Smith steps up to boost Sox
The Lorain County (Ohio) team is called the Ironmen, but Kevan Smith was the ironman Thursday night.
The Seneca Valley graduate caught all 13 innings, was hit by a pitch four times, collected three hits, three RBI and scored three runs in leading the Butler BlueSox to an 11-10 victory in the Prospect Baseball League season opener at Pullman Park.
Smith was perfect in eight plate appearances, delivering the game-winning sacrifice fly in the 13th frame.
"That at-bat is why that kid is such a highly regarded prospect," BlueSox manager Jason Wuerfel said. "He had to be dead tired and he was behind in the count 1-2."
With one out in the 13th, fellow Seneca Valley graduate Zach Duggan walked. Austin Wulf was hit by a pitch and both runners moved up a base on a passed ball while Smith was at the plate.
"Once I got to third base, I figured this game was over," Duggan said. "Kevan struck out only 15 times this season at Pitt. He knows how to put the ball in play with two strikes on him."
While the count was 1-2, Smith fouled off a couple of pitches before working the count full.
"I was exhausted," Smith said. "Once the count was 3-2, I thought they might put me on. But they pitched to me."
Smith drove the ball to center field for sacrifice fly as Duggan tagged up and scored easily.
The game lasted 4 hours and 40 minutes. More than 400 people were in the stands when the game started. Fewer than 60 were there when it ended.
The BlueSox stranded 16 runners and used five pitchers. The Ironmen left 12 on base and used seven hurlers.
"This game did a number on our pitching staff," Lorain County manager Eric Cormell said.
Butler took a 10-8 lead into the top of the ninth and sent Mars graduate and Seton Hill pitcher
D.J. Cannon to the mound to get the save.Cannon got the first two batters on a strikeout and an infield pop-up. But the Ironmen's Tony Brunetti grounded a single up the middle and William Urban doubled to deep left, the ball landing just past the outstretched arms of left fielder Cameron Squires, to score Brunetti.The Ironmen tied the game when Joe Burnett blooped a single down the right field line.Cannon rebounded to pitch a scoreless 10th and the marathon was on."There were so many instances tonight on both sides where guys could have tanked it, just keel over and die," Wuerfel said. "That was one of them. But D.J. did his part."Everyone did his part. That's what makes this such a gratifying win."The BlueSox left the bases loaded in the third, fifth and 12th innings before finally securing victory.Ironmen pitchers walked nine batters and hit nine others. The free passes finally caught up to them in the 13th inning."Their hitters were crowding the plate a little and we were trying to work inside," Cormell said. "We grazed a few of them. That was just pitcher and hitter trying to establish territory."Ryan Thompson, a University of Connecticut product, pitched three scoreless innings at the end of the game and got the win.<B>Lorain Co. 130 010 302 000 0—10 15 1Butler 203 011 300 000 1—11 12 22 outs when winning run scoredW:</B> Ryan Thompson 3 IP (1K, 1BB). <B>L:</B> Steve Hagen 2/3 IP (0K, 1BB).<B>Lorain County (0-1):</B> Evan Melendez 3-1B RBI 3-R, Matt McAllester 3-1B 2-RBI 2-R, Nick Hamilton 1B RBI, T.J. Feldkamp RBI, Tony Brunetti 2-1B RBI, William Urban 2B 1B RBI, Joe Burnett 2B 1B 2-RBI,<B>Butler BlueSox (1-0):</B> Zach Duggan 2-R, Kevan Smith 2B 2-1B 3-RBI 3-R, Kody Campbell 3B 1B 2-RBI 2-R, Adam Jury 1B RBI, Max Vogel RBI, Tyler Sciacca 2B RBI, Jonathan Craycraft 2-1B RBI, Cameron Squires 3-1B RBI<B>Friday:</B> West Virginia Miners at BlueSox, 6:35 p.m.
