Good pitching, timely hitting and solid defense.
It’s a common theme Bradford Legion Post 108 has carried throughout the season and it was on display again in a 10-0, 6-inning win over Ridgway in the Elk County Legion playoffs Wednesday at Pitt-Bradford’s Kessel Athletic Complex.
Ryan Boyer, Andrew Bacha and Dan Manion combined on a 1-hitter, while Sawyer Packard delivered the big blow early on offense with a bases clearing double in the second inning.
“We got some arms loose tonight,” said Bradford coach Brian Fox. “Our defense was solid and we really didn’t let them get a sniff of scoring. Hats off to our pitching and our defense.”
Boyer was dominant in his three innings of work, flashing a mid 80s fastball coupled with solid off-speed pitches to strike out four in his three innings of work.
Bradford chased Ridgway starter Cody Delhunty with one out in the second after a bases loaded walk to Bryce Skaggs. The walks were a common theme, as Post 108 benefited from 11 free passes.
After a wild pitch with Andrew Bacha at bat brought in Dylan Buchholz, Packard came up with the bases loaded and two outs and drilled Luke Hoffman’s 2-2 offering over the head of left-fielder Josh Raubenstrauch, scoring three.
“We’re hitting the ball hard and driving in runs when we need them,” Bacha said.
Added Fox: “Sawyer struggled in his first at bat, but he more than made up for it. He knew what he had to do and he did it.”
Bacha came on in relief of Boyer in the fourth and promptly struck out the side on 13 pitches.
His second inning of work saw Ridgway’s only hit, an infield single by Delhunty, but all in all it was a dominant effort by Post 108’s pitching staff.
“I didn’t plan on pitching but my arm felt great and I was hitting my spots and getting strikeouts and ground balls when I needed them,” Bacha said. “When your offense does that (score runs), especially as a pitcher, you can settle in, trust your defense and pound the zone.”
Bradford tacked on single runs in the third and fourth courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Skaggs and an RBI hit-by-pitch by John Pantuso.
They scored twice more in the fifth as third baseman Garret Babcock, despite not being 100 percent, ripped a single to right field that scored Gage Babcock and John Obermeyer, making the score 9-0.
“There is no weak spot (in the lineup),” Fox said. “It’s a good problem to have. One through nine we’re a threat against anybody.”
Manion came on and pitched a scoreless sixth and Gage Babcock finished the game in the bottom half of the inning, driving in Pantuso, who doubled to open the frame.
Gage Babcock and Pantuso both came off the bench, showing off Post 108’s tremendous depth.
“We’re deep, even off the bench,” Fox noted. “Gage Babcock came off the bench and was 2-for-2. You can’t ask for much more than that.”
Bradford now awaits its opponent on Saturday (5:30 p.m. back at Pitt-Bradford), with the possibility of a third meeting with St. Marys, which has handed Post 108 its only two losses of the season.
“We’ve been building this team and now the pay off is here,” Fox said. “We’re winning baseball games and we have dominant pitching.”
RIDGWAY (0)
CF N. MacDonald 2-0-0-0, LF Raubenstrauch 2-0-0-0, C B. MacDonald 3-0-0-0, SS Mitchell 2-0-0-0, 1B Kasmerski 2-0-0-0, 3B Amacher 2-0-0-0, RF-P-2B Hoffman 2-0-0-0, 2B-P Ames 2-0-0-0, P-RF Delhunty 2-0-1-0, Totals 19-0-1-0
BRADFORD (10)
2B-P Bacha 4-0-1-0, SS Obermeyer 2-2-1-0, C Packard 3-1-1-3, P-2B Boyer 3-0-0-0, 3B Garret Babcock 4-1-2-2, CF Brugh 1-1-0-0, 1B Buchholz 1-1-0-0, 1B Pantuso 1-1-1-1, LF-P Manion 1-1-0-0, RF Skaggs 0-1-0-2, RF Gage Babcock 2-1-2-1, Totals 22-10-8-9
RIDGWAY 000 000 — 0
BRADFORD 051 121 — 10
Pitching
Ridgway IP H R ER BB SO
Delhunty 1 1/3 1 4 4 3 1
Hoffman 2 2/3 3 3 2 4 0
Ames 1 1/3 3 3 3 2 2
Bradford
Boyer 3 0 0 0 3 4
Bacha 2 1 0 0 0 4
Manion 1 0 0 0 1 1
