Burns & Burns Earn Second Consecutive Win, Defeat Delta Contractors 6-2 (05/06/14)

(By Coach Kenn Staub)

Burns & Burns won the opening game of a Friday evening Clarion Little League twinbill (05/02/2014) at Paul A. Weaver Park, downing Delta Contractors 6-2. Delta jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second, but Burns & Burns took the lead for good in the top of the third when they scored four runs. Burns & Burns added two insurance runs in the top of the fourth, as Hayden Callen’s and Ethan Burford’s relief pitching shut down Delta in the middle and late innings.

The first inning was controlled by the pitchers and infield defense. Delta’s Chase Kriebel struck out two in the top of the frame, the final punch out coming with runners on first and third. Lake Staub, starting for Burns & Burns, responded in the bottom half, earning a strikeout and inducing two infield ground outs on ten pitches. Kreibel struck out the side to begin the second, afterwhich the Delta offense supported their pitcher’s effort by putting two runs on the board in the bottom half of the inning. Lead off batter Cole Slaugenhoup walked and then worked his way around the bases, scoring the game’s first run when the next batter grounded out. The inning’s third batter, Corbin Coulson, singled, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored on an error.

Down 2-0 to start the third the slumbering Burns & Burns offense finally got things going. Singles by the inning’s first two batters, Jordy Hesdon and Ethan Burford put runners on first and second. Hesdon proceeded to steal third and Burford second, putting both runners in scoring position for the next hitter, Callen, who plated the aggressive duo with a triple to center field. Staub followed with a walk, stealing second as Callen stole home. Tyler Schmader, batting behind Staub, walked to put runners on first and second. Staub stole third on the first pitch to the next batter, Robby Andreas, with Schmader swiping second on the pitcher’s fourth offering. Burns & Burns’s final run of the inning crossed the plate when Staub stole home during Bryan Andreas’s at bat, giving the team in orange and blue a 4-2 advantage. Delta attempted to respond in their part of the inning, with Ryan Alston and Shane Kreibel each touching up Burns & Burns for singles to lead things off. At this point, however, the Burns & Burns defense came up big, earning two outs via fielder’s choice before Callen closed the inning with his first strike out of the game.

Burns & Burns added two runs in the top of the fourth. Burford, the inning’s second batter, walked and proceeded to steal second and third while Callen was at the plate. Callen drove Burford home with his third hit of the day, a single to center field. Once on first, Callen took matters into his own hands, stealing second, moving to third on a fielding error, and then scoring on a steal to put Burns & Burns ahead 6-2. After assisting from the mound on a ground out to Delta’s lead off hitter in the bottom of the frame, Callen used eight pitches to close the inning with two strikeouts.

In the fifth, Delta relief pitcher Slaugenhoup kept Burns & Burns off the board striking out three of the four batters he faced. Callen opened the bottom half of the inning by striking out Delta’s first batter and then prompting a ground out before being relieved by Burford, who finished out the scoreless inning, owing to pitch count considerations. Burns & Burns could get nothing going in their half of the sixth. Similarly, Delta was unable to push runners across the plate in the bottom, making the final 6-2 in Burns & Burns favor.

Callen led Burns & Burns at the plate with three hits (two singles, triple) and two RBI, with Burford also enjoying a multi-hit game (two singles). Hesdon and Reece Geiger each chipped in with singles. Brady Fowekes had a single and RBI for Delta, with Kreibel, Noah DiTullio, Coulson, and Alston each connecting for singles.

Staub started the game for Burns & Burns, recording three strikeouts in two innings of work. Callen pitched two and two-thirds innings, punching out four on his way to earning the win. Burford finished out the game, notching three strikeouts in an inning and a third for the save. Kriebel, Delta’s starting pitcher, struck out six in two and a third innings before being relieved by Bryson Huwar upon reaching his pitch limit. Slaugenhoup followed Huwar’s two-thirds of inning appearance by fanning six in three innings.

(Thanks to Coach Staub for this article.)