Hornets top rival North Penn-Mansfield to split season series

By: Ed Weaver  /  May 9, 2017

The Wellsboro Varsity Baseball team avenged a 13-2 earlier season loss to rival North Penn-Mansfield with a 4-2 win on Monday, May 8 to split the season series.

"It was a good baseball game," said head coach Philip Prough. "Both teams did the little things to give themself a chance to win. We had the timely hit and came out with the victory."

The rubber match of the Wellsboro-Mansfield rivalry was a pitchers duel between the Tigers' Logan Adams and Wellsboro freshman Billy Lechler. Both teams struggled at the plate as Wellsboro junior Dalton Prough had the only hit until the top of the third inning. In that inning, the Tigers found the scoreboard when Dewey Wise led off with a base hit then scored as Kipp Hillson grounded out to short.

Wellsboro finally found the scoreboard in the top of the fourth to tie the game. Prough drew a walk to lead off the inning and scored on a Lechler ground out to second.

The score remained tied until the bottom of the sixth when the Hornets took the lead. Prough and sophomore Cam Tennis led off the inning with back-to-back base hits and were brought home on a double by junior Caleb Tennis to put Wellsboro up 3-1. Junior Brent English then drove Caleb Tennis home with a double in the next at bat to make the score 4-1.

North Penn-Mansfield had life in the top of the seventh as Joel Whitteker was hit to lead off the inning, but a 6-4-3 double play quickly put the Tigers with two outs. Wise singled for the second time of the afternoon to reach base, then Dylan Wesneski doubled to score Wise to make the score 4-2. Wellsboro hung on for the win as junior Johnny Rowland got Kipp Hillson to ground out to end the game.

Rowland improved his record to 6-2 on the year with three innings of relief for Lechler, allowing only two hits. Lechler pitched the game's first four innings with two hits, two walks, and two strikeouts.

"Billy and Johnny pitched well," Prough said of his pitchers. "Both were around the plate. Our goal is four or fewer walks per game. If we do that, we'll be in every game. Tonight, we had four walks. It gave us a chance and Caleb came up big."

Prough was 2-for-2 with a walk, Cam Tennis and Lechler were 1-for-2, and Caleb Tennis, English, and Rowland were all 1-for-3.

"Both Tennis boys have been seeing the ball well lately," Prough concluded. "It's good to see them doing well. They're both too good of hitters to go all season in a funk. They play a big part for our team. They may not have the dazzling stats, but without them, we wouldn't succeed. So I'm happy Caleb delivered. Now, we just move on to the next game and take them one at a time."

The win improvs the Hornets to 8-7 (8-5 NTL Large School Division). The team will be back in action on Wedneday, May 10 against Wyalusing.