CENTRE COUNTY — The 5-0 Blanchard Bees’ shortstop Tate Yoder led off Sunday’s home game against the Spike Island Pirates with a home run and gave the Bees a 1-0 lead.
That run, in the end, was the only offense the Bees needed as they held off the Pirates, 1-0, in a matchup of the CCBL’s leading teams.
After Yoder’s hit, the game turned into a tense pitcher’s duel between Blanchard’s Bracy Myers and Spike Island’s Zac Tiracorda.
Both were on top of their games.
Myers threw a complete game shutout and gave up just three hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks. The Pirates were able to put a runner on base in each of the last three innings, but Myers was up to the task each time. In the seventh, he gave up a two-out walk to Heverly, but then took the win after forcing the last batter to pop up.
Tiracorda was equally effective. He threw six innings with one run, two walks and five strikeouts. He retired nine of the last 11 batters he faced.
Spike Island threatened just once in the game. In the first inning, the Pirates put two runners on base with one out, but Myers got a double play to end the inning.
Ike Tiracorda, Ryan Whitehead and Luke Peterson had the hits for the Pirates while Yoder led Blanchard with two hits and the game’s only RBI.
The win improved the Bees’ record for the year so far to 5-0 and they are presently in first place.
Spike Island is now 5-1 and in second place.
Braves 10, Lemont 6
The Spring Mills Braves went ahead by five runs early against Lemont on Sunday and then held on for a 10-6 win over the Ducks in Spring Mills.
After giving up a first-inning run to Lemont, the Braves rallied for six runs in the second inning and then scored four more in the fifth and sixth to take the win.
Lemont closed to within 6-4 in the third and then actually tied the game at 6-6 in the fifth.
But Spring Mills scored three in the bottom of the fifth and another in the sixth to take the victory.
Corbin Homan led the Braves with three hits and three RBIs while Josh Lieb and Colton Treaster each had two hits and two RBIs.
On the mound, winning pitcher McClain Welshans threw a complete game with seven hits, six earned runs and nine strikeouts.
Finn Powers led Lemont with three hits and three RBIs, and Michael Warren had two hits and an RBI.
The win was the second in a row for the Braves after a 13-9 win over Milesburg on Thursday, May 28.
The Braves are now 2-4 for the season, and Lemont is 2-2.
Other Scores:
May 26
Mifflin County 7, Spring Mills 5
Blanchard 2, Lemont 1
May 28
Lemont 9, Howard 7
Spring Mills 13, Milesburg 9
Spike Island 3, Mifflin County 0
May 29
Blanchard 12, Spring Creek 2
May 31
Spring Creek 11, Baseball U 0
Howard 10, Mifflin County 4
Upcoming Schedule
June 4
Happy Valley at Lemont
Milesburg at Howard
Spring Creek at Spike Island
Blanchard at Spring Mills
Standings (as of 5/31)
Blanchard 5-0
Howard 5-1
Spike Island 5-1
Lemont 2-2
Baseball U 1-1
Mifflin 2-3
Spring Mills 2-4
Spring Creek 2-4
Milesburg 0-4
Happy Valley 0-4
