ALVERTON -- Last week, the Southmoreland baseball team finally started to hit the ball. But the Scotties' offensive troubles returned this week with a sluggish effort in Monday's 11-1 Section 5-AA loss to visiting Yough. Southmoreland mustered just five hits in the six-inning contest, and the team had some defensive difficulties as well.
"You name it, we did it wrong," Southmoreland coach Brian Hyde said.
The Cougars went on the attack right from the start, pounding out five runs in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Tom Burkett got his team going with a hit to shallow center field, and Matt Watkiss walked him to second. Adam Portik's single to left-center loaded the bases for Denny Fiore, who sent a groundball up the middle to drive in both Burkett and Watkiss. Cody Smouse's base hit scored Portik, and Tom Evans hit a two-run single that plated Fiore and Smouse.
The Scotties tried to close the gap in their half of the inning, as Shane Datz hit a one-out single and went to second on Erik Adams' groundout, but Yough left fielder Burkett got under a fly ball to make the third out before Datz could score.
Yough padded its lead in the third inning, with Fiore getting aboard on an error and Smouse hitting a single toward second. When the ball was misplayed, both runners advanced, and Evans sent them both home with a two-run base hit to give the Cougars a 7-0 advantage.
Chris Aldridge walked and scored on Portik's fielder's choice in the fourth inning.
Southmoreland, which had managed only two hits in the first four innings, was finally able to get past a tough Yough defense for a run in the fifth. After relief pitcher Mike Mardis tossed a couple of strikeouts to help retire Yough in order at the top of the inning, Zach Lambing drew a one-out base on balls in the bottom of the frame. He moved to third on a single from Chris Skovira and headed home on Aaron's Zema two-out single to short to make it an 8-1 game. A fly ball ended the Scotties' inning early, though, and the Cougars responded with a big sixth inning.
Craig Sedunov started the inning with a walk and took second on a balk, crossing the plate on Portik's double to center. Portik eventually made it home, and Fiore walked and scored to put Yough up by 10.
Southmoreland needed at least one run in the bottom of the sixth to keep the game going, and Adams did his best to help the team get it, leading off with a base hit to left and stealing second. But he was picked off at third on Nick Mains' fielder's choice. The next batter hit a fly ball to right field, and one groundout later, the Cougars wrapped up the win.
"I hope we can pull it together for the last game," Hyde said.
The Scotties (2-9, 3-10) will close out the season on Wednesday at Mount Pleasant.
