Burns & Burns Wins Regular Season Finale, Beat Lions 9-8 (06/09/14)

(By Kenn Staub)

Burns & Burns ended a two game skid by beating Lions 9-8 on Thursday, June 5th in the Clarion Little League regular season finale for both teams. Down 5-0 after the second inning, Burns & Burns scored nine in the next three innings and then had to hold off a Lions comeback in the bottom of the sixth to claim victory.

Lions held Burns & Burns scoreless in the top of the first and then parlayed two walks, a hit batter, and a single into a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the frame. Nick Frederick led off the game by drawing a walk after a nine pitch at bat and advanced to third when Ben Smith singled to right field with one out. Smith stole second before Aiden Quinn loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch. Frederick subsequently scored when the next batter, Logan Leadbetter, walked.

Buoyed by a 1-0 lead, Lions pitcher Ryan Hummell struck out the Burns & Burns side on ten pitches in the top of the second. Lions capitalized on Hummell’s pitching performance by extending their lead in the bottom of the inning. Cole Whren, in the lead off position for Lions, drew a walk and went to second when the following batter, Breckin Rex, singled to left field. Frederick plated Whren and moved Rex to third with a double to center. Smith cleared the bases with a one out double and then scored on a Logan Lerch sacrifice, giving Lions a 5-0 lead.

Burns & Burns got things going in the top of the third, drawing within one by the end of the inning. Jordy Hesdon walked to start the inning and Hayden Callen followed with a single to left field, putting runners on first and second for the next batter, Lake Staub. Staub came through for his team, driving in both Hesdon and Callen with a long double to right-center field. Ethan Burford drove in Staub with a double of his own and then scored on a Jordan Pezzuti single, making the score 5-4 Lions.

After holding Lions scoreless in the bottom of the third, Burns & Burns took the lead for good in the top of the fourth. Lead-off hitter Reece Geiger was hit by a pitch after which Hesdon drew a four pitch walk. Callen came to the plate and put the ball in play to the left side, which advanced Geiger to third though it resulted in Hesdon being thrown out at second. Callen stole second to put both runners in scoring position for Staub, who drove in his third run of the game with a single that plated Geiger. A passed ball moved both runners up a base and Callen scored the final run of the inning on a Burford single, putting Burns & Burns up 7-5.

Burns & Burns added two insurance runs in the top of the fifth. Zach Hopkins walked with one out and moved to second when Reece Geiger was awarded first after being hit by a pitch. Hesdon singled, scoring Hopkins and moving Geiger to second. With two outs Callen doubled to right field to plate Geiger, giving the away team a 9-5 lead.

The bottom of the fifth and top of the sixth passed without a run being scored. This, however, was the calm before the storm, as Lions mounted a comeback that almost won them the game in the last half inning of play. Rex led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and scored when Frederick hit a line drive home run to center field that passed just over the top of the fence as it rocketed out of the park. Down 9-7 with no outs, Hummell singled and advanced to second on a throw. Burns & Burns then proceeded to record the first out of the inning on a liner to the first baseman and the second on a ground ball to the pitcher, though the later saw Hummell advance to third. With two outs, Hummell stole home to draw Lions within one, but a strike out ended the game to set the score at 9-8 in favor of Burns & Burns.

Burford (two singles, double), Callen (single, double), and Staub (single, double) had multi-hit games for Burns & Burns, while Pezzuti and Hesdon each contributed a single. Staub was credited with three RBI, Burford two, and Callen, Pezzuti, and Hesdon one apiece. Frederick (double, home run), Smith (single, double) and Rex (two singles) had multiple hits for Lions, with Hummell (single) and Whren (double) each getting one. Frederick led Lions with three RBI, Smith had two, and Lerch and Leadbetter each drove in one. Tyler Schmader started for Burns & Burns, striking out four in three innings on his way to earning the win. Staub pitched three innings, striking out one as he collected the save. Hummell went three innings for Lions, fanning seven, with Frederick pitching three in relief and striking out five.

Burns & Burns finishes the regular season 7-8 and will play Delta in the first round of the play-offs on Monday, June 9th. Lions will meet Pizza Pub in the second game of a play-off doubleheader on Monday evening.

(Thanks to Coach Staub for this article.)