A little rain and a bolt of lightning couldn’t saturate the spirits on Senior Day as the Bradford High baseball team completed a season sweep of Johnsonburg with an abbreviated 6-1 victory on Friday.
All three seniors contributed in the first inning as the 3-11 Owls scored five runs and sent 11 batters to the plate in the opening frame.
Johnsonburg’s Cole Peterson led off the game with a bunt single and Cameron Grumley followed with a walk, but Bradford starter Connor Vecellio denied the dynamic duo advancement with a strikeout and an inning-ending double play initiated by second baseman Ryan Boyer.
Vecellio singled off J-burg starter Cody Duchi, Sawyer Packard was plunked by a pitch and Boyer had an infield hit to load the sacks with one out in the bottom of the first.
The upperclassmen began to pull rank as senior Ryan McCammon and John Pantuso drew bases-loaded walks, senior Brandon Stoltz reached on an error and senior Evan Pecora stroked an RBI single to center for a 5-0 lead.
Taylor Feronti then relieved Duchi and recorded a whiff to leave the bases full of Owls.
“That big inning gave our kids some confidence,” said Brian Fox, BHS head coach. “With two of our pitchers ineligible and another hurt, Connor (Vecellio) stepped it up with strikes and let our offense support him.”
Vecellio was sailing along with a one-hitter going into the fourth when Eric Bevacqua was issued a one-out free pass, moved up to second on an errant throw and scored when Dave Sallack ripped a base hit to right.
The Owls responded in the home half on a walk to John Obermeyer, an error, a sacrifice bunt by Vecellio and Boyer’s opposite field RBI single to make it 6-1.
“That was huge to answer that run and keep it a five-run cushion,” Fox declared.
As the predicted precipitation began to fall in the fifth, the Rams (6-9) sprinkled runners on every base with two walks sandwiched around Feronti’s single, but Vecellio fanned the next batter to leave the trio high and fairly dry.
“We got to the middle of their order and all he (Vecellio) had to do was throw strikes and trust his defense,” Fox recalled.
After Vecellio had retired the defending PIAA champs in order in the sixth, Obermeyer had a 1-0 count in the bottom portion when lightning was detected down the valley by the umpires.
During the mandatory 30-minute delay it began to come down a little harder and the contest was called off 13 minutes later at 5:56 p,m.
Vecellio fashioned a three-hitter with six strikeouts and limited the Peterson/Grumley combo to a combined 1-for-4 without a ball leaving the infield.
“This is the truth,” Fox vowed. “I’ve never seen Cole Peterson strike out before today. That includes four years of Legion and high school ball.”
The Owls will finalize their 2014 campaign hosting Port Allegany on Monday and Punxsutawney on Tuesday, and then culminate the season at Cameron County on Wednesday.
