Big sixth inning lifts Wellsboro over Wyalusing
By: Ed Weaver | NTL Sports | May 5, 2017
A 12-run sixth inning by the Wellsboro Varsity Baseball team lifted the Hornets past Wyausing, 16-5 on Thursday, May 4.
"It was a nice win for us," said head coach Philip Prough. "Wyalusing played tough and came back. But we finally put a string of hits together late to take control of the game. Our season high in hits came at a good time. I've felt like we had been hitting the ball well in recent,games. Tonight we finally broke the dam, so to speak, and it all came together in the 6th inning."
Wellsboro trailed 1-0 after the first but scored three runs in the third to take their first lead of the afternoon. Juniors Caleb Tennis and Johnny Rowland started the inning with singles and both would score. Freshman Silas Wagaman reached base on error and scored on an RBI single by sophomore Cam Tennis. Cam Tennis would also score in the fourth after another base hit on an RBI single by freshman Billy Lechler to make it 4-1.
The Rams had their big inning in the bottom of the fifth with four runs to take a 5-4 lead. Then the flood gates opened in the sixth for the Wellsboro offense.
"We didn't collapse when things went bad in the fifth," continued Prough. "We stayed with our hitting approach and answered the challenge. That's was nice to see."
Cam Tennis struck out to start the sixth, but an error on the catcher allowed him to advance to first. Back-to-back singles by Lecher and freshman Carson Davis loaded the bases for Caleb Tennis. Tennis grounded out to the short stop scoring Cam Tennis to tie the game. A single by junior Brent English scored Lechler and Rowland hit into a fielder's choice.
A double by sophomore Taynton Repard scored Davis and freshman Austin Richards (running for English) to make it 8-5, and back-to-back singles by Wagaman and junior Dalton Prough would score Rowland to push it to 9-5. A single by Cam Tennis scored Repard, a Lecher single scored Wagaman, a Davis single scored Prough, English scored freshman Lucas Citrino (running for Davis), and a Rowland double scored junior Parker Mann (running for Caleb Tennis).
Lechler was 4-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI's and to lead the Hornets at the plate; Cam Tennis, Davis, Rowland were all 3-for-5; Prough, Repard, and Caleb Tennis were 2-for-5; and English and Wagaman were both 1-for-4. English, Repard, Cam Tennis added 2 RBI's each while Prough, Davis, Caleb Tennis, and Rowland drove in runs.
Rowland started on the mound and went five innings, allowing 5 runs (all earned) on 3 hits with 5 walks and a strikeout for the win. Prough pitched the final inning, striking out 2 of the 3 batters he faced.
The win improves the Hornets' record to 7-7 (7-5 NTL Large School Division). The team will be back in action this afternoon against Troy.
Ed Weaver is the owner of Circle W Sports in Wellsboro, PA, is the Sports Director for The Home Page Network and the creator of WellsboroAthletics.com and WellsboroFootball.com. You can follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.
