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Terry McCaulley

Blake Johnston started the game but exited in the first inning.

The Bellwood-Antis baseball team bested rival Tyrone 16-12 in a nine-inning Backyard Brawl game Saturday afternoon to improve its record to 2-1.

After being down 2-0 heading into the second inning, B-A knew they would have to battle to get the win. The Blue Devils came out in the top of the third inning and got their bats swinging as they scored three runs to take their lead.  They wouldn’t keep their lead though.  In the bottom of the third Tyrone scored two more runs to make it a 4-3 game.

Neither team was able to get anything going in the third and fourth innings, but when the fifth and sixth innings rolled around both teams started to score again in bunches.

Trent Walker and Jordan McCracken got on base to start the fifth and Sawyer Kline then hit a single that scored Walker. Jack Showalter then hit a double that scored both Kline and McCracken making it 6-4 heading into the bottom of the inning.

B-A, which struggled with errors and passed balls in the fifth, allowed Tyrone to score five and take a 9-6 lead.

“It was aggravating because we had the lead multiple times, but kept giving it up because of defensive mistakes,” said Cory Parson, who came on to pitch in the fifth, throwing 4 1/3 innings for his second win of the week.

Bellwood then came back with a five-run inning of its own during the sixth, but allowed Tyrone to score two which tied the game at 11 to send it into extras.

Parson, who saw eight runs score during his time on the mound, allowed only three earned runs during his appearance.

It was the Blue Devils’ second extra-inning game of the week after losing to Juniata Valley 6-5 in nine innings Thursday.

“For us only having two seniors, it’s good to get in these pressure situations,” said head coach Steve Conlon. “When you’re at the other team’s place, if they score one run the game is over.  We were able to work over some kinks in a pressure situation, and hopefully that benefits us at the end of the year.”

The score remained tied at 11 until the ninth inning when B-A’s batters started to get hits off of Tyrone’s Drew Hunter. B-A scored five runs in the final inning to seal their win in the Backyard Brawl. Jordan McCracken had the big-hit, a two-out single that broke the tie and plated two runs. Nevin Wood had another two-run single later in the inning.

Tyrone scored one run in the bottom of the ninth, but Bellwood came victorious.

Jack Showalter led Bellwood-Antis with three RBIs and Brendan Kowalski, Joe Padula, McCracken, and Sawyer Kline each added two RBIs.

“We stepped up to the plate and the guys came through with hits when we needed it most,” said Showalter.

The Blue Devils will be back in action Tuesday when they travel to Mount Union.