Bruins claw back to down Big Red, 19-9
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WELLSBURG -- C.J. Besece has seen his team pull off a number of comebacks already this season. So, when his Bruins were in a seven-run hole in the fourth inning on Wednesday, the third-year coach's belief in his club did not waver.
He was proven right not to doubt his club, too, as the Bruins scored 19 runs in the final three innings to storm back and stun visiting Big Red, 19-9, with a mercy-rule six-inning victory.
"I told our kids, a lot of them have been starting for three years, I used to pull my hair out when they were younger, but now I don't even worry about them because I know our lineup can get hot and when it does, it can be hit after hit after hit," Besece said. "Down 7-0, these guys never wavered. They didn't quit or put their heads down, they just got back to it and they stay in the game the whole way. I'm really proud of them.
"When our lineup gets hot, it can get going and that's what I told them (down 7-0), just stay the course."
After trailing 7-0 through three and a half, and being no-hit to that point by Big Red starter Aydan Manning, the Bruins (11-5) plated seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game -- four with two outs. An inning later, the Bruins plated four to take an 11-7 lead, and, after Steubenville (3-8) had pulled back within two, scored eight runs -- seven with two outs -- to end things an inning early.
"The experience these guys have is huge," Besece said. "We were close to getting mercy-ruled at Creek last year and came back within one, almost got mercy-ruled here by Ferry and came back and won, so they saw they can come back (last year) and have done it this year, too. If they get confidence, they can get it going."
As strong as the finish was for Brooke, the start was anything but. In a week it's playing six times in six days, Brooke needed three pitchers before it recorded four outs, but the third of which, Hunter Mozingo, settled things down and went the rest of the way, earning his second win in as many days in relief by throwing five innings, allowing just one earned run (four total) and striking out three.
"I looked up at one point and I think (Big Red) had five or six runs on two hits, so we didn't do a very good job of throwing strikes early in the game," Besece said. "But, Hunter came in and he pitched great. He kept them off balance and let us get back in the game."
Big Red's Cooper Blackburn plated a run to make it 1-0 Big Red by drawing a bases-loaded walk, after a pitching change Ty Pierce and Cole Bowers made it 3-0 with back-to-back sac flys.
Bubby Reese doubled for his second hit of the game, plating a run in the top of the second, and Manning made it 5-0 with an RBI groundout.
After a scoreles third, Blackburn knocked in a run and Pierce drove in another to make it 7-0 Big Red.
The Bruins' bats, though, were about to come out of hibernation.
After two hit batsman and a walk loaded the bases up in the bottom half of the fourth, an Owen Petrella sac fly got Brooke on the board. In the next at-bat, Garrett Hornick knocked an RBI single, then Ryan DeFranco kept it going with an RBI single of his own to make it 7-3. After Big Red got the second out, Anthony Bachinski plated a run with a single, then Carson Lauttamus doubled in a pair of runs to make it 7-6. Brooke wasn't done, though, as after a pitching change Charlie Fuscarso singled and a throwing error allowed the tying run to cross.
An inning later, Aiden Provenzano doubled with two outs to drive in a pair of runners to give the Bruins their first lead. That hit came after a throwing error on an attempt for an inning-ending double play kept Brooke alive.
A Bachinski RBI double and a Lauttamus RBI single then made it 11-7 Bruins.
In the top of the sixth, Blackburn doubled off the fence in straight-away center to drive in a run, and, after a Bruins error, Bowers plated a run with an RBI groundout to make it 11-9 going to the bottom of the sixth.
Brooke, though, still had a lot left in its bats.
Braelyn Sperringer scored on a wild pitch, then Provenzano singled in two more runs with two outs to make it 14-9. Lauttamus singled in another run, Bachinski scored on a double-steal after a Fuscardo single and Peyton Toepfer blooped in a single to score a run.
After a walk loaded the bases up, Garrett Hornick got hit by a pitch to plate the eighth run of the inning and push the margin to 10 to end the game.
"(Big Red) coach (Fred) Heatherington is one of the best coaches in the state of Ohio … you always have to play a good game to beat them," Besece said. "Their record doesn't reflect the team they are. It's a big win for us."
UP NEXT
Big Red: Is at Wheeling Park today.
Brooke: Heads to South Charleston on Friday.
Brooke 19, Big Red 9
Big Red 3-2-0 2-0-2 – 9 7 4
Brooke 0-0-0 7-4-8 – 19 16 2
BIG RED (3-7): Manning (3 2/3IP, 7R, 4H, 5K, 1BB, 2HBP), McAllister (LP, 1IP, 4R, 6H, 0K, 0BB), Dobreff (1IP, 8R, 6H, 1K, 2BB) and Smith. Reese D, S, RBI; Manning S, RBI; Blackburn, D, S, 2RBI; Pierce 2RBI; Bowers S, 2RBI; Lovato S.
BROOKE (11-5): Petrella (0IP, 3R, 1H, 0K, 3BB), Toepfer (1IP, 2R, 0H, 3BB), Mozingo (WP, 5IP, 4R, 6H, 3K, 3BB, 2HBP) and Provenzano. Bachinski D, S, 2RBI; Lauttamus D, 2S, 4RBI; Fuscardo 2S, RBI; Sperringer S; Toepfer 2S, 2RBI; Petrella S, RBI; Hornick 2S, 2RBI; Defranco S, RBI; Provenzano S, D, 4RBI.