KULPMONT - Coming off a 9-1 loss at Loyalsock in which Shamokin used three pitchers, the Indians needed exactly what Austin Fry gave them on Tuesday - a complete game win.
Fry worked all seven innings, used 102 pitches and struck out six Mount Carmel hitters as the Indians beat the Red Tornadoes 4-1 in their Heartland Conference Division II matchup.
"Austin was on point and had a great game," Shamokin head coach Bill Clark said.
"He struggled a little bit early with his control and he got behind in the count a couple times, but we made some plays for him. After that he settled in and threw a great game. We needed this one."
After Shamokin sat down in order to start the game, Mount Carmel pushed leadoff hitter Brett Przekop to third after a sacrifice bunt by Bryan McFadden and a sacrifice fly by Danny Lesko. Fry then hit cleanup hitter Cody Shustack before getttin Trevor Johnson to fly out to right field to end the inning.
Only four more Red Tornadoes' runners made it to scoring position on Fry, who scattered six hits and walked one.
"Right now, we're getting guys on base, but we don't get them in," Mount Carmel head coach Ray Bettleyon said. "We don't get the ball in play. We can't stand there and look at called third strikes and not swing the bat."
The Indians' defense backed Fry up all game and committed only one error, although that one miscue led to Mount Carmel's run.
Offensively, Shamokin scored two runs in the second and two in the third, but could have had more.
Fry started the second off for Shamokin by reaching on an error, and Ryan Burns also reached courtesy of an error.
Both came around to score before Erik Taylor, who singled in a run, was cut down at home plate by Mount Carmel leftfielder Corey Langton to end the inning.
The third inning went nearly the exact same way, with two runs crossing the plate before Langton threw out Burns at the plate.
In all, Shamokin lost four runners on the bases - two at home, and one at second and third each on attempted steals.
"We made four outs on the bases," Clark said. "I'm glad we did it. You have to give credit to their leftfielder; he made two great throws. We were putting pressure on him and he threw the ball right where it needed to be both times.
"We're going to take chances. We're not hitting the ball, so we have to do what we can to try to score some runs."
All four of Shamokin's runs fell to Mount Carmel starter Anthony Pennypacker, who pitched 4 1/3 innings and took the loss for the winless Tornadoes.
"The defense in the past games really hurt us, but it's what we stressed in practice. I guess we have to concentrate on offense a little bit more," Bettleyon said.
"I think if we would have been able to produce some runs, we would have had them."
Game Summary
SHAMOKIN (AB-R-H-BI) - Deptula 3-0-2-1, Grinaway 3-1-1-0, Tillett 3-0-0-0, Fry 3-2-1-0, Burns 4-1-1-1, Bressi 2-0-0-0, Taylor 2-0-1-1, Rodarmel 2-0-0-0, Gurba 1-0-0-0, Young 0-0-0-0, Mallett 0-0-0-0. Totals 23-4-6-3.
MOUNT CARMEL (AB-R-H-BI) - Przekop 4-0-1-1, McFadden 1-0-0-0, Melick 2-0-0-0, Lesko 2-0-1-0, Shustack 2-0-1-0, Tocyloski 0-0-0-0, Johnson 3-0-1-0, Pennypacker 2-0-0-0, Rimokaitis 1-0-0-0, Wasilewski 2-1-0-0, Fletcher 3-0-2-0, Langton 1-0-0-0, McDonnell 1-0-0-0. Totals 24-1-6-1.
Shamokin 022 000 0 - 4 6 2
Mount Carmel 000 010 0 - 1 6 3
IP H R ER BB K
Shamokin
Fry (W) 7 6 1 0 1 6
Mount Carmel
Pennypacker (L) 4.1 6 4 1 4 1
Rimokaitis 2.2 0 0 0 1 3