Knights put Hubs in check

April 26, 2008|By LARRY YANOS

The Middletown baseball team scored four unearned runs in the first inning Friday, which proved to be more than enough to defeat host North Hagerstown 4-0 in an MVAL Piedmont game.

Middletown received a strong effort from starting pitcher Nathan D'Alessio, who blanked North on five hits before tiring in the seventh inning.

Andrew Pierce came out in relief after North's John Courtney drew a leadoff walk in the seventh and easily closed out the game.

The Hubs' Greg Lynn and Jeremy Barron also pitched well but costly mistakes in the first inning led to all of the Knights' offense

"Early mistakes. ... No emotion," North Hagerstown coach Shawn Reynolds said. "I thought our pitching was terrific. Lynn is only a sophomore. He did a heck of a job for five innings."

The effort was wasted, however, by three North miscues.

With one out in the first, Middletown went to work against the right-hander Lynn.

Ryan Fisher's single, a successful suicide squeeze bunt by Steve Shriner, a walk to Koby Cavanaugh and Matthew McDonough's double blended with three North errors to produce four quick runs.

The poor start, coupled with a weak offensive performance, proved the downfall for the Hubs.

"We're just not hitting the ball," Reynolds said.

Middletown, which lost to North 9-1 earlier in the season, looked good on Friday.

"D'Alessio was solid, he hadn't pitched that deep into a game before and that's why I took him out in the seventh," Middletown coach Andy Baker said. "As far as offensively, Cavanaugh has been hitting the ball well recently and he had two more hits today."

Middletown outhit North, 7-5, and played errorless ball.

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