Albert Gallatin beats Uniontown in Section 2 action, 10-5
FARMINGTON – Uniontown just got Null-ified. Josh Null pitched a five-hitter and struck out seven as Albert Gallatin defeated host Uniontown 10-5, in Section 2-AAA baseball play Thursday, for their second section win in three starts.
Null didn’t allow a hit until two out in the fourth, and from the time Uniontown scored in the second until it got two more in the seventh with two out, Null allowed only two runners to get past first base.
Coach Dan Palm said, “Josh had an incredible pitching effort, and he got stronger as the game went along. His curve ball was breaking great.”
For the day, the Colonial outfield had just four putouts, three to Ken Cerny in right and one to B.J. Strimel in center. At the same time, Uniontown’s pickets had just one out, a first inning fly ball to Nick Neratka in right.
Palm said, “We got off to a good start. It looks like our offense is coming around, but defensively we still need work. Uniontown always gives us a good battle, and today they fought us right down to the final out. They had the bases loaded in the seventh with the tying run on deck.”
Uniontown coach Mark Edenfield said, “Null was very strong on the mound, and we just couldn’t get any kind of offense going. We had a 3-2 lead in the second, just the second time we have had the lead on an opponent and we didn’t hold it.”
Of the five hits off Null, Nathan Lewis had two and Jeremiah Ditmore doubled for the only Raider extra-base hit.
Albert Gallatin had seven hits off four pitchers, two by Scotty Piper, and Null helped himself along with an RBI triple, the Colonials’ only extra-base rap.
Albert Gallatin got out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and looked like it might have a big thing going right at the start. After one out, Cerny singled and Craig Hriblan walked. Then with two down, Piper and Alan Smodic singled for two runs, and Null walked to load the bases, but a force play ended that move.
Uniontown (1-6, 0-3) went ahead 3-2 in the second, without benefit of a hit. Gary King was aboard on an error, leading off, Neil Kelly walked, and the bases were loaded when Ditmore’s grounder was thrown too late for the force try on Kelly. Neratka walked to force in a run, Kelly scored on a force play, and Ditmore scored on another error.
Then, until the seventh, only two Raiders got past first, and just five got on base at all.
Lewis and King walked in the second, and Ditmore doubled with one out in the sixth. Nathan Klingensmith singled in the fourth, and Lewis singled in the fifth for the only other runners.
Albert Gallatin regained the lead for good in the third.
Hriblan walked to lead off.
Sean McCahill was safe on an error, and both moved ahead as Piper grounded to first.
Smodic got aboard on an error to load them up, and then a high pickoff throw allowed McCahill to score and Smodic to reach third, from where he scored on Null’s triple up the left-center alley.
It was 6-3 in the fourth after Strimel walked and came around on Cerny’s bunt and Hriblan’s single.
Palm said, “Hriblan was a big factor at the plate today. He walked three times, singled, scored three runs and drove in two.”
The final AG runs crossed in the sixth. Josh Franks was alive on an error to lead off, and Strimel, Cerny and Hriblan walked to force in a run and leave the bases loaded with nobody out.
Randy Fisher came on in relief for Uniontown, and after ceding singles to McCahill and Piper. He set down the next five batters in a row, three on strikes.
Uniontown wound up scoring in the seventh.
Klingensmith was aboard on an error to lead off, and with two down, Lewis singled, Gary King’s high pop was dropped and Kelly singled.
Ditmore walked to load the bases, but Null got a grounder to end the threat and the game.
Albert Gallatin will be at home today, playing Allegheny-Livingstone from New York.
Uniontown has an 11 a.m. game Saturday at the Hutchinson Field with New Oxford, Pa., and then Laurel Highlands plays the same team at 2 p.m.