Big offense gives M&T Bank title
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By Nate Ritchey
nritchey@altoonamirror.com
M&T Bank flew out three times and had a batter reach on a walk in the top of the first inning against Professionals Auto Body.
In the second inning, M&T made sure to send plenty more to the plate -- 12 batters to be exact.
The result was seven runs crossing the plate as M&T Bank grabbed complete control en route to capturing the championship of the Altoona Teener 19U League division with an 11-1 six-inning victory over Professionals Auto Body in game 2 of the best-of-three series on Wednesday at Seitz Field.
"I told the kids with us being the visitors tonight that we had to come out quick," M&T Bank coach Brian Bell said. "We didn't have a great first inning. ... I told the kids to be patient, and if we put the ball in play, get a couple of runners on then we've been aggressive all year and we'll continue to be aggressive -- we run, we steal, we bunt. I knew once we got going that it would be ok."
Tyler Kerin and Stone Sral walked to start the second for M&T, and Kerin came in to score when PAB catcher Caleb Gibson's throw to third sailed into the outfield.
Ryan McConnell singled to short center to push Sral to third before McConnell swiped second without a throw.
Sral and McConnell both came around to score on an error by Professionals shortstop Spencer Davis to make it 3-0.
M&T leadoff hitter Kaleb Mountain doubled before Brady Steiner doubled off the top of the left field fence to knock in two more runs.
Steiner raced in from second on an RBI single by Nick Kraft, who advanced to second on Kerin's infield single, and then crossed the plate on a single by Sral to make the score 7-0.
"We had a couple of walks and they (M&T Bank) hit the ball real well," Professionals Auto Body coach Steve Webster said. "They're a good solid team and they play well. That's baseball."
Mountain gave up a single to Caleb Gibson, and then got Elijah Moser to ground into a 6-3 double play before striking out Julius Colabove to end the inning.
Mountain gave M&T Bank its eighth run when he deposited Jaxson Ferguson's 3-1 pitch over the center field fence.
"Kaleb has been strong all year," Coach Bell said. "He's been a great kid and a great addition to the team. ... He's a solid kid and that home run was huge."
Professionals Auto Body got its lone run in the bottom of the third when Webster reached on an error by McConnell at second.
Webster would move to third on an error by M&T catcher Kraft and then touch the plate on Connor Waite's RBI single.
Ferguson, who finished with six strikeouts, got four of the six outs over the the next two innings via strikeouts to keep M&T from adding on.
M&T Bank would end the contest as Mountain singled and then came in to score on Steiner's two-run homer to left field.
"That's the first home run Brady's had here this year -- it was exciting," Coach Bell said. "He's had a couple of them hit the fence and he's been really close. ... It was great momentum for us to propel us in that last inning."
Mountain, who struck out five and walked none as the winning pitcher, went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while Steiner had two hits, scored twice and drove in four runs.
With two outs, Kerin, who finished with two hits and two runs scored, doubled over the centerfielders' head, then stole third and scored to end the contest when the throw down from Gibson rolled into the outfield.
"We had a chance to win last night and it didn't work out for us," Coach Webster said. "We came out today -- you come out to a new game every day, you do the best you can, and sometimes it works for you and sometimes it doesn't."
M&T BANK (11): Mountain p 433, Steiner ss 422, Kraft c 311, Bell cf 401, Kerin 1b 322, Sral 3b 211, McConnell 2b 311, Dean rf 010, Brennan ph-rf 100, Miller lf 300. Totals — 27 11 11.
PROFESSIONALS AUTO BODY(1): Berkheimer cf 200, Waite rf 201, Speece 3b 201, Davis ss 100, Peters 2b 200, Gibson c 201, Moser lf-p 200, Colabove eh 200, Ferguson 201, Webster ss 110. Totals — 18 1 4.
SCORE BY INNINGS
M&T Bank 071 003 X–11 11 3
Professionals Auto Body 001 00X X–1 4 4
E–Sral, McComnell, Kraft, Gibson 2, Webster, Moser. 2B–Mountain, Steiner, Kerin. HR–Mountain, Steiner. RBI–Steiner 4, Mountain, Kraft, Sral, Waite. SB–Kerin, McConnell.
PITCHING
M&T Bank: Mountain (W) –5 innings, 4 H, 5 K, 0 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 79 pitches.
Professionals Auto Body: Ferguson (L) — 5 innings, 10 H, 6 K, 3 BB, 10 R, 8 ER, 106 pitches; Moser– 2/3 innings, 1 H, 1 K, 0 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 8 pitches.