Softball

Lion tamers

Eldred gets first win by downing Chapel Field in Division VI series finale

By RICHARD A. ROSS

ELDRED, NY — Keeping up with spring sports is like watching a multi-ring circus. Look one way and you’re apt to miss a great act that is taking place just over yonder.

Sometimes, though, your gaze is fixed on just the right place at just the right moment to witness something special.

On April 30, Eldred proved to be the right place to be. For it was there and then that Eldred staved off the dangerous Lions of Chapel Field to garner their first win of the season. The ferocious Lions were determined to teach their would-be tamers another lesson about the pecking order in the small-school baseball hierarchy. They figured to feast on winless Eldred yet again, thereby closing out a Division VI baseball series in which they had already bested Eldred 12-0 and 4-2. They entered the fray at 5-3 (2-0 OCIAA).

Lions do not necessarily prevail in every jungle encounter. On this particular day, they were about to engage wily foes, as Eldred coach Frank Kean and his green minions sought to tame them at last.

To accomplish such, they needed more than a whip and a chair.

They needed a great pitching performance from senior southpaw Mike Walton, timely hitting and good defense.

For Kean, whose teams have been devoured by Chapel Field over the past couple of years, a win would be sweet. But, as long as his team continued to show improvement, the veteran coach, now in his 36th season, averred that he’d be satisfied.

Kean loves the game of baseball, and winning is secondary to his larger agenda of forging character and building life-long skills. That said, he’s a fierce competitor. Now in his 107th consecutive season of coaching, just three shy of his swan song that will come with his retirement next June, Kean’s incredible legacy of coaching football, girls basketball and baseball continues, as it has done for decades, with enthusiasm, affirmation of kids and with class.

Chapel Field got the early lead with a run in the top of the first, fueld by an E-7. Chapel Field’s strengths are many. Always aggressive on the base paths, they look to get runners in scoring position. Mike Wilson stole second and then stole third. He scored on a single by Travis Renwick.

Walton limited the Lions to one run, but Eldred went down in order against Chapel Field starter Jordan Delaney.

Chapel Field failed to score in the second.

Eldred’s hive of Yellow Jackets began to swarm in the second inning. With one out, Delaney walked Justin Smith, Ian Halloran and Matt Balcom to load the bases. Dylan Kulik roped a single to right and a series of uncharacteristic throwing errors allowed three runs to score, as Kulik came to reside at third. Pat Reiser’s ground out plated a fourth run and heady Eldred began to savor the rare pleasure of winning.

Walton mixed speeds and planes, keeping Chapel Field’s hard-hitting batters just a tad off balance. They hit the ball with authority, but often right at people. Walton held the Lions scoreless in the third and fourth innings. Eldred failed to score in those frames as well.

Chapel Field came alive in the fifth, as Danny Menendez worked out a two-out walk and promptly stole second. A triple by Renwick scored him, and Delaney singled in a second run but was caught stealing. Eldred led 4-3 at the end of the inning.

Eldred added four runs in the fifth to extend its lead to 8-3. Walton walked and a booming double by Bryan Henry put runners on second and third. Bob Warden reached on an E-3 as one run scored. A walk to Aaron Smith loaded the bases. Justin Smith singled in a run and a ground out by Halloran brought in run number three. Balcom then singled in the final run of the frame.

Chapel Field scored two in the top of the sixth, with RBI singles by Josh Shockey and Wilson but poor base running ended the threat. “We ran ourselves out of that inning,” Chapel Field coach Joe Canazon would later note.

Eldred failed to score in the sixth and managed to hold Chapel Field to a one-run seventh. Menendez singled, stole second and scored on a ground out by Delaney. Walton struck out Dustin Vellenga to end the game.

Walton yielded just one walk, as Eldred garnered its lone win against seven defeats and improved to 1-2 OCIAA. Chapel Field slipped to 5-4 (2-1 OCIAA).

Kean praised Walton’s effort on the mound. “Mike had them off stride. He’s a typical good left-handed pitcher. He set up batters with a fastball and then threw three or four lob curve balls and finished up with a buzzing fastball. I told him to keep the ball down below the waist and he listened to that advice,” added Kean.

Canazon was complimentary of Eldred. “They deserved to win. They made all the plays. Good for them,” he said. “We didn’t get that one big hit today and we ran ourselves out of that one big inning. They were opportunistic today.”

Chapel Field hosted Deposit on Saturday, then traveled to O’Neill on May 4, and hosted Tri-Valley on May 5. Eldred will host Tri-Valley on May 8 and then travels to Fallsburg on May 9.

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