Reitz Comes Three Outs from Perfection as Brookville Beats North Clarion

BROOKVILLE, Pa. (D9Sports) – Ben Reitz came within three outs of a perfect game before settling for a two-hit complete game, as Brookville beat visiting North Clarion, 6-1.

(Photo: Ben Reitz, the Hager Paving Player of the Game)

Reitz retired the first 18 batters he faced mainly due to 15 consecutive first-pitch strikes to the first 15 batters he faced.

Listen to Ben Reitz flirt with perfection.

Needing three outs to get the perfecto, Reitz went 3-0 to Zander Hargenrader leading off the seventh, the first time in the game he was 2-0 on a batter let alone 3-0. He fought back and got the count to 3-2 before Hargenrader pushed a soft bloop over the head of the second baseman Brady Caylor and in front of right fielder Trenton Gilhousen for the Wolves first hit.

Hargenrader then stole second and scored on a soft single to left by Sam Minich before Reitz got the next three batters out to finish the complete game.

He went seven innings allowing one run on two hits and no walks while striking out four.

Reitz helped himself out by driving in three runs on offense including a pair of sacrifice flies and a run-scoring single.

Reitz, the Hager Paving Player of the Game, talked about his performance and the win.

While Reitz was dealing Brookville built him an early 3-0 lead with three unearned runs in the first.

With one out Seth Dunkle singled to center and Tanner LaBenne singled to left. A wild pitch moved them both up 90 feet, and the throw to third went into left field scoring Dunkle. Aaron Park then reached on an error putting runners on first and third, and Reitz sac fly to right to make it 2-0.

Then some confusion happened. With the bases loaded, Trenton Gilhousen hit a grounder to third. Third baseman Devon Walters decided to throw across the diamond instead of taking the easy out at third. The throw pulled Zyler Hargenrader off the bag, and Hargenrader attempted to tag Walters. The field umpire said the tag was applied, but Brookville first base coach Chris Dworek disagreed, and Raiders manager Bruce Ferry asked the the field umpire to ask the home plate for help.

In the meantime, North Clarion vacated the field and Brookville took the field to warm up for the second.

Finally, the umpires got together and the play was overturned scoring a run. There was no argument from the North Clarion side, as the Hargenrader clearly missed the tag, and Brookville led 3-0.

The Raiders added a run in the third when Park led off with a double to center, moved to third on a fly ball to center by Ben Caun and scored on a single to right by Reitz.

Two more Brookville runs came across in the fifth when LaBenne led off with a single and Park followed with a single. A wild pitch moved them both up 90 feet, and back-to-back sacrifice flies by Caun and Reitz made it 6-0.

Tanner LaBenne went 3-for-3 with a run scored for Brookville and also made a pair of great scoops at first base to save the perfect game while Aaron Park was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.

Noah Meyers took the loss going five innings allowing six runs, three earned, on nine hits and two walks while striking out two.