Greencastle team has memorable summer of tournaments

A very successful summer was had by members of an 11-12 all-star baseball team from the Greencastle-Antrim Baseball-Softball Association.

The team won the PA District 14 Clarence Boyd Tournament Majors Division (11-12 year olds) event in undefeated fashion. The squad then followed up with a solid run in the Adams Kees Memorial Tournament in Maugansville that took it to the championship game.

Team members are Noah Witmer OF/2B, Brock Widder SS/P, Thomas Richmond 2B/P, Kalvin Marcoux, OF/3B, Chase Farrow OF/C), Brady Strite OF/1B, Cade McDowell P/3B, Bryan Gembe P/1B, Brady Shepherd 1B/OF, Cade Bender P/C and Isaiah Peck OF/C. Coaches are Ben Widder, Nelson Witmer and Dale Bender.

Clarence Boyd champions

The Greencastle team breezed through its first two games in the Boyd Tournament, taking Carlisle 12-1 and then Dillsburg 12-1. The team awaited an opponent in the championship game from the five-team draw and faced Dillsburg again. Bender tossed a no-hitter and fanned eight batters in the 7-2 title game victory. He helped his cause at the plate by going 2-for-2 and knocked in three runs.

On its way to the championship game, Gembe delivered a gem of his own, striking out 11 to account for all but one of the outs in the 12-1 win over Carlisle. He limited Carlisle to just four hits. He also delivered at the plate with three RBIs. Widder also drove in three runs. McDowell threw a three-hitter with six Ks against Dillsburg in the 12-1 verdict. Marcoux had four RBIs in the effort and Widder was 3-for-4.

Greencastle had gone 0-3 in the Smithsburg Tournament, but its work in the Clarence Boyd Tournament made for some healthy statistics to that point in the tournament season. Gembe’s batting average went to .700 with three homeruns, while Widder (.688, three doubles, 11 runs scored) and Bender (.600, three homeruns) also pushed their stats to some hefty numbers. Shepherd went to .462, Peck to .455, Richmond to .429, Strite to .417 and Marcoux to .400.

Adam Kees Memorial Tournament

Greencastle went against nine teams in the Adam Kees Memorial Tournament held in Maugansville  and carried a 3-1 record into the championship game against Upper Loudon. The local team led 11-2 after three innings before Upper Loudon took advantage of some pitching struggles and Greencastle settled for runner-up status. Richmond had a homer in the contest on a 2-for-3 night with two RBIs. Peck went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Marshall drove in three runs on a 2-for-2 outing.

Wins in the tourney came against Federal (9-3), Conococheague (8-5) and West End (5-2).

Against Federal, Richmond fanned eight for the pitching win and Bender notched a save. Bender also homered at the plate and was 3-for-4 with five RBIs. Farrow delivered two clutch hits to knock in three RBIs.

In the Conococheague contest, Widder provided valuable middle relief work from the mound, getting out of a bases loaded situation in the third. He allowed just three hits in three innings. Bender came on for the save, striking out all three in one inning of work. Gembe put up a 2-for-3 effort at the plate with three RBIs that included a homerun. Widder doubled off the fence.

Bender got the mound win in the victory over West End, striking out five and limiting the opponent to four hits. Widder racked up two RBIs. Marshall, Richmond and Bender each had two basehits. In an earlier loss to West End, Gembe homered and doubled.

Final statistics

Gembe led the team in batting average for the tournament season at .600 (12 runs, 13 RBIs) with five homeruns and was 1-1 on the mound. Bender was 2-2 pitching with two saves in the pitching department for the season. He led the team in RBIs with 23 and hit .581 with four homers and scored 11 runs. Widder was the leader in runs scored at 16 and notched a .500 average at the plate with five doubles. He went 1-1 on the mound.

Other statistic highlights include: Shepherd, .471, 4 RBIs, 5 runs; Peck, .423, 7 RBIs, 9 runs, 2 homeruns, three doubles; Richmond, .379, 4 RBIs, 14 runs, 1 homerun; Farrow, .364, 8 RBIs, 6 runs; Strite, .360, 8 RBIs, 3 homeruns; Marcoux, .294, 5 RBIs, 3 runs, double, triple; Witmer, .250, 4 RBIs, 3 runs, sacrifice; McDowell, 3 runs; Marshall, .625 with 8 at bats, 3 RBIs, double.