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Bad luck strikes Post 287 in final inning

Smalley bats 3-for-4; retires first 7 batters

Sentinel photo by CODI WEYANT
Mifflin County’s Tyreen Smalley throws a pitch against Bedford in the fourth inning of an American Legion baseball game Friday afternoon in Greensburg.

GREENSBURG — One of the adages of sports is that “Baseball is a game of inches.”

That was shown in Mifflin County’s tough 8-7 loss to Bedford in the opening round of the Region 7 Pennsylvania American Legion Baseball Tournament Friday afternoon.

Mifflin County will play host East Hempfield at 11:30 a.m. today in a consolation round game of the double-elimination tournament.

Post 287 held a 7-6 lead over Bedford heading into the bottom of seventh, needing only three outs to advance in the winners’ bracket.

The locals got the first out on a called third strike, but Bedford’s Jared Colledge hit a single up the middle. Bedford’s Austin Brown followed with a line drive that hit the Mifflin County pitcher’s glove and rolled into left field for another hit.

After a wild pitch moved both runners up a base, Bedford’s Nate Semanek walked to load the bases. Dylan Arnold hit a deep fly ball down the right field line that was caught by Connor Yoder, but it brought home Colledge to tie the game and moved Brown to third base.

Mifflin County appealed that Brown left too early on the play, but it was denied.

Bedford’s Ryan Mowry followed with a slow roller to short, but the Hurricane beat the throw and the ball went off the first baseman’s glove allowing Brown to score the winning run for the Hurricanes.

“I felt good when we got the first batter out, and if that ball stays in the pitcher’s glove, we get a double play and get the win,” Mifflin County coach Bernie Howard said. “We clearly outplayed them. We battled, which we have been doing all year.”

The battling went back and forth throughout the game with the lead switching hands multiple times.

Mifflin County scored in the top of the first. Evan Mock reached base on a throwing error, and he went to second on a bunt single by Nick Hostetler. Tyreen Smalley smacked a single to right to bring home Mock.

Noah Wright hit a soft liner to first that Bedford converted into a double play. Drew Westover walked, they completed a double steal, and in a theme that hurt the locals throughout the game, they stranded both runners.

For the game, Mifflin County left 12 runners on base including eight in scoring position.

“We hit the ball well, but we left a lot of runners on base,” Howard added.

Bedford got the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first. A single by Austin Price, a walk to Jared Colledge, and a hit by Brown brought home Price. Colledge later scored on a passed ball for the 2-1 lead.

Mifflin County tied the game in the third. Smalley doubled to deep left center and stole third. He came home on a wild pitch.

Bedford scored two runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead. Colledge hit an RBI double, and he scored on two errant throws on a pickoff attempt for a 4-2 Bedford advantage.

The locals retook the lead with three runs in the fourth and took a 7-4 lead with two more runs in the fifth.

In the fourth, Nathan Poche walked and later scored on a squeeze play by Mock that he turned into a single. Hostetler lined a deep ball into right-center that went for a triple to scored Mock. Two batters later, Noah Wright singled home Hostetler for the 5-4 lead.

Mifflin County added to its lead in the fifth. Jared King singled, but he was erased on a ground ball by Max Oburn. Poche walked again, one of three times that he walked in the game. After the runners moved up on sacrifice bunt by Hudson First, Mock blooped a single to right center field to score both runners for the three-run lead.

Bedford got two of the runs back in the fifth. Price doubled and Colledge walked. After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, a passed ball allowed Price to score and Colledge to get to third. Brown singled to center to bring in Colledge. That knocked Mifflin County starting pitcher Westover out of the game, and Smalley came in for relief.

Smalley retired the first seven batters he faced including the first batter of the seventh inning.

Mifflin County got two runners on in the sixth inning and loaded the bases in the seventh, but those runners were all left on base.

“I was pleased with our pitching,” Howard said. “I felt that they did a good job.”

Smalley had three hits to lead Mifflin County and also worked a walk. Mock and Hostetler both had two hits for the locals. Mock and Poche scored two runs each.

Bedford got most of its production from the first four batters in the lineup. They had eight of Bedford’s hits and scored all eight runs.

Bedford 8, Mifflin County 7

Mifflin County 101 320 0 — 7-9-2

Bedford 202 020 2 — 8-10-3

WP: Austin Brown. LP: Tyreen Smalley. SO: Dylan Arnold, Brown 2 (B); Drew Westover 6, Smalley (MC). BB: Arnold 3, Josh Hickey 2, Brown 4 (B); Westover 4, Smalley (MC). 3B: Nick Hostetler (MC). 2B: Austin Price, Jared Colledge (B); Smalley (MC). MH: Price 2-for-4, Colledge 2-for-2, Brown 3-for-3 (B); Evan Mock 2-for-4, Hostetler 2-for-4, Smalley 3-for-4 (MC). RBI: Colledge, Brown, 2, Arnold, Ryan Mowry (B); Mock 3, Hostetler, Smalley, Wright (MC).

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