June 16, 2012 7:00 a.m. —
Matt Thompson knew what was coming.
“I knew he was going to come with a first-pitch fast ball.”
And with the bases loaded and his team down by a run, he knew what he had to do with it.
“Bases loaded,” he said. “I knew I had to get something elevated to get a run at least.”
So Thompson spanked that first-pitch fast ball to the fence in left field, bringing home a pair of runs, including the go-ahead, helping Meadville claim a 4-2 victory over Cochranton in a Crawford/Venango American Legion baseball clash on Friday at Eldred Glen.
“That was huge,” said Meadville head coach Rob Shartle. “He walked up and I said, ‘We need you. We need you to hit a ball.’ So that was really clutch.”
That double in the sixth off Cochranton reliever Ryan Northcott granted Meadville its first win of the summer campaign. The Marauders are now 1-3.
The hit also handed Meadville starter Alex Glatch the win, instead of wasting what everyone agrees was one of the best efforts of his career.
“Best performance I think I’ve ever seen him pitch,” said Shartle.
“Like Rob said,” Thompson added, “that’s the best game I’ve seen him throw this year. He was dialed in today. He mixed up his pitches really well.”
Through a full seven innings, Glatch allowed two runs on five hits, walked a pair and struck out nine.
“I feel that was one of the best outings I’ve ever had,” said Glatch. “I had my stuff. The curve ball was working. The fast ball, no one seemed to be able to touch it.”
The only inning in which Cochranton had any success against Glatch was the fourth. Northcott drew a lead-off walk. Then Travis Peterson singled to put two aboard. One out later, Deven Woodworth drove in a run with an infield single. And Caleb Peterson followed that up with an RBI single through the left side, making it a 2-0.
Meadville answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Tyler Lynch led the inning off with a walk. He moved to third on a pair of ground balls, then scored on a Cardinals error.
Otherwise, Meadville struggled against Travis Peterson, Cochranton’s left-handed starter. He pitched five innings and allowed that one unearned run on two hits while walking two and fanning three.
“We’re kind of working up his innings, because he didn’t play spring ball,” said Cochranton head coach Randy Staudt. “So, we had him pitch two (innings), and then three and then five (on Friday).”
So, Peterson was pulled after the fifth. Northcott took the mound. And while he’s typically rock-solid, he didn’t have it yesterday. He walked the first two batters to start the sixth. Then he plunked Corey Lynn to load the bases.
That’s when Thompson ripped the double to put the Marauders in front.
“We’ve been using (Northcott) to close stuff out,” said Staudt. “I think we need to get him a start to get him back in tune again. He just had a rough start, kind of overthrew at the beginning. He did all right by the end of it, but it was too late by then.”
One out after Thompson’s hit, Lynn scored from third base on a ground ball by Brock Biggs, putting the final run on the scoreboard.
In the seventh, Cochranton got a single off Glatch. But Lynch, Meadville’s catcher, picked off the runner at second to end the ball game.
Cochranton dropped to 1-2 with the loss.
“Every game we’ve had has been tight,” said Staudt. “We played FCV 5-3, beat Franklin 2-0, lost this game 4-2 and were ahead late 2-1. Every game has been a good game. We’ve been in them all. You can’t fault the guys. They’re doing a nice job on defense.
“But (Meadville) got the big hit.”
Local Sports
CVAL BASEBALL: Thompson lifts Meadville past Cochranton
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