Reading Bulldogs

By JON HINES  Daily Times Chronicle

READING – For the second time in as many games against one another, the Reading Bulldogs and Mooney Dental Tanners went into the seventh inning tied.

Unlike last week, however, it was Reading that got the run it needed in the last frame as the Bulldogs defeated the Tanners, 1-0, Tuesday night at Morton Field.

Lefty Scott Tully got a chance to face the same team in his second Intercity League start, and evened his record by giving up only two hits to record a shutout. He also struck out four and walked two.

“Tully kept us in the game. He didn’t have his best fastball but his off-speed stuff was on point,” said Reading manager Matt Morrison of the RMHS senior. “He’s getting a lot of ground balls, the defense was making plays for him and before you know it, it’s a bunch of zeroes on the board. He’s not going to blow that fastball by people anyway, against some grown men who have a little more idea of what they’re doing up there.”

Brett Manley may have thrown his best game as a Tanner, giving up six hits and striking out three. The right-hander did walk eight but managed to squeak out of every jam he got into, in just about every inning, except the last one.

“He still struggled a little; his control was off, but he was getting the bounces and double plays,” said Mooney manager Bob DeNapoli. “It’s tough for the poor kid; he was up to about 115 pitches, but you have to let him win it or lose it. He threw a pretty good game.”

A pair of walks had Manley in a jam in the second inning, but he escaped by getting Reading right fielder Kevin O’Leary to fly out to center. In the third inning, two more walks had Bulldog runners on first and second, but left fielder Trevor Manzi lined out to first baseman Kevin McKenzie, who doubled up Reading third baseman Chris Carmain at first base.

Two more walks and a Tanners error had the bases loaded for Reading in the bottom of the fourth inning, but O’Leary’s grounder to third allowed Mooney’s Luis Valdez to come home with the throw to get first baseman Andrew Dewing with the second out. Manley then got second baseman Bill Cataldo to ground out to second.

“It’s almost like two hits doesn’t cut it in this league. You get back-to-back singles and it’s still nothing to show for it,” said Morrison. “You’ve almost got to put three in a row together.”

A 6-4-3 double play got Mooney Dental out of the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Tanners were not able to make it to the eighth.

Carmain delivered the only extra-base hit of the game to lead off the bottom of the seventh, a ground-rule double that bounced over the right-field fence.

That put a runner in scoring position with no one out for Manzi, who put down a sacrifice bunt. Mooney tried to get Carmain at third base, but the Bulldogs’ third baseman was safe on a close play. Shortstop Nick Conti then concluded the evening by launching a long single to the left-field wall.

“We were just lucky to get some hits. (Manley) left a couple up, but that game easily could have went either way,” said Morrison. “At this time in the year, at least we’re getting some W’s because early on we were losing these 1-0, close ones.”

In the past, pitching has been Mooney’s downfall, but lately their arms have become the Tanners’ strength. Now they are hoping to add more offense.

“It’d be nice to see the bats wake up because we have so many one-run games,” said DeNapoli. “They’re just hitting them at people.”

As for Tully, he has so far looked confident as he takes his shot at a higher level of baseball.

“He’s maturing; you can see him taking a step in the right direction. It’s a step up for him from the high school season,” said Morrison. “He’s not backing down and that’s what we’re looking for out of a young kid like that. He likes the challenge.”

Reading is now 5-6-1 for the summer as it continues to look for more consistency.

“We have a decent game, then a rough one, but I’d rather be playing good baseball at the end of the year than right now,” said Morrison. “We’ll be okay. We’re giving everyone a chance to play early on.”

MOONEY (0) – McDonald 2-0, Lentini 3-0, Valdez 3-0, DeNapoli 2-0, McKenzie 3-1, Burnham 2-1, Collins 1-0, Porter 0-0, McCarthy 2-0, Bi Manley 1-0, DeLuca 1-0, Br. Manley 0-0, Ruxin 1-0. Totals 21-2.

READING (1) – Cataldo 3-1, Carmain 3-2, Manzi 2-0, Conti 4-2, Dewing 1-0, Taylor 1-0, Zajac 2-0, Buitkus 1-1, O’Leary 2-0, Talis 0-0, Castoldi 0-0, Tully 0-0, Halsey 0-0. Totals 19-6.

Double: Carmain.

WP – Tully (1-1); LP – Br. Manley  (1-2).