Baseball: A-C hammers Columbia, 15-5
ANNVILLE >> The Annville-Cleona baseball team is off and running following its fourth straight win of the season on Thursday afternoon at A-C.
The Dutchmen played long ball with three different Crimson Tide pitchers by clubbing a homer and three doubles in a 12-hit assault that ended in a 15-5 win in the sixth inning.
The win left them at 3-0 in L-L League Section Four play, while Columbia slipped to 1-2 in league and 2-3 overall, following its 20-1 loss to Lancaster Catholic on Wednesday.
Catcher Hunter Long went 3-for 3 with a home run, three runs scored and two walks to pace an A-C attack that scored in every inning but the fourth. It was Long's second homer of the season.
Noah Connor also has three hits for A-C, including a double, while Colton Long and sophomore starting pitcher Mitch Long also doubled and singled.
The game ended with two outs in the sixth when designated hitter Ty Schrader, who was celebrating his birthday, drove in the final run with his second hit and second RBI of the game.
"We hit the ball really well today," A-C coach Scott Shyda said. "We've been kind of off and on offensively so far this season, but today we hit the ball well."
Shyda said it was good to see, with three home games coming up next week against Pequea Valley, Lancaster Catholic and Lebanon.
"We're off to a good start," he said, "but we'll know a little better next week where we stand."
The Dutchmen also took advantage of 10 Crimson Tide walks, four of which came in their four-run first inning, along with a hit batter. Colton Long knocked in two with a double and Schrader singled in one.
A-C added a four-spot in the third, thanks to Hunter Long's round tripper that rattled the scoreboard in left.
On the mound, Mitch Long battled control problems, before giving way to Alec "Gator" Barr in the fourth. Long had six strikeouts to go with five walks. Barr gave up a two-run single to the second batter he faced, Jerad Kashner, before quieting the Crimson Tide bats over the final two innings. Starting pitcher Andrew Plastino also had three hits for the Tide, including a double.
"Mitch had a little trouble with his command," Shyda said. "Considering it was his first varsity start, I'm sure he was battling nerves a little bit."
Long concurred.
"I was a little shaky," he said. "I felt good, but I had trouble throwing strikes."
Long said the best part was the 10 runs his teammates posted over the first three innings.
"If we keep hitting like we did today, we're going to have a pretty good season," he said.
Columbia111200—593 Annville-Cleona424
W — M. Long; L — Plastino;
SO-BB — C: Plastino (2 K, 7 BB), Kashner (1 K, 4 BB), Geltz (0 K, 0 BB), AC: M. Long (6 K, 5 BB), Barr (2 K, 1 BB);
2B — C: Plastino, Scheckard., A-C: Connor, C. Long, M. Long.;
HR —AC: H. Long;