HOWARD — The Spike Island Pirates edged the Howard Hawks on July 25, winning 2-1. The win ties up the five-game semifinal series between the two teams in the Centre County League.
The game started with pitching dominance, as both the Hawks’ Brian Pelka and Pirates’ Parker Watson mowed down each of their first eight batters.
The Pirates struck first with a single off of Derek Shaw’s bat. With two outs in the top of the third inning, Shaw smacked a liner into right field. Pelka hit the next batter before Drew Bryan drove Shaw home with a single. The next batter popped out to end the inning.
The Hawks lead off their half of the inning with a single from Luke Gardner, but failed to drive him in. At the end of the third inning the Pirates were leading 1-0.
First baseman Brandon Myers lead off the fourth inning with a towering home run down the right field foul line and into a tree. The go-ahead blast would prove to be just enough.
The Pirates’ biggest test came in the bottom of the sixth. Clay Smith hit a single to lead off the inning. Jason Jones followed with a bloop to center field that landed by the barest of margins ahead of a diving Matt McCamley.
After advancing on a groundout, Gardner scored on Hunter Eminheizer’s sacrifice groundout to half the lead 2-1.
Watson and the Pirates got out of the jam after giving up another single with a pop up to short.
“Parker pitched an absolute gem,” said Matt McCamley, Pirates’ captain and center fielder. “He pitched lights out. All his pitches were over the plate and really kept them off balance.”
Both pitchers worked the full seven innings. Watson struck out four and gave up five hits while Pelka struck out five and allowed four hits and a hit bats men.
After the game, McCamley spoke on the importance of this win for Spike Island.
“We needed this win to get our morale back up,” said McCamley. “We were down the other day at our place and we just couldn’t capitalize with runners in scoring position. Today, I think we did a better job at that.”
The third game of the series is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, July 27, at Spike Island’s field. Despite the win, the Pirates think they can improve for the next game.
“I think we need to have better at-bats,” said McCamley. “I think we were chasing pitches. (Pelka’s) curveball started over the plate and broke away and we kept chasing that. In the later innings, I think we put together better at-bats, worked the count a little bit more and
I think that will pay off a little bit on Thursday.”
For the full Centre County Baseball League schedule and field locations, visit www.centrecountybaseball.wordpress.com.
