Bethany One Win Away From OVBL Championship

CRESCENT - With Sunday's 6-1 victory over Barton in Game 2 of the Ohio Valley Baseball League's championship series on sun-soaked Henning Field inside Pramesa Park, Bethany is now just one win away from securing its first title in quite some time.

However, the second-seeded Brewers (14-7-2) were also within one triumph last summer in the best-of-5 format, only to watch the No. 4 Braves (8-14) rally to win the next three contests to snatch victory from defeat.

"We were in this same situation last year and we don't want that to happen again," Bethany player/manager John Santimarino stressed. "We're not going to take it lightly and try to do better this year."

Game 3 is scheduled for Monday night at Bethany Park on the campus of Bethany College. The first pitch is scheduled for 6. Should Barton win, Game 4 would be Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Crescent. If a Game 5 is necessary, it would be played on Thursday in Bethany, also at 6.

"We've been here before, so this isn't anything new for us," veteran Barton manager Billy Timko noted. "We came back last year. We'll see what we can do tomorrow (Monday)."

A pair of veteran pitchers posted goose eggs for four innings as Barton's 48-year-old Jesse Nixon opposed 30-year-old Matt Brooks. They combined to scatter seven hits through four frames, with each pitching his way out of runners-on situations.

The Brewers finally broke through against Nixon in the fifth. Bryce Rayl slapped a single to left leading off and stole second. Joey Dawson sacrificed Rayl to third with a bunt and Nathan Bittinger's shot to first was snagged by Ben Taylor for the second out. However, he had no play at the plate as Rayl slid in safely.

Bethany made it 2-0 in the sixth as Dawson's two-out single to left with the bases loaded chased home Nick Leonard.

Barton cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning, thanks to some help from the Brewers.

With one out, Taylor singled to center and Gage Drummond bounced to third. The throw to second was not fielded as both runners were safe. With two out, Nick Koval's sharp one-hopper to first was misplayed as Taylor raced home.

A four-run top of the seventh blew the game wide-open at 6-1. Leonard singled in the first run before Santimarino's single drove in two more. Rayl's sacrifice fly capped the outburst.

Brooks, who has played 12 seasons in the OVBL, struck out five and walked a pair in his 103-pitch effort. He threw 68 strikes and got ahead of 19 of the 31 Braves he faced. The lone run was unearned.

"I think the biggest thing is being able to deal with this crowd. They can be pretty aggressive when it comes to any opposing team," Brooks said. "That doesn't phase me anymore, though."

Brooks scattered six hits and stranded nine baserunners as Barton had traffic on the basepaths in all seven innings. Five of those runners were left in scoring position.

"Every time Brooks goes out there he's going to give you six or seven innings," Santimarino praised. "He's got a rubber arm. He always throws strikes."

Nixon, who isn't overpowering like he was two decades ago, matched his counterpart until tiring in the seventh. He gave up nine hits, struck out four, walked a trio and hit two. He threw 114 pitches, of which 69 were strikes. He went 0-1 on 21 of the three dozen batters he faced.

"Just waiting on the pitches was the biggest thing. We were all getting under it ... having a hard time staying back," Santimarino said. "He started grooving some pitches there in the seventh and we were able to find some holes."

Leonard paced the Brewers' nine-hit attack with two singles and a double. Santimarino singled twice and Russ Schwertfeger added a double.

Dylan Romanyak singled and doubled for Barton. Taylor had two singles and Gavyn Romanyak doubled.

"Bethany is a good ball team. They are here for a reason, but so are we," Timko said.