by Ryan Mosher
Less than two weeks removed from one of the worst starts of his career, Berlin’s Eric Remington bounced back with the best start of his career. The senior right-hander used his off speed pitches to set up his fast ball and kept New Lebanon off balance
in the process. Through five innings, Remington had faced the minimum 15 batters. Runners reached base in the first and fourth innings, but catcher Matt Berish gunned down both trying to steal third base.
The Mountaineers’ offense could not seem to get runs across the plate in the first couple innings either. In the first, Berlin put three runners on base and then the lead off batter in the second inning. All were left stranded on base. In the third inning Matt Morse and Fred Morine had back to back one out singles. Morse was tagged out trying to score on a wild pitch, but Morine came around to score when Remington helped his own cause with a two out double.
That 1-0 lead stood until the fifth inning. With two outs, Morine ripped a double, followed by an RBI triple by Remington. After Tyler Bacon walked, putting runners at first and third with two outs, Berish drove Remington in with a single, giving Berlin the 3-0 lead. In the sixth inning Berlin added an insurance run a double by Morse.
Entering the top of the seventh, Remington still had his no-hitter intact and was looking to close the game out. A ground ball got the first out, inching him closer to the end of the game. The next batter swung at strike three, but the ball was high and deflected off the catchers glove and over the back stop, giving the runner first base. With one out and a runner on first base, the Tigers’ Kevin Hanley hit a ball into shallow right field for a bloop single, ending the bid for a no-hitter. Remington struck out the next batter and finished the game with a fly out to left field.
Remington allowed just the one hit, walked three and struck out seven in picking up the shutout win. At the plate he was 2-3 with a double and a triple and drove in two runs. Fred Morine was 2-4 with a single and double, and Matt Morse was 2-4 with a single and a double and drove in one run.