Two-out tallies were the runs du jour for the Otto-Eldred High School baseball team as the Terrors defeated Bradford 4-2 on Thursday.
It was a clutch hitting demonstration to the max as the Terrors scored all four of their runs after there were two outs registered in four separate innings.
“They (Terrors) got guys on base, they were aggressive and they got some key hits,” said Brian Fox, Owls’ head coach. “Their entire lineup put the bat on the ball all night. They have a potent lineup and I wish them well in the playoffs.”
Bradford starter Andrew Bacha had retired the first two batters of the game when Heath Stewart singled to leftcenter, stole second and came around on freshman Seth Drummond’s RBI base hit to right.
Seth Bigley led off the Otto second with a base hit, moved up 90 feet on a passed ball, advanced to third on Khalieb Garthwaite’s grounder to short and scored on Hobie Milliron’s RBI single that made it 2-0.
Milliron was on the hill for the Terrors and survived Connor Vecellio’s single and stolen base in the first inning, and then the junior right-hander stranded two more runners in the second.
John Obermeyer relieved Bacha in the third and relinquished a leadoff double to Sam Colebert that one-hopped the left field fence. Colebert was eventually marooned at third base following an infield popup, a groundout and a fly ball to center.
“Andrew (Bacha) had an elbow problem so we went to John Obermeyer,” Fox explained.
Milliron fanned two to retire the Owls in order in the third, and then Obermeyer set Otto down one-two-three in the fourth.
The Owls threatened in the home fourth when Ryan Boyer reached on an error and then relocated across the diamond following a wild pitch and Bacha’s grounder to second.
Brandon Stoltz then launched a fly ball to medium-range center field and Garrett Brugh fired a strike to the plate to freeze Stoltz at third.
“That was a nice throw,” said Jame Thomas, Otto head mentor. “He (Brugh) has been anxious to do that sometime this season and he got his chance today.”
The Terrors extended their advantage to 3-0 with two outs and nobody on in the fifth when Colebert tripled to deep leftcenter and then crossed the dish on an RBI single by Stewart.
“Those guys at the top of the lineup can hit the ball hard,” Thomas noted.
John Pantuso ripped a 1-2 pitch into the leftcenter field gap for a two-bagger and Kyle Kirk ensued with an infield single to put runners at the corners with no outs in the Bradford fifth.
Pantuso came home on an infield miscue and Kirk was deposited on an RBI groundout from Vecellio to cut the margin to 3-2.
“He (Pantuso) was long overdue,” Fox declared. “We were waiting for a big hit from somebody tonight and finally got it.”
Otto answered with a tally in the sixth on a Drummond double, Dakota Vaughn’s ground ball to the right side and a wild pitch.
The Owls averted further damage in the seventh when Vecellio laid out with a sliding catch near the line in left, and then a 6-4-3 double play from Bacha to Boyer to Pantuso finalized the frame.
“Our defense gave ourselves a chance in the bottom of the seventh,” Fox stated. “Connor (Vecellio) made a nice grab out in left field and we’ve been good on double plays this year.”
The chance turned out to be a slim one as Milliron retired the last nine batters of the contest to finish with 108 pitches including 66 for strikes.
“He was getting his breaking pitches across for strikes,” Thomas said of Milliron’s curve and slider.
Weather permitting both teams return to action today as Otto (10-4) hosts Genesee Valley and the 2-11 Owls will seek a season sweep over defending PIAA champion Johnsonburg when they host the Rams at 4:30 p.m.
According to weather.com there is a zero chance of rain in the afternoon until close to game time, and then the odds spike to 40 percent at 4 p.m and crest at 50 percent an hour later.
“I hope we get it in,” Fox concluded. “It’s Senior Day.”
