Baseball team crushes Buckhannon-Upshur

Berkeley Springs sent 13 batters to the plate in the opening inning, collected eight hits and scored 10 runs on their way to clobbering visiting Buckhannon-Upshur, 19-1, on Saturday, April 28, at Morgan Field.

The Tribe added five runs in the third and four in the fourth to run away and hide from their Upshur County foe.

Trailing 1-0, the Indians erupted for 10 runs in the bottom of the first to take complete control of the game.

Zach Wise led off with a single, moved to second base on an error by Buckhannon's right fielder, and then moved to third on a wild pitch. He then scored on a double to right-center by designated hitter Tyler Holt that tied the game at 1-1.

Jared Spielman followed with a sharp single to right, putting runners on the corners.

Spielman then stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch that scored Holt with the go-ahead run. Cleanup hitter Brady Spielman delivered a run-scoring single, then promptly stole second and scored the fourth run of the inning when Zane Mokhiber reached on an error. Scott Hessler, the sixth batter in the order, also reached on an error, before Preston Hovermale popped out to short.

Kyle Appel singled to center, scoring Mokhiber and then Kaleb Athey picked up a RBI on a ground out. Wise kept the inning alive with a run-scoring base hit to right center and scored on an infield hit by Holt, before Jared Spielman capped off the 10-run outburst with 2-run home run to right.

"Our bats really came alive in the first inning," said Berkeley Springs Coach Ron Bittinger. “We really hit the ball hard. I don't think there was a cheap hit, and that home run by Jared cleared the fence with ease."

The 10 runs were more than enough for starting pitcher Jared Spielman. Spielman went four innings allowing one unearned run on one hit. He struck out nine, walked seven and hit one batter.

Spielman, who improved to 3-2 on the year, looks like he is getting back into form after two solid outings in the past week.

"Jared is getting back into his groove and pitching the way we thought he would," Bittinger said. “He struggled with his control, but his curve ball was really nasty today, and when he needed an out he got it."

Twice, Spielman got out of bases loaded jams with inning-ending strikeouts.

He recorded two quick outs in the third, but then walked the next three batters to load the bases, prompting a visit to the mound by assistant Coach Jeremy Brock. Whatever Brock said worked, as Spielman quickly fanned the next batter to end the inning and repeated the feat in the fourth.

Appel pitched the fifth for Berkeley Springs, setting the side down in order.
The Indians ripped Buccaneer pitching with 15 hits.

Wise was 4-4 with five RBIs, four runs scored and three stolen bases, while Jared Spielman was 3-3, including a single, triple and home run, with three RBIs, three runs scored and two stolen bases to lead the Berkeley Springs offense.

Appel was 2-2 with a RBI, Holt had two hits and a RBI, Brady Spielman had a single, RBI and two stolen bases, Mokhiber and Brett Fultz each delivered a two-run single, while Athey added a single and RBI.
A day earlier, April 28, Berkeley Springs hosted Clear Spring on the baseball diamond and dropped an 11-1 decision to the Blazers.

Clear Spring scored one run in the first and two in both the second and third innings to grab a quick 5-0 lead. Berkeley Springs got one run back in the bottom of the third when Athey doubled and scored on a single by Jared Spielman, but the Indian bats were silenced over the next four innings while the Blazers added six insurance runs to beat the Tribe for the second time in 2012.

Hessler was the only Indian with two hits (1B, 2B). Athey had a double, while Jared Spielman, Appel, Holt and Wise each added a single to Berkeley Springs offense.
Hovermale started and pitched the first five innings, allowing eight runs (six earned), on seven hits. He struck out three, walked two and hit one batter.

Brady Spielman worked the final two innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits, striking out two and walking two.

"This was a disappointing effort," Bittinger said of the loss. “We have kind of been a Jekyll and Hyde this season. One night we play well and the next not so well. I really thought the kids would be ready since they beat us 14-0 earlier, but they were flat. We have to play with more consistency if we want to go anywhere in the off season."

Berkeley Springs, currently 13-12, had games scheduled for Monday and Tuesday and will finish the regular season on Friday, May 4, in Paw Paw, before heading into the postseason. The Indians will host the winner of the Frankfort-Keyser game on Tuesday, May 8, at Morgan Field (no game time was available).