Mistakes sink Oak Harbor in 3-2 squeaker

When a young team takes the field early in the season, sometimes mistakes happen.

Tuesday evening two mistakes in the field and one on the base paths decided the game as the Burlington Sox defeated Oak Harbor 3-2 in AA American Legion baseball action.

In his first season as head coach of the ’Cats, John Humphries said the local team has some really young players on the 2008 roster.

“We have mostly freshmen and sophomores with just two juniors on the team,” he said.

The Sox put together a little two-out magic in the top of the first inning to score a pair of runs.

Catcher Dylan Boe led the game off with a walk, but Oak Harbor starting pitcher Bennett Richter retired the next two batters and had an 0-2 count on Tyler Mcleod before the Burlington left fielder beat out an infield hit to plate the first run.

Mcleod stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Chris Vivanco’s single.

The score remained 2-0 until Oak Harbor tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

With one out, Richter and Brad Farnum drew back-to-back walks.

After Jake Hill fouled out, designated hitter Yale Rosen beat out an infield hit and when the throw sailed past Burlington first baseman Quinn Holt, both Richter and Farnum scored.

Burlington put the game-winning run on the board in the top of the sixth inning on a pair of bloop singles to right field by Zach Livingston and Holt, and Dylan Lloyd’s infield out.

Oak Harbor had opportunities to tie the game, but couldn’t manage to get a timely hit.

“They executed and we didn’t,” Humphries said.

Oak Harbor collected just two hits off Burlington pitcher Troy O’Neill, who struck out seven and walked four in seven innings on the mound.

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