Henry Brummel tosses no-hitter as Pontiac baseball blanks Ottawa
Henry Brummel was nearly perfect in his five innings of work on the mound and the junior fireballer received a lot of offensive help as he threw a no-hitter in hurling Pontiac past Ottawa 11-0 in a nonconference baseball game at The Ballpark at Williamson Field Thursday.
Brummel put just one batter on base while two others reached on an error as the Pirates were stymied from start to finish. Brummel threw 68 pitches overall, 47 of which were strikes.
After an 11-pitch first inning, which included two punchouts, the Pontiac offense went to work in supplying Brummel with plenty of run support. It started when Michael Kuska slapped a two-base hit on the first pitch he saw.
Camden Fenton followed with a two-base hit to drive in Kuska and the rout was on. Logan Barnett singled to put runners on the corners and Drew Wayman drove in Fenton with a one-out single for a 2-0 lead.
Zechariah Landstrom drew a two-out walk and then PTHS put together three straight run-scoring safeties. Jackson Crawford singled to plate Barnett and Wayman and Cayden Masching singled to left. The ball was misplayed allowing Landstrom and courtesy runner Jacob Fogarty to score for a 6-0 lead.
Kuska registered his second extra-base hit of the inning with a triple that plated Masching for a 7-0 advantage.
The seven runs provided plenty of support and Brummel attacked the Ottawa batters with confidence. He retired the first seven Pirates he faced before an error allowed the first baserunner for the visitors.
PTHS scored a run in the third frame to augment the advantage. Landstrom led off with a free pass and scored when Barnett walked with two outs and the bases loaded.
Brummel was never seriously threatened in this game, but Ottawa was able to get two runners in the top of the fourth inning. A one-out walk was followed by an error before Brummel registered a strikeout and induced an infield pop up to get out of the inning.
Pontiac put the game away with a trio of runs in the last of the fifth inning, and it was Brummel who closed it out.
Crawford led the inning off with a base hit and pinch-hitter Duncan Eilts drew a walk. A line out and a fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two outs. A Barnett single scored Eilts and moved Fenton to third. Barnett took second on the play.
Brummel sent a 2-2 offering to left that scored Fenton with the 10th run that ended game. Barnett also scored on the play for the final difference.
Crawford had three hits and drove in two runs to lead the Pontiac (13-11) offense. Barnett had two hits and two runs batted in while Kuska registered a triple, double and drove in a run. Brummel had a hit and two RBIs and Fenton had a double and RBI. Wayman also had a hit and drove in a run while Landstrom and Masching each singled. Eilts and Fogarty each scored a run.
EPG 8, Mt. Pulaski 3
EL PASO — Although Mt. Pulaski got the jump on El Paso-Gridley, the Titans hit back to an 8-3 nonconference baseball victory Thursday at South Pointe Park.
The Hilltoppers tagged EPG starter Mason Vandegraft for two runs in the top of the first inning. But The Titans had their pitcher's back by drawing even in the home-half of the frame.
It was Vandegraft getting EPG rolling with a one-out base knock. Mac Raymer followed with a base hit and Dominic Ricconi smacked a two-bagger to drive in Micah Meiss, the courtesy runner for Vandegraft. A dropped third strike to Will McNamara with two outs allowed Raymer to score the tying run.
Vandegraft put the Titans in the lead for good in the second inning. Camden Bressner and Brady Veselack each walked with one out before Vandegraft singled to drive in Bressner for a 3-2 EPG lead.
Raymer followed with a run-scoring single and Ricconi doubled to plate courtesy runner Meiss for a 5-2 advantage.
The Titans went up 6-2 in the fourth inning when Ricconi lifted a sacrifice fly that drove in Vandegraft.
EPG added two more runs in the fifth inning. Landon Foster led off the inning with a two-base hit and scored on Jeremy Knapp's squeeze bunt. Knapp scored the Titans' final tally on a wild pitch with Vandegraft at the plate.
After a rough start, Vandegraft was in control over the next five-plus innings as he retired 15 of 19 batters from the second inning until being pulled with one out in the seventh. Raymer finished up, allowing an inherited runner for the final difference.
Vandegraft got the win with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. He gave up three runs (two earned), four hits and three walks. Raymer fanned two in closing out the win.
Vandegraft and Raymer had three hits and drove in one run apiece to help pace the EPG (13-12). Ricconi had two doubles and three RBIs and McNamara had two hits and drove in a run. Foster doubled and Knapp drove in a run.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Henry Brummel tosses no-hitter as Pontiac baseball blanks Ottawa
