PHOTO GALLERY | The Hill Group walks away with win over Altoona league's Imler's Poultry
· Yahoo Sports
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Capitalizing on free passes gave The Hill Group the momentum from the start of Tuesday’s Johnstown Collegiate Baseball League matchup with Imler’s Poultry of the Altoona AAABA League.
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The Hill Group tallied four runs over the first two frames, providing more than enough support for starting pitcher Hunter Thomas in a 5-2 victory at Sargent’s Stadium at the Point.
Bouncing back from a one-run loss to defending AAABA national champion Mainline Pharmacy in the JCBL season opener gave a big confidence boost to The Hill Group, as it aims to return to the postseason for the second consecutive year.
PHOTO GALLERY | Hill Group defeats Imler's Poultry 5-2
“It was definitely big for us to get this win tonight,” said Hill Group assistant coach Jason Weber, who filled in for manager Rusty Thomas.
“Last night was a competitive game.
“We were only one or two hits away from being right there with it. Hunter came out tonight and led the way for us on the mound. We had a lot of guys step up today.”
Hunter Thomas went the distance on the mound for The Hill Group, while walking two and striking out 10.
Thomas scattered six hits, all singles.
He retired a string of seven batters in a row spanning from the first through the fourth innings to protect the early lead.
“He had great control,” Weber said of Thomas. “He only gave up a couple of walks. Had some good pop on his fastball and great movement on his off-speed pitches. You can’t ask for much more out of your starter.”
The Hill Group (1-1) jumped in front with three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Logan Bradish stroked a two-run triple over the head of the center fielder before coming home on an error.
Tyler Weber then drew a bases loaded walk to give The Hill Group a 4-0 lead through two innings.
The Hill Group needed just two hits to gain the advantage, capitalizing on four walks and a hit batsman to go along with the error.
“We came out a little rusty,” Imler’s Poultry manager Adam Plummer said. “We’re fairly young with a lot of kids coming out of high school, so this is a big adjustment.
“Once we settled down and got into the rhythm a little bit, we played pretty solid. It’ll come around for us.”
Imler’s Poultry (0-1) cut into the deficit with single tallies in the fourth and fifth innings to pull within 4-2.
Nick Kraft brought home a run with an RBI infield single.
Jake Hileman came home on a wild pitch.
The Hill Group answered with a run in the bottom half of the fifth, as Bradish recorded an RBI on a fielder’s choice to set the eventual final.
Seven different players for The Hill Group notched one hit. Brody Rumon scored twice.
Gavin Fowler headlined the Imler’s Poultry offense by going 3-for-3 out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup.
“We have a lot of new faces (on the team) this year,” Weber said. “We also have a couple guys returning who can really make a difference. We just want to be competitive and continue where we were at last year, and hopefully take another step up.”