Busy base-running works for Planets
ADAMS TWP — As the catcher for a very talented pitching staff, Jack Anderson is used to being in the middle of things for Mars' baseball team.
On Wednesday, along with his duties behind the plate, he found himself busy on the base paths.
Anderson reached base in all three of his plate appearances, thanks to two walks and a single, stole second base in each instance and scored three runs.
The effort helped the Planets erase a 3-0 deficit en route to a 5-3 section victory over Fox Chapel, which keeps alive the Planets' hopes of sharing the Section 1-5A title.
“A lot of teams put in a courtesy runner for their catcher,” said Mars coach Andy Bednar, “but Jack has great speed and he's very knowledgeable running the bases. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he's leading us in stolen bases.”
“In some games, I have the green light to go, but everything today was from the signs I was getting (from Bednar),” said Anderson, a Northwestern University recruit. “I'm not the fastest guy, but I'm able to pick up on pitchers' tendencies and get good jumps.”
Anderson's last stolen base and run scored of the game came in the bottom of the sixth inning. With the game knotted at 3-3, he drew a lead-off walk from Fox Chapel reliever Alex Miles.
After swiping second, Will Bednar singled and Tyler Kowalkowski was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Miles was on the verge of escaping the jam, but Joe Craska lofted a two-out, two-run base hit to right that put the Planets up for good at 5-3.
Mars starter Frank Craska worked two outs into the top of the seventh before being pulled for reaching his pitch limit. Shane Fox came on in relief and struck out Mitchell Miles to end the game.
Frank Craska had to battle in the first two frames. A pair of walks and two doubles — off the bats of James Patterson and T.J. Johnston — put the Foxes (7-7, 6-5) up 3-0 in the top of the first.
But Fox Chapel had a chance to add on to its lead in the next inning and failed to do so. Matt Jerpe and Alex Miles led off the frame with back-to-back singles.
“Those guys are our No 8 and 9 hitters,” said Fox Chapel coach Jim Hastings. “They both get on to get us back to the top of the order with no outs and we end up not scoring. That was frustrating.”
Craska kept Mars' deficit at 3-0 by striking out Mitchell Miles and getting Ryan Wagner to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. After that, Craska retired 13 of the next 14 batters he faced.
“He could've folded after that first inning,” Andy Bednar said of Craska. “Even in the second, that could've gotten away from him. I'm really proud of the way he battled today. He started pitching like the Frank Craska we know and that's what we need.”
The Planets tied the game by scoring single runs in the second, third and fourth innings. All three tallies were charged to Wagner, Fox Chapel's starter.
Anderson walked and stole second in the bottom of the second and later scored on Tyler Kowalkowski's double. Jon Wetherholt's double plated Rowen Fletcher in the third and Anderson tied the game when he scored on a wild pitch in the fourth.
“Early in the season, we were struggling on offense,” Andy Bednar said. “It was a major concern for us, but we shook things up a bit with the lineup. This is the third game in a row that we've hit the ball well.”
The Planets (10-5, 8-3) can claim a share of the section title if Fox Chapel defeats North Hills Friday and Mars beats Hampton on Monday.
Fox Chapel 300 000 0 — 3 6 0
Mars 011 102 x — 5 6 0
W: Frank Craska 6.2 IP (9K, 2BB). L: Alex Miles 2.2 IP (3K, 1BB). S: Shane Fox .1 IP (1K, 0BB).
Fox Chapel (7-7, 6-5): Mitchell Miles R, Jonathan Simon R, James Patterson 2B R RBI, T.J. Johnston 2B 2RBI, Matt Jerpe 2-1B, Alex Miles 2-1B
Mars (10-5, 8-3): Rowen Fletcher R, Jon Wetherholt 2B RBI, Jack Anderson 1B 3R, Will Bednar 1B, Tyler Kowalkowski 2B RBI, Evan Homison 2B, Joe Craska 1B 2RBI, Tom Sheehy R
Monday: Mars at Hampton
