WEPCO wins, 10-0

Shingler one hits Times-News for team’s 4th-straight Rec title

Steve Luse

POTOMAC PARK — Jeremy Shingler pitched a five-inning one-hitter and got plenty of support as the WEPCO Federal Credit Union batters pounded 12 hits in a 10-0 victory over the Times-News on Friday evening at Holler Field for the team’s fourth straight Rec Baseball League championship.

WEPCO, which had a nine-game winning streak end with a 10-4 loss in the second game of the championship series on Wednesday, finishes the season with a 19-2 record after taking the regular-season pennant with a 15-1 mark. The Times-News closed with a 12-9-1 overall record after finishing second during the regular season.`

“Our guys never quit playing hard and showed a lot of heart all season,” said WEPCO manager Frank Stowell, who has been at the helm for the last three championships. “We had players who always came out wanting to play with no complaints. Jeremy didn’t actually have his best stuff tonight, but getting support behind him early helped, and he finished strong.”

Shingler, a former standout for Westmar and Mountain Ridge high schools, didn’t allow a hit in the first four innings and had two strikeouts and only one walk. The hard-throwing righthander has been a member of all four championship teams along with centerfielder Marcus McGinnis and second-baseman Jordan Dye.

“I couldn’t have done it without my team. All season they played well,” said Shingler. “We had great chemistry and play together well. I was ready to go and my slider was working for me today.”

The game was ended by the 10-run rule in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ben Russell sent in the final two runs with a bases-loaded double. Bill Freeman ripped a pair of singles and got his third run batted in when he was hit by a pitch with the sacks full.

McGinnis, Dye and Adam Stowell had two singles each, and Stowell drove in one run. Shingler aided his own cause with a two-run double and scored two runs, while Steven Holtschneider also hit a two-bagger.

WEPCO scored four runs in the first inning off starter Tristan Beyer and four more in the second when Jared Foreman came on with no outs and two runners on. They closed the campaign with the two in the fifth off Aaron O’Rourke.

In the opening inning, McGinnis led off with a walk and stole second. Daniel Warnick singled for the first hit and Shingler sent both runners in with his double. Stowell reached on an error and after his steal, Freeman delivered a two-run single.

McGinnis and Thomas Holtschneider opened the second inning with basehits and Shingler was intentionally walked to load the bases. Stowell singled in the first run and Freeman was then hit by a pitch. An infield error on a grounder by Russell allowed the next two runs to score for the 8-0 lead.

WEPCO loaded the bases again in the fourth frame with no outs, but Aaron O’Rourke came in as the third Times-News pitcher and got two strikeouts and a flyout.

The Times-News got its only hits with a two-out single by Nick Corbett with two outs in the top of the fifth after a WEPCO error. Shingler then got a strikeout to end the threat.

In the WEPCO fifth, Stowell and Freeman walks to Dye singled to set the stage for Russell’s game ender.

“I was just happy I hit the ball,” said Russell, who lumbered around the bases to score the winning run on a double by Ryan Reddinger in the eighth inning the 6-5 victory on Monday. “The whole team was making contact and getting hits.”

“They have good batters and came out hitting tonight,” said Times-News manager Morgan McCormick. “They also got good pitching from Jeremy Shingler. They only had two losses all season and deserved to win.”

Steve Luse is a Cumberland Times-News sportswriter. Contact Steve Luse at sluse@times-news.com.