(Victor, NY) The four-game season-opening win streak for Penfield Patriots JV baseball team came to a shocking end in the home half of the first inning in a defensive collapse of epic proportions at the Victor Blue Devils baseball complex. Eleven unearned runs crossed the plate, courtesy of eight Patriot errors, before the carnage was over.
The visiting Patriots built its only lead of the day in the top of the first as Brian Chernak, who reached on a game opening walk, scored on James Tantalo’s line drive RBI single. Penfield failed to capitalize on a one-out bases-loaded opportunity, though, with a strikeout and a line drive put out to end the opening frame threat.
Paul Watrobski started on the mound for the Pats and settled down after a leadoff walk. A pop fly error to the second base side of the infield put a second runner aboard, but Watrobski responded by slipping a fastball by the three hitter for a called strikeout. The cleanup hitter dropped a flare single into short left field to load the bases, but another strikeout brought the inning to within one out of being finished. A routine ground ball to the shortstop went through the wickets for the third Patriot error of the inning, bringing the first Blue Devils run home. After a two RBI single into the gap in short left center field, the Pats had another chance to limit the damage, but a slow roller to the third baseman was good for an infield single. Then came consecutive ground ball errors to the second baseman, shortstop, and third baseman on the next three batters – bringing the total to six for the inning – and the rout continued. Greg Travers finally came on in relief and was greeted with the eighth error of the inning before closing it out with a harmless walk and a fielder’s choice groundout.
Clearly affected by the first inning collapse, Coach Nick Marcin responded with wholesale changes to the Patriot lineup, but the damage was done and it would be four innings later before the Penfield offense would come alive.
Victor scored its last run of the game in the third inning – also unearned – in a two out rally. A Blue Devils runner reached on an error to the Patriot shortstop, the Victor head coach had him steal second base despite coasting on a ten run lead, and he later scored on an RBI single.
Penfield mounted a valiant comeback effort in the fifth inning starting with a leadoff walk to Trevor Quiel and another walk to Anthony Flanagan two batters later. Kevin Harman brought Quiel home with an RBI single and Chernak’s second hit of the afternoon loaded the bases. Flanagan scored on a wild pitch and Steve D’Orazio drove in Harman with an RBI single.
The Patriots scored the last run of the game in the sixth inning. Quiel reached on a fielder’s choice, moved into scoring position on a passed ball, and scored on Zach Clarke’s ground ball error past the Blue Devils third baseman.
Coach Marcin was pragmatic following the loss. “We lost the game in the first inning, that’s obvious, …we lost 12-5 and we gave up twelve unearned runs, …we stranded 10 runners in the first four innings, …we didn’t get any clutch hits, …there’s not a single team on the schedule you’re going to beat [playing] like that.” He continued, “these guys have to learn from it, put it behind them, go out and play solid baseball, and start feeling good about themselves again tomorrow against Sutherland.”
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