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'Bulldog' Bruning lives up to his nickname as Johnstown wards off Licking Valley

HANOVER — His teammates call him "Bulldog," and with good reason.

Host Licking Valley forced him right to the end of his pitch limit Tuesday, but Johnstown junior righthander Clay Bruning was still able to finish off a four-hit, 13-strikeout performance in a 3-1 Licking County League crossover win.

"I just kept throwing strikes where I needed to," Bruning said after walking four, and throwing 124 pitches. "I felt good. I wasn't very tired at the end of the game, even though I prefer warmer weather."

Johnstown junior Clay Bruning pitched a 4-hitter with 13 strikeouts Tuesday, leading the Johnnies to a 3-1 Licking County League crossover win against host Licking Valley.
Johnstown junior Clay Bruning pitched a 4-hitter with 13 strikeouts Tuesday, leading the Johnnies to a 3-1 Licking County League crossover win against host Licking Valley.

"He's a great competitor," coach Travis Carpenter said. "He's real good, and a real good junior. He had command of all his pitches. He's confident out there, and his teammates play confident behind him."

Temperatures dipped into the 40s, coupled with a brisk wind, and Bruning and Valley freshman lefthander Ethan Lichtenauer staged a scoreless duel through five innings. But the seasoned Johnnies (6-3, 5-3) finally broke through in the sixth inning against the youthful Panthers (6-4, 2-2), who started seven sophomores along with Lichtenauer.

Johnstown loaded the bases in the fifth before Lichtenauer fanned Johnnies' slugger Garrett Grinstead, ending the threat. But in the sixth, Gavin Warden singled over third, went to second on a passed ball, and scored the first run of the game on a throwing error. Benji Perez took second on the play and Bruning helped himself with an RBI single to right, making it 2-0.

"I was just trying to put the ball in play. We don't get down on ourselves," Bruning said. "It's about staying focused, and not letting up if things don't go our way," said Warden.

Valley battled back, slicing it to 2-1 when Hayden Rodgers doubled to right and rode home on Brenden Moore's bloop single to center. But the Johnnies cashed in on another Panthers' miscue in the seventh when Cole Boroff reached on a throwing error, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and beat the throw home when Warden bounced to third for a 3-1 lead.

Boroff was ready to relieve if Bruning couldn't finish it off, and he nearly didn't as Wyatt Binckley walked and pinch-hitter Carter Hartman beat out a one-out infield single. But Bruning got Trent Clark to pop out and Theo Walsh flew out to left, ending the game.

"They didn't want to see his (Bruning's) fastball, and we worked off of that," said Warden, a senior catcher. "We mixed in his curve when needed. I had faith that he would finish the game."

"He (Bruning) is as good as there is in the LCL," said Valley coach Adam Arcuri. "But we would rather face a guy like that, because it's going to make us better for the tournament. He made some big pitches, especially on 3-2 and 2-strike counts, and today was his day."

Valley missed out on an opportunity in the first, as Walsh doubled, and Moore and Gavin Bragg drew two-out walks. But Bruning struck out Aidan Harrold with the bases loaded. He then retired 10 consecutive batters, eight of them on strikes.

"We have to do a better job of putting the ball in play," Arcuri said. "We always talk about scoring first, and if we don't, answer back, and we were able to answer back. But you need to get two-out hits, if you're going to win a league or a district title. We're pretty young, and it showed. We expect it to at times, and hope it doesn't. But they're growing up, right in front of our eyes, and we try to give them the confidence to succeed."

Lichtenauer does not pitch like a freshman and probably deserved a better fate, allowing six hits, striking out seven and walking two over six innings. Classmate Evan Roberts struck out the side in the seventh.

"That's a great program, and a great pitching staff," Carpenter said.

The Johnnies stand three games back of Newark Catholic in the LCL-Cardinal Division, but want to build some momentum for the Division II tournament, where they could see Valley again.

"We want to go out and win some more games this week," Bruning said. "We have a tough game against Newark on Saturday."

dweidig@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: 'Bulldog' Bruning lives up to nickname as Johnstown wards off Valley