Sullivan West Defeats Tri-Valley

SULLIVAN WEST DEFEATS TRI-VALLEY 8-2                                       

   Two Northeast Pride Showcase team players took opposite roles Tuesday at Grahamsville as both Sullivan West's Patrick Pierce and Tri-Valley's Rodney T. Jester led their respective teams in hits but the honors this day went to Pierce as he went 3 for 4 with two doubles and five RBI's to lead the Bulldogs to an 8-2 win. 

  Both Jester, at short stop, third base and pitching and Pierce, at first base and pitching played together last September and October with the Pennsylvania based Northeast Pride team which competed in college Showcase tournaments in both New York and Pennsylvania. Although Jester is a senior this year and Pierce a junior the two have formed a lasting friendship and both love the game of baseball.

  Brad Hemmer doubles, singled and drove in one run for Sullivan West. Jester had three hits for the Bears, Mike Foster added a run-run double and John Anzano had two hits.

  Tuesday's game for defending Section Nine Class C Champion Tri-Valley was the Bears first of the season as the two teams played each other in a scrimmage April 4 in weather suited more for eskimos and ended up in a 4-4 tie. 

  Pitching, error-free fielding and timely hitting are the major keys to winning baseball and the new and younger Bears this year are only returning six players from last years team which dominated league play with outstanding pitching from George Baggatta and Joe Mickelson.

  Part of the new Tri-Valley pitching staff this year includes Tuesday's starter sophomore Justin Swarthout who was later relieved by sophomore Jared Nash. Other Bears pitchers include Jester and junior Alex Brown. 

  Both squads recorded no runs the first two innings with Swarthout getting three strikeouts in the first inning and retiring the Bulldogs in order in the second inning.

  Sullivan West got on the board in the third inning with Cody Franskevicz getting a walk, Brad Hemmer smacked a double and Pierce with two in scoring position singled in both runs for a 2-0 lead.

  The Bulldogs fourth inning proved to be the death blow for the Bears as with one out Owen Andres recorded a single and consecutive walks to Blain Reddish and Sullivan West starting pitcher Karl Knecht loaded the bases. Sawyer Erlwein's infield grounder scored a run, Brad Hemmer hit another slow ground ball for the second run and Pierce capped the four run inning with a bases clearing double.

  The Bears brought in Jared Nash to pitch the remaining innings. The Bulldogs sent Pierce to the mound in the fifth inning. 

  Piece proved to be not only the hitting star in this game but recorded five strike outs on the mound.

  Tri-Valley broke into the scoring column in the seventh inning with two runs  off a double by Michael Foster. 

  In interviews with both coaches following the game Tri-Valley's John Rusin noted that "Sullivan West took advantage of the breaks and we didn't get our leadoff runners on." He acknowledged that "we have a lot of young guys (Swarthout, Nash and Donovan Flores) and so there are those opening game jitters, but, I saw a lot of good things and a team that most definitely backed their pitchers up and there was no quit in these guys."

  Rusin added, "Sullivan West made all the routine plays and they had timely hitting and took advantage of our mistakes."

  He gave a big compliment to catcher John Anzano saying, "he had a big game behind the plate and he called a great game as I gave him the reins early and he was able to call the pitches."

  Sullivan West coach Jim O'Connor had high praise for his team's timely hitting noting, "we were such a young team last year and this is a great bunch of kids and they're very talented but you have to do the little things and the biggest thing I'm trying to help my kids with is to get them to play a full game whether you're up or down."

  O'Connor added, "John Rusin is an outstanding coach and he's been around long enough and he teaches his kids that it's never over to the last pitch."

                                                 

                                                     

  

IDENTIFICATION OF PHOTOS

Tri-Valley Sophomore pitcher Justin Swarthout got his first taste of varsity baseball Tuesday but the Bears lost to Sullivan West 8-2.                                                 

Sullivan West first baseman/pitcher Patrick Pierce takes a look at an outside pitch hauled in by Tri-Valley catcher John Anzano. Pierce went on a tear in the Bulldogs 8-2 victory going 3 for 4 with two doubles and five RBI's.                                                    

Tri-Valley short stop/pitcher Rodney T. Jester slams a deep single to right center field.