High School Sports: Lions Drop County Baseball Game to Owls

Liberty tried for the second time this season to derail the Westminster baseball express, but made five errors, losing 16-8.

"We didn’t execute in many phases. They are a very good baseball team and to be successful, you have to execute in all three phases. We didn’t do that," said Lion coach Erik Barnes.

The seventh inning of the game was started when lightning struck and the umpires stopped play. As the rain starting another bolt of lightning was seen and the umpires called the game.

The Owls are now 10-0 in the county and 12-0 overall. Liberty drops to 8-3 in the county and 9-4 overall.

Westminster scored a single run in the top half of the first, but the home team came right back with three runs in their half of the inning. Max Graumann and Tim Anderson gave the Lions going with singles. Shortstop Andrew Massey brought them both in with a double down the left field line.

Bobby Conlon knocked in Massey with a single to left center to make the score 3-1.

Westminster cut into the lead with a run in the second, but really did some damage in the third with seven runs. They knocked out the Lions starting pitcher, Hunter Kalish in the inning.

The big blow was a grand slam to left by second baseman Mitch McVerry. The Lions committed one error in the inning.

Westminster added two more runs in the top of the fifth, but Liberty didn’t give up as they bounced back with five runs in their half of the inning.

Anderson opened the inning with a walk. After an out, Conlon hit a hard ground ball that bounced over the Owls third baseman for a double. With runners on second and third, D.J. Bennett hit a double to right center for two RBI‘s. After another out, Todd Fletcher hit a single to score Bennett. Greg Wheatly closed out the scoring for the Lions with a two-run homer to left field.

Westminster answered the Lions with five runs in the top of the sixth. Once again McVerry had the big hit with a three-run homer to center field. He had seven RBI’s in the game. The Lions had three errors in the inning which kept the inning alive as the Owls scored their runs after there was two outs.

One of the errors was a bad bounce that hit Massey in the throat as he leaned over to field a ground ball. He was taken out the of the game and coach Barnes said after the game, that he was okay, but that Massey ‘s father was going to take him the hospital to be checked out.

"We have to play well on defense to stay in games. I was really proud of the way we battled back there in the fifth. We got back in the game, we get two outs. I feel like if we get out of that inning without surrendering any runs, carry the momentum we got ourselves a chance. The we don’t get out of the inning and they score five more," said Barnes.

There was a brisk win blowing out made it hard to field fly balls.

Chad Diehl went the distance for the Owls. He defeated the Lions earlier in the season, 6-1. He struck out five and walked three.

Wheatley took over for Kalish went he was knocked out. Kalish struck out three and walked two. Wheatley walked two during his stint on the mound.

Conlon had three hits for the Liberty while teammates Massey and Wheatley had two hits each. Anderson, Graumann, Fletcher, Bennett and Dan Markosky each had one hit. Massey, Fletcher, Bennett and Conlon had doubles in the contest.