Berkshire rallies in 6th, edges S. Range
By John Bassetti
Struthers
Adam Miller scored the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth inning on Matt Elko’s double to give Burton Berkshire the edge over South Range, 3-2, in the Div. III district semifinal nightcap at Cene Park on Thursday.
After out-racing a slow roller to the third-base side of the mound and the throw to first, Miller stole second and then raced home when Elko’s hit sped down the third-base line.
South Range (19-7) kept in step with Berkshire (13-11) on the scoreboard by tying the game 1-1 in the second inning and 2-2 in the fifth inning.
Bryce Smetana (7-1) and Jack McDonald (6-1) both went the distance for the Badgers and Raiders, respectively. Both allowed five hits, but Smetana had 10 strikeouts and McDonald eight.
“Like I told the guys, Bryce brought his ‘A’ game day all year, yet we haven’t supported him like we should. Tonight, he spent all day volunteering at a sixth-grade wrestling camp, then comes here and was a little off,” said Berkshire’s Steve Smetana, the Mustangs’ second-year coach.
“But you’ve got to battle,” said Smetana, an uncle of the pitcher. “It’s all about competing. When you don’t have your best, you dig down and do what you can and keep your team in it and that’s what he did.”
Berkshire’s Kevin Hix had the game’s only triple, while McDonald and Mike Thorpe had doubles for South Range.
Berkshire snuffed several scoring opportunities by the Raiders, especially in the second, third and fourth innings.
After South Range tied the game, 1-1, second baseman Adam Tiber caught Andy Lacefield’s low line drive, then flipped the ball to second base where shortstop Travis Smetana doubled up Thorpe who was caught too far off base.
In the third, South Range stranded Tom Delullo on third base. In the fourth, Bryce Smetana and his defense made sure Thorpe didn’t advance past second base.
“You hope you go over plays in practice: bunt plays, bunt coverages,” said Steve Smetana. “You prepare them the best you can and let them play the game. But it seems to work out.”