Errors
of their ways
Shaler
miscues help Tornado capture section win
By John Enrietto
Eagle Sports Editor
SHALER TWP— Shaler took away the winning run, then gave it back.
Moments after Titans right fielder Troy Handza threw
That tally held up as the Golden Tornado defeated Shaler, 5-4, in a mutual
section baseball opener Wednesday at Matulevic Field.
The error was Shaler's fifth of the game.
"Defensive miscues have been a problem for us," Titans coach Bob
Hinds admitted. "It's still early in the season, but I was hoping we'd be
doing a better job than this by our fifth game."
Shaler put together a three-run sixth inning to tie the game at four and to
force extra innings.
Tim Geibel opened the eighth for Butler with a single to right for his third
hit of the day. Bill Coleman's sacrifice bunt moved him to second.
When Ryan Geibel delivered a single to right, Butler coach Dave Florie waved
Tim Geibel around, but Handza's throw to the plate beat him easily.
"In that same situation, I'd send him again,"Florie said. "Their
right fielder made a great throw to get him. It happens. You make them make the
play to get you."
Rosenbauer entered as a courtesy runner at first for Ryan Geibel before Butler
catcher Zach Cuffman drew a walk, but Shaler pitcher Andy Gapsky quickly got
ahead of David Schmidt with an 0-2 count.
Schmidt hit a slow roller toward shortstop and beat it out for a hit. When the
throw to first went in the dirt and skipped away from the first baseman,
Rosenbauer scored.
"That's what can happen when you put the ball in play,"Florie said.
Earlier in the game, Nick Rossmiller relieved Golden Tornado starting pitcher
Tim Geibel with the bases loaded in the fifth inning and got Shaler's John
Kobler to ground into a force play. That out protected a 4-1 lead.
An infield single, hit batsman and walk loaded the bases with one out for
Shaler in the sixth and Cuffman was called to the mound. He struck out leadoff
batter Ed Skonieczny, but Josh Logan beat out an infield hit and Handza
grounded a two-run single to left to tie the game.
"They weren't hitting Zach hard. That's why I left him in
there,"Florie said. "Those two ground balls just found the right
spot."
When Cuffman walked Skonieczny to start the bottom of the eighth, Florie
brought in Greg Hayes, who notched the save by getting three flyball outs.
"We haven't been outside much, so our pitchers haven't thrown
much,"Florie said. "I'm not going to overextend anybody's arm. Zach
was getting tired and Greg throws strikes."
Butler used four pitchers Wednesday. The Tornado used four pitchers last week
in a 2-0 victory at Mount Lebanon.
Tim Geibel's RBIsingle and a run-scoring groundout by Coleman gave Butler a 2-0
lead in the first inning. Pinch-hitter John Orr delivered an RBIsingle for
Shaler (1-4) in the third.
Butler scored twice in the fifth on Dustin Uhlman's sacrifice fly and a
run-scoring single to left by Tim Geibel.
Butler plays at Pine-Richland Friday. As construction continues at Pullman
Park, the Tornado (2-1) have yet to play a home game.
Florie said the target date for Butler's home debut is Monday.
"But that's not etched in stone," he said. "We don't mind
playing away — especially when games end like this one."
Butler 200 020 01—5 10 1
Shaler 000 103 00—4 10 5
Tim Geibel (3K, 2BB), Nick Rossmiller (5, 1K, 1BB), Zach Cuffman (6, W, 2K,
1BB), Greg Hayes (8, SV, 0K, 0BB) and Ryan Geibel; Ryan Fazio (2K, 2BB), Andy
Gapsky (5, L, 4K, 1BB) and Tayler Juran.
Butler (2-1, 1-0): Darren Blakley 1B, Dustin Uhlman 1BRBI, Tim Geibel 3-1B
2-RBI, Bill Coleman RBI, Ryan Geibel 2-1B, John Crummy 1B, David Schmidt 1B,
Ryan Armahizer 1B