On a day where both ballclubs had to battle through 5+ hours of near-oppressive 96 degree afternoon heat, 18+ Marlton Athletics' righthander Frank Houser came on in relief in the sixth and final inning of Game 2 to douse the fire on a bases-loaded, one-out Washington Township Senator rally - retiring the final two batters to preserve a 10-9 victory for the shorthanded Amazins', this past Sunday afternoon at Deptford High School.
The Game 2 win followed an impressive 4-1 opening game victory, giving the A's their second franchise doubleheader sweep over a Washington Township Senators club in as many weeks - following last Sunday's 25+ A's double whitewash of the Sens up at Cherokee High School. However, making this week's effort all that more astonishing was not only that the Amazins' were able to overcome the loss of injured starting pitcher Gabe Mastrangelo, Jr., just five batters into the second game, but that Houser battled to deliver a 120+ pitch complete game winning effort in the opener - pitching in the same torrid conditions.
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GM 1: Deptford HS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Marlton A's (4-3) 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 x x 4 7 2
Wash. Twp Sens (0-7) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 x x 1 5 2
WP: Houser (3-1); LP: Serra (0-2); SV: (None)
2B: MSchumin (WT); SH: Miller (M);
HBP (by Serra): Shellum (M)
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In the opener, Frank Houser and Dustin Serra matched up in a well-balanced pitchers duel. The Amazins' jumped out to a 1-0 advantage in the first after 2B Mike Merget walked, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from 3B Todd Miller and came around to score on after singles from SS JT Maas and 1B Pat Castaneda. The Sens tied it in the bottom of after 3B Doug Lutz reached on a 2-base error, stole third and scored on the first of 1B Tony Frese's three basehits in Game 1.
After a scoreless second, the A's posted a 3-way picket fence of solo runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. With one out in the third, EH Gabe Mastrangelo, Sr. walked, stole second and scored on an RBI single from Miller. Maas reached on an error to lead off the fourth, DR Miller stole second and scored two outs later on CF Gabe Mastrangelo Jr.'s RBI single. In the fifth, LF Chris Saia led off with a single, stole second and scored after EH Rick Gordan battled Serra in an 8-pitch at bat before stroking an RBI single to right to make the score 4-1.
Meanwhile, Houser (3-1) fought through the heat and a tight strike zone from the men in blue to dance himself in and out of difficulty throughout the middle innings.
With one out in the third, Lutz walked and Frese singled before Houser retired the next two batters on a strikeout and a fly ball to left. After a 1-2-3 fourth, Houser walked Justin Farlow and Frank Izzi, Jr. to lead off the fifth, but escaped by striking out Mike Arcani and Ethan Witte - sandwiched around A's catcher Rick Shellum gunning down Farlow trying to steal third for the second out.
The Sens once again put Lutz and Frese on base with a pair of one-out singles in the sixth. However, Houser buckled down to retire 2B Greg Matusewitch on a ground ball to third and struck out Rob Schumin to end the threat.
In the seventh, the A's hard-throwing righthander retired the first two batters, striking out EH Joe LeDonne and getting Serra to fly to right. However, Mike Schumin kept the game alive for Township, albeit temporarily, driving a double to left center, before Farlow struck out to end a hard fought, 122-pitch, 4-1 win for Houser and the A's.
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GM 2: Deptford HS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Wash. Twp Sens (0-8) 3 0 1 2 1 2 x x x 9 5 2
Marlton A's (5-3) 2 3 5 0 0 x x x x 10 8 1
WP: Castaneda (2-0); LP: Frese (0-3); SV: Houser (1)
2B: Frese (WT), Saia (M); HBP (by Castaneda): Lutz
(WT), LaDonne (WT); (by Frese): Mastrangelo Jr.
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Game two did not start off well for the Amazins'. Starter Gabe Mastrangelo, Jr. allowed a run on two singles and a walk before having to depart with a right forearm injury just two outs in the top of the first inning. Pat Castaneda took over on short notice to get the final out of the first, but not before C Dustin Serra's 2-run single made it 3-0, Sens, as the A's came to bat.
The three-run deficit would not last long for Marlton (5-3), which battled back for a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Mike Merget led off with a walk and stole second ahead of a Todd Miller walk. After a double steal and a walk to Castaneda loaded the bases, Frank Houser drove in a run with a ground out and C Rick Shellum singled in another to make it 3-2, after one.
After Castaneda (2-0) worked out of a two-on, nobody out jam in the second, the A's took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning. CF Chris Saia led off with a walk, moved to second on a ground out and scored on 1B Terry Annese's RBI single to tie the game at two. After Merget walked, SS JT Maas doubled home two more runs to give Marlton a 5-3 lead.
The Senators bounced back in the third as Lutz led off with a hit by a pitch and P Tony Frese doubled him home to cut the lead to 5-4. However, the A's would bat around in a five-run third that featured an RBI double from Saia RBI singles from Annese and Merget that extended the Marlton advantage to six runs, at 10-4.
The gritty Sens shut down the Marlton offense the rest of the way. Meanwhile they slowly clawed their way back into contention, scoring two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth, all off a tiring Castaneda, to cut the A's lead to 10-7.
A spent Castaneda was lifted after the fifth in favor of Bill Brant. However, the plucky Sens went right after the righthander from Pine Hill, loading the bases with one out on a single and two walks. The tying run now on first, Game 1 starter Frank Houser was summoned from leftfield to try and get the final two outs. After going 2-2 on EH Bruce Schumin, Houser induced a potential game-ending double play grounder to second baseman Mike Merget. After Merget flipped the ball to shortstop JT Maas to record the second out, incoming runner Ethan Witte's hard, but clean, take-out slide caused a off-balance return throw from Maas that short-hopped to first and could not be handled by Annese; instead bounding out of play as two runs crossed the plate to make it 10-9. However, Houser recovered to get the next batter, leadoff man Ty Brunett to bounce to third baseman Miller to end the ballgame and preserve the doubleheader sweep.
AMAZIN' NOTES: Game 1 starter Frank Houser anchored a hard fought 122-pitch performance to deliver the opener, going 7 innings and allowing just an unearned run on five hits while striking out eleven and walking six. Sens righthander Dustin Serra pitched well in defeat, going the distance while allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits, striking out 11 and walking two and hitting a batter.
In the nightcap, an early injury forced the A's to use four hurlers to lock down the sweep. Gabe Mastrangelo, Jr. started but lasted just five batters before departing with an apparent arm injury. Mastrangelo allowed three runs (all earned) on two hits over two-thirds of an inning while walking one. Pat Castaneda (2-0) came on in emergency relief and would eventually earn the victory, allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits over four-and-a-third innings, walking six while striking out six and hitting two batters. Bill Brant started the sixth but struggled in allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit over a third of an inning, while issuing two walks and recording a strikeout. Finally, Frank Houser retired the only two batters he faced in Game 2 to record his first save of the season.
On the offensive side of the ball, Mike Merget singled, walked three times and scored three times in six plate appearances on the day. JT Maas singled, doubled, reached on an error, walked, scored once and drove in a pair of runs in the doubleheader. In Game 1, Castaneda went 2-for-3 while driving in one. In the nightcap, Terry Annese went 2-for-2 with 2 RBIs while Chris Saia, walked, doubled, scored two runs and drove in one.
