THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2000

Clear Fork bumps Seneca East from tournament

By John Montgomery
Sports Writer

MILAN -- On the surface, Seneca East and Clear Fork were about as even as you could get.

Both had three hits. Both had an error. Both pitchers fanned 10.

In a game so evenly matched, you knew the team that best took advantage of the other's mistakes would come out on top.

And that's exactly what happened.

Clear Fork's Adam Brokaw scored twice after being beaned twice, once an on 0-2 pitch, and Ryan Schlosser belted two homers, one on an 0-2 count, to lead the Colts to a 4-2 Division III district title win over third-ranked Seneca East Wednesday at Milan Edison High School.

The loss not only knocked the Tigers out of the tournament, but also gave them their first defeat in 19 games on the year. But even with that loss, Seneca East coach Frank Lamoreaux said the players and their parents have a lot to be proud of.

"You just can't say anything bad about the kids," he said. "They're a tight-knit group. They love to pick on each other. They're a big family.

"The guys didn't win 79 or 80 ball games over four years by being lucky. They did it the old fashioned way," he said. "They did it with hard work, dedication, good parental support. They have a lot to be proud of."

Unfortunately for the Tigers, the game was just a case of the Colts taking advantage of Seneca East's mistakes while overcoming their own.

It started in the first, with Seneca East's Jason Burkholder singling with one out and moving to third on two wild pitches while Mike Breyman was walked.

Cleanup hitter Kurt Weaver struck out swinging and Breyman was caught in a rundown during a double steal and was tagged out before Burkholder could score.

In the bottom of the inning, Brokaw was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count with one out. After Breyman struck out the next batter, he ran Schlosser to an 0-2 count before the Clear Fork slugger launched a two-run shot over the right-center fence for a 2-0 lead.

Both teams went three up, three down in the second, but the Tigers tied the game in third with the help of a Clear Fork miscue.

Leif Fortney led off with a shot down the right field line and chugged into third with triple. Elijah Kimmet followed with a walk and Nate Leber reached on a bunt.

Clear Fork southpaw pitcher Rob Thrush fielded the bunt but had no play at first. However, he forgot to chase Fortney back to third before heading to the mound and Fortney broke for home.

Thrush whirled and threw home, but the ball, which was wet because of rain that had fallen sporadically during the early part of the game, slipped from his hand and skipped past the catcher to let Fortney score.

Kimmet reached third on the play while Leber made it to second.

Burkholder then walked to load the bases, but the Colts (17-9) gave up just a sacrifice fly by Breyman after that.

"Out of that bad inning, they only got two runs on us," said Clear Fork coach Rusty Staab, whose Colts move on to the regional at Findlay. "In the beginning of the year, that would have caved into about seven runs. That's the maturity that this team has taken. We would have packed it in in that inning, but great senior leadership was able to stop the bleeding."

That leadership came from Thrush (6-2), who struck out Weaver again before getting Brian Bischoff to ground out to second.

Schlosser put the Colts on top for good in the bottom of the fourth by smashing a leadoff homer to right-center.

Seneca East had a chance to go ahead in the fifth and sixth, but both times the Colts got out of it.

Leber drew a one-out walk in the fifth and Breyman was intentionally walked with two outs to bring up Weaver. Weaver smacked a liner down the right field line that would have scored both runners, but the shot was just foul. He struck out moments later.

Bischoff led off the sixth with a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Dustin Alt, who was forced out at second on Joe Holmer's fielder's choice bunt. Rusty Wagner followed with a bunt single to put runners on second and first with one out, but a strikeout by Fortney and a fly out by pinch hitter Mike Risner halted the rally.

Clear Fork added its fourth run in the bottom of the inning. Brokaw led off by being beaned and stole second while Breyman was able to strikeout one of the Colts. Schlosser was then intentionally walked and he and Brokaw both moved up 90 feet on a double steal.

Breyman fanned another Colt, but Weaver booted Rich Hoover's grounder to shortstop that allowed Brokaw to go home. The Colts loaded the bases moments later when Breyman hit Josh Eckert on an 0-2 count, but Jared Eckert flew out to center to end the inning.

Seneca East's last chance in the seventh ended when Leber flew out to left, Burkholder struck out and Breyman's smash to left was snagged by a diving Charles Swank.