108 would surge in the fourth. Through their first four batters, Bradford loaded the bases for a second time. They then cashed in on a mix of skill and luck as Haviland put a ball in play past second, driving in two runs. An overthrow to home by Crosby on the same play then gave up another run, giving Post 108 a 7-4 advantage on the scoreboard.
Ben Woodhouse puts the ball in play during Bradford Legion’s fourth win of the season. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
“I think we came with a new mindset today,” said Henry. “They were ready to win and they achieved it.”
Once again, Bradford’s defense lagged well behind their offense. Giving two men position on base with a pair of walks, a wild pitch moved them into scoring position before Crosby’s Mason Roessner drilled a double to center field for two runs. However, putting a new man on the mound in AJ Lama, Post 108 escaped the inning with back-to-back Ks, desperately clinging to a one-run lead.
Post 108’s third baseman, Ben Woodhouse reaches for a tag out as a Crosby baserunner attempts a steal. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
Over the next two innings, both teams scored back-and-forth. Bradford scored once in the fifth and another in the sixth, both on steals of home, while Crosby would bring the game to 9-7 with a pinch play in the bottom of the sixth. Heading into the final frames, Post 108 was unable to solidify their lead, being retired in just four batters. Then the tide began to turn.
Crosby began to march around the baseline early, putting two men in the diamond with a single and a walk before suffering their first out. Another walk would load the bases, giving them key positioning to steal the game. Although they managed to bring one across home with a single from Cole Burdick, a tag out at home narrowly preserved Bradford’s lead. Still facing a man on second and third, Post 108’s defense came up clutch, fielding the game-sealing grounder and delivering the final out at first.
“We did well dealing with adversity today. Something bad happened and they responded well,” said Henry. “I credit the whole team with the win. The team played hard.”
Reese (1-for-5) and Obergfell (1-for-3) each scored three times during Bradord’s fourth win of the season while Wallace (1-for-1) and Trey Buchholtz (0-for-4) rounded out Post 108’s scoring with three combined runs.
Finishing out their season on the road, Bradford faces two more contests on their schedule. First, they will travel to face St. Marys on Wednesday before the regular season closer on Monday against Kane. With a playoff berth still a possibility, Post 108 is hoping to find some momentum off the back of their Monday night win.
“If we can we win out, we own tie-breakers over Kane, St. Marys and Crosby,” said Henry. “So hopefully things fall our way and we can lock into the Regional.”
AT SMETHPORT
R H E
Bradford 202 311 0 R:9 H:4 E:1
Smethport 301 201 1 R:8 H:3 E:8
BR: Haviland (2 SO, 6 BB), Lama (4) (6 SO, 6 BB) and Norton
SM: McDowell (2 SO, 4 BB), M. Roessner (3) (3 SO, 3 BB), Smith (4) (3 SO, 1 BB), G. Roessner (7) (1 SO, 2 BB) and Boyd
