By Rob Potter
LIVINGSTON MANOR — April 30, 2010 — In what was the first Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Division VI baseball game of the season for both teams, the Livingston Manor Wildcats defeated the visiting Eldred Yellowjackets on Tuesday afternoon by the final score of 11-3.
Leading Manor to the win were senior pitcher Troy Edwards and an offense that provided him with plenty of run support.
Edwards allowed four hits and struck out eight batters to improve his record on the mound this season to 3-1. All three runs the Yellowjackets scored against Edwards were unearned.
The Wildcats scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and kept adding to their lead as the game progressed. With two outs and teammates Ross Abbott and Mike Mills on base in the bottom of the first, Brandon Smith blasted a home run over the left center field fence to give Manor (5-2-1, 1-0 Div. VI) a 3-0 lead.
The Wildcats extended their advantage to 5-0 in the bottom of the second. With one out, Troy Correa singled to center field and advanced to third base when a pickoff throw by Eldred pitcher Bill McKerrell got past first baseman Pat Reiser. Abbott hit a sacrifice fly, which allowed Correa to cross home plate.
Ken Fisk Jr. then singled to left field, stole second base and moved to third base on an error. He scored on another Yellowjackets’ error.
Eldred (2-5, 0-1 Div. VI) reduced its deficit to 5-3 in the top of the third. With one out and the bases loaded, Matt Balcolm hit a sacrifice fly to score Reiser. The next batter, Bob Warden, ripped a double to deep center field. Ian Halloran and Bryan Henry both crossed the plate on Balcolm’s two-base hit to make it a two-run game.
The Wildcats stretched their lead to 8-3 by recording three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Correa scored on an error, Abbott scored on a passed ball and Fisk scored on Edwards’ infield single.
Manor scored its final three runs of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth.
Correa and Abbott both reached base by hitting a single. Taylor Pagan then entered the game to pinch-run for Abbott. Correa and Pagen both crossed home plate when Fisk singled to left field.
After stealing second base, Fisk advanced to third base when Mills grounded into a double play. Smith then ripped a single to left field to score Fisk.
“We made a couple of mental mistakes out there that hurt us,” Eldred Coach Frank Kean said. “I think that the cold weather affected us and we were a little bit distracted.
“But I’m not taking anything away from Livingston Manor,” Kean added. “They are a very good and well-coached baseball team. They played very well today.”
Manor Coach Jeff Loeffler praised the pitching performance by Edwards.
“Troy was a beast out there today,” Loeffler said.
Loeffler also lauded the play of the entire Wildcats team.
“At the beginning of the season, we had two games against Sullivan West where we had one inning when we put everything together,” he said. “Today, we played well for the whole game. That’s the key for us – to hit, pitch and play good defense all seven innings. If we do that, we’re a tough team to beat.”