—
POTOMAC PARK — Lightning halted play on Wednesday evening, and started it again Thursday when Shane Torbet shattered the 23-hour break by hitting a bases-loaded triple as Hobo’s Restaurant collected a 5-1 win over the Romney Rippers to tie the best-of-three championship series in the Hot Stove Finals.
The contest was called Wednesday night with Hobo’s batting with a 2-1 lead, the bases loaded, two outs and Torbet due up. The game continued at that point on Thursday, and Torbet needed only a few pitches to place a soft liner along the right field foul line that added three runs to a newly obtained 5-1 lead.
“It was the biggest hit he’s had all season,” said Hobo’s Head Coach Terry DeHaven. “It was a hit we needed and he needed, and he couldn’t have picked a better time to deliver.”
Torbet’s hit may have just been adding insult to injury due to the pitching of Hobo’s Chad Deneen. After the first batter of the game scored to give Romney a 1-0 lead, Deneen would settle in to allow just one other runner to reach second base, and would finish the afternoon with one hit allowed and five strikeouts in a complete game. The run he allowed was unearned.
“I asked him before we got started if he felt he could go after the down time,” said DeHaven. “He told me he was fine, so I let him go out.” When asked whether he considered making a change with a four-run lead in the later innings, DeHaven responded, “Not with the roll he was on. He would have let me know if he needed to come out.”
Romney, which won the first game 8-3 on Monday, got a lead-off walk from Dane Heavner in the first. Heavner was able to get into scoring position after stealing second, but Hobo’s got the next two batters out with a strikeout and a ground out to the second baseman. Heavner came around to score on an error to make it 1-0.
Hobo’s (21-3) loaded the bases in the first inning, but saw Rippers starter Josh Crawford work out of a jam to preserve his team’s 1-0 lead. After a one-two-three top of the second inning, Crawford struck out the first batter he faced in the second before giving up a single to Zach Kendall. Crawford struck out the next batter for the second out, but Jordan Bingman singled and Deneen drew a walk to load the bases. An error on the following batter allowed Hobo’s to take the 2-1 lead and put runners on second and third.
Luke Campbell was intentionally walked to ensure a force at any base, and the game was stopped shortly afterwards because of the weather. Campbell finished the outing with two singles.
Bucky Timbrook entered in relief of Crawford and would retire seven straight after allowing the triple to Torbet, but the damage was already done.
Romney (24-5) threatened in the fourth when Crawford drew a lead off walk, but was doubled off first the following batter when Micah Stair snared a line drive at third and threw to first before Crawford could tag up.
“The defense and pitching were as big as Torbet’s hit,” DeHaven said. “Chad was overpowering, and anytime Romney got on-base we came up with a play to get out of trouble.
“They are a very good team, though,” he added. “They pitched a heck of a game, and didn’t quit. It should make for a very good third game.”
The series, and the championship, will be decided today at 5:30 at Hamilton Field.
Hot Stove
Related Photos
-
Hobo’s Restaurant pitcher Chad Deneen releases the ball during their 5-1 Game 2 Hot Stove Championship Series victory over the Romney Rippers Thursday evening at Hamilton Field. Deneen allowed only one run and had five strikeouts. John A. Bone/Times-News
Torbet’s hit helps Hobo’s tie series
Deneen shuts down Romney Rippers in 5-1 victory; deciding game tonight at 5:30
- Hot Stove
-
-
Barr, Keplinger & Thorne, Lakeview Auto remain unbeaten
Brooks Carr threw six strong innings and Clark Moran doubled and singled as Lakeview Auto Parts remained unbeaten with a 7-2 win over the Cumberland Rotary in Hot Stove League baseball Wednesday at Northern High.
-
Jones’ dozen strikeouts leads Lakeview
Lakeview Auto Parts rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh and pitcher Trevon Jones struck out 12 in pitching a complete-game five-hitter in a 6-2 Hot Stove Baseball League win over previously undefeated Riverside Sports Monday at Bel Air Field.
-
Hobo’s wins Hot Stove League title
Just when it appeared it may take an error to decide the winner, Hobo’s Luke Campbell erased that thought by lacing a triple down the third base line for the first run of the afternoon in the sixth inning and followed with a towering home run in the seventh to lead Hobo’s to a 6-2 win over the Romney Rippers and give the Hyndman, Pa., team the Hot Stove League Championship.
-
Torbet’s hit helps Hobo’s tie series
Lightning halted play on Wednesday evening, and started it again Thursday when Shane Torbet shattered the 23-hour break by hitting a bases-loaded triple as Hobo’s Restaurant collected a 5-1 win over the Romney Rippers to tie the best-of-three championship series in the Hot Stove Finals.
-
Romney wins, 3-2
Dane Heavner decided the entire American League Championship Series of the Hot Stove Playoffs with one swing Friday evening, lining a single past the shortstop in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Romney Rippers to a 3-2 win over Lakeview Auto Parts in the deciding game to put the Rippers into the finals beginning Monday,
-
Romney holds off Lakeview, wins 7-6
The Romney Rippers squandered an early 5-run lead, but jumped back ahead in the fifth inning and got solid pitching over the final three innings to beat Lakeview Auto 7-6 at Holler Field and take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three Hot Stove American League Championship Series.
-
Rippers romps past Ridgeley
Dane Heavener homered, Garrett Crawford knocked in five runs and Josh Crawford tossed a four-hitter to lead the Romney Rippers to a 12-1 win over the Ridgeley VFW Friday evening at Holler Field.
-
KMK, Hobo’s to meet National League finals
KMK Insurance scored six runs in the first and four in the third on its way to advancing to the Hot Stove League semifinals with an 11-5 victory over the Cresaptown Eagles Thursday at Holler Field.
-
Campbell delivers for Hobo’s
Luke Campbell singled in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Hobo’s Restaurant over American Insurance, 5-4, in the first game of their best-of-three Hot Stove League playoff Series Tuesday at Holler Field.
-
KMK, American Insurance win opening series
American Insurance scored 13 runs and collected 12 hits over the final three innings and the late charge pushed the team to a 14-9 win over Young’s Unlimited/Cumberland Optimists and propel it into the second round of the Hot Stove Playoffs.
- More Hot Stove Headlines
-
Barr, Keplinger & Thorne, Lakeview Auto remain unbeaten
