Bulldogs shut down

By T.J. Turrisi

May 22, 2008 12:27 am

— Harbor Creek pitcher Josh McAnulty proved variety is not only the spice of life, it is also the key ingredient in silencing Meadville’s potent bats.
In the opening round of the District 10 Class AAA baseball playoffs at Allegheny College’s Robertson Field, McAnulty rung up a dozen Bulldog batters and allowed just two hits. Harbor Creek advanced to the Class AAA semifinals with a 4-1 win.
“Josh did a great job,” Harbor Creek head coach Tim McQueeney said after the game. “He’s been our big-game pitcher all year. When the big game comes up, it’s Josh’s ball, and he went in and threw just great.”
“I was just trying to mix my pitches and hit my spots,” McAnulty said. “They’re all good hitters; they hit me before. So I just tried to change my pitches to keep them off balance and make them think.”
Meadville (14-6) looked to have things under control through three innings, taking a quick 1-0 lead on an RBI single from Ben Lowmaster in the first.
But in the bottom of the fourth, the flood gates opened for the Huskies (13-7).
On a close call at first base, McAnulty reached on an error.
“One inning we had two miscues and what I thought was a bad call at first. I don’t want to blame the whole game on one play, but right there we kind of shot ourselves in the foot and didn’t recover from it,” Meadville coach Joe Hruska said.
Ryan Sheridan laid down a bunt single to follow, and Scot Stephenson went with the same tactic for yet another Bulldog error.
Two outs later, Keven McQueeney took a half-swing and punched a ball into shallow right field for two RBIs and a 3-1 margin.
In the fifth, the Huskies brought one more around on a two-out shot to left field by reserve player Cameron Folga.
“We had two kids step up and get some clutch hits for us,” Tim McQueeney said. “Keven McQueeney got a two-out single with two strikes to get us the lead. Then Cameron Folga did the same thing later.
“If you can put the ball in play, something good may happen. In this case, both times, something good really did happen.”
Losing pitcher Dillon Tabar fanned eight batters, but he also allowed eight hits and fell victim to the two boots in the field.
McAnulty heated up on the hill in the second, seating three straight.
From there he put two batters in the dugout with Ks in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh.
“My curveball and slider (were working). I am more of a breaking ball pitcher, so I kind of rely more on my off-speed pitches.”
“We were definitely coming in expecting to be able to put more pressure on their defense,” Hruska said. “Give McAnulty credit; he just came in and shut us down.
“We really didn’t give ourselves a chance to win the whole game. We didn’t do anything to force them to make mistakes.”
In the sixth inning, things appeared to be in line for a comeback as No. 9-hitter A.J. Foriska knocked a single into right field and stole second before an out was made.
But Tabar struck out, Dan Webster flew out to first and, after an intentional walk of Lowmaster, Andy Nichols grounded out to shortstop.
“I don’t know what he had but it was working for him and definitely working against us. He had our hitters baffled for sure,” Hruska said.
Harbor Creek moves on to face Hickory (17-1) in the Class AAA semifinals Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.

T.J. Turrisi can be reached at 724-6370, ext. 276 or by e-mail at tjturrisi@meadvilletribune.com.