Berkshire Thunder Stays Unbeaten in BABL
Berkshire improved to 13-0 this summer and completed a two-game season sweep of second-place Tunnel City (9-4) in a game called in the top of the sixth inning due to rain with the Thunder leading, 9-0.
Six of those runs came in that sixth inning in a steady downpour.
After losing his grip on a pitch that sailed far behind the batter, Tunnel City player/manager Mike Cirullo decided to put an end to the contest.
Berkshire, which took a 6-2 win against Tunnel City back in early June, got all the offense it needed on Sunday with a run in the top of the second.
Corey Lehmuth dropped a one-out single into right field and moved into scoring position when Johnny Goodnow worked a walk.
Ricci then singled to right to drive in Lehmuth and make it 1-0.
In the fourth, Lehmuth singled and scored in a two-run rally that featured an RBI double by Joe Bateman (2-for-4).
Meanwhile, Bateman and Seamus Morrison held down the Tunnel City offense, scattering four hits over five innings.
The hosts did threaten in the fourth and the fifth.
In the fourth, a couple of errors and a two-out single by Nolan Brassard put runners at second and third, but Morrison, who came on in relief in the third inning, got the final out on a comebacker to the mound.
In the fifth, Cirullo reached on a leadoff error, and D.J. Clark’s one-out single put runners at the corners.
Clark then stole second to put two runners in scoring position with one out in a three-run game.
But Morrison got the next hitter to fly out in the infield and the final out on a fly ball to center field to preserve the lead.
Although Tunnel City struggled to get anything going offensively, it did turn in some gems in the field.
In the bottom of the first, shortstop Jonathan Boucher leapt up to snare a line drive and threw to second to double off a runner and keep the game scoreless.
In the third, second baseman Clark took a throw from center and relayed to the plate to catch a runner attempting to score on a single by the Thunder’s Lehmuth.
In the fourth, Boucher made a throw from his knees to get the leadoff hitter out at first base on a ground ball.
After Ryan Shea worked a scoreless fifth in relief of starter Nate Feder, a couple of walks and a hit batter ended Shea’s day on the mound in the sixth. Cirullo attempted to stop the bleeding but eventually gave in to Mother Nature.
Tunnel City Freight finishes the regular season on Wednesday in Dalton against the Moneymakers. The Thunder plays its last game of the regular season, also at the Moneymakers, on Sunday.
Photos from this game to come.
