Burns & Burns Win On Opening Day, Defeat Lions 6-1 (04/30/14)

(By Coach Kenn Staub)

Burns & Burns celebrated Opening Day 2014 (04/26/2014) with a 6-1 victory over Lions. Hayden Callen led the team sporting orange-and-blue, striking out 8 in 4 2/3 innings, going 1-4 at the plate, stealing 2 bases, and scoring a run on his way to earning the game ball.

Burns & Burns base runner heading home

Despite stranding three runners, Burns & Burns got off to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Callen, the second batter of the game, reached first on a fielder’s choice, after which he stole second and then advanced to third when the next batter grounded to the first basemen. Following a walk to clean-up hitter Tyler Schmader, Callen scooted home on a passed ball during Bryan Andreas’s at bat. Other than a two out double to left field, the Lions could get nothing going in the bottom of an inning, which saw Callen record an assist and fly ball put out from the mound. Neither team scored in the second, as Burns & Burns stranded two in the top of the inning and Callen struck out three of the four batters he faced in the bottom.

Burns & Burns added to their lead in the top of the third, parlaying solid base running and a timely hit into another run. Tyler Schmader walked to lead off the inning and advanced to third as the result of two passed balls during Jordan Pezzuti’s at bat. Pezzuti subsequently knocked Schmader in with a double to right field, putting Burns & Burns ahead 2-0. Lions responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, though it could easily have been a tie game if not for a fine defensive play by Burns & Burns. With one out Lion Nick Frederick reached first on an infield error and then advanced to third when the Burns & Burns outfield misplayed a ball put in play by rookie Ryan Hummell. Now on third, Frederick tried to score when Burns & Burns catcher Lake Staub couldn’t handle a Callen pitch to the next batter, Ben Smith. Staub adroitly flipped the errant ball to a hard charging Callen, however, who proceeded to tag Frederick out as he slid into home. While all this was occurring Hummell smartly made his way from first to third and then scored when Smith collected his second hit of the day, a single to center field, making the score 2-1.

Lions batter making contact

Burns & Burns added two more runs in the top of the fourth. Ethan Burford walked on four pitches to lead off the inning and then stole second. The next batter, Callen, reached first on an error, a play which saw a “heads up” Burford advance to third. Not content at first base, Callen stole second, putting both runners in scoring position. With two ducks on the pond, Staub hit a sacrifice to the pitcher, driving home Burford home and advancing Callen to third. Callen subsequently stole home on a passed ball during the next at bat, giving Burns & Burns a 4-1 lead. The bottom of the inning was all Callen, as he assisted on the put out of the first batter and struck out the following two.

Both Burns & Burns’s rookies, Reece Geiger and Jordy Hesdon, collected their first Little League hits as the orange-and-blue added two more runs in the top of the fifth. Pezzuti led off the inning with a single to right and made it to second base when the next batter, newcomer Geiger, singled. Shane Carbaugh followed Geiger’s at bat by walking to load the bases. With the bases juiced, Hesdon singled to centerfield, scoring Pezzuti and moving Geiger and Carbaugh both up a spot. Geiger scored when the next batter, Burford, put the ball in play. Leading 6-1, Callen struck out the first two Lions batters he faced in the bottom of the frame before being lifted because of pitch count concerns. Schmader came on in relief to close out the inning.

Burns & Burns went down in order in the top of the sixth, as Hummell, the Lions second relief pitcher, induced a fly to the centerfielder and then notched two strikeouts of the away team. Lions attempted to mount a comeback in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases before Schmader struck out the game’s last batter to record the save.

Pezzuti recorded multiple hits for Burns & Burns (single, double), with Callen, Hesdon, and Geiger each rapping a single apiece. Burford, Staub, Pezzuti, and Hesdon were credited with batting runs in for Burns & Burns. Burford and Geiger were complicit with Callen in thievery on the base paths. Callen earned the win for Burns & Burns, with Schmader collecting the save.

Smith (single, double) had two hits for Lions and drove in the team’s only run. First year player Ashton Rex singled. Frederick notched a stolen base. Pitching for Lions were Logan Lerch, Frederick (four strikeouts), and Hummel (four strikeouts).

(Thanks to Coach Staub for this article.)