With 14 strikeouts, Central win a Shore thing in Barrett Game

ASTON >> David Shore’s plan for the 32nd annual Joseph J. Barrett Memorial All-Star Game changed soon after he arrived in the Central League dugout at Neumann University’s Bruder Field.

“I kind of expected to catch four or five innings and take it easy the rest of the game, have a nice day,” said Shore, a Strath Haven product. “But then I saw I was the only catcher here and at first I was surprised, but it was good. I like to play.”

Shore enjoyed himself plenty in a 9-2 Central League win over the Del Val League all-stars. He went 2-4, including a double, scored two runs and knocked in one on his way to MVP honors. Perhaps more impressively, Shore caught all nine innings and called pitches for a group of hurlers that combined for 14 strikeouts.

“Just get ahead in the count, start with the fastball,” said Shore of his strategy. “Most of the pitchers here have enough stuff so they can throw secondary pitches for strikes. That was really important today.”

Garnet Valley’s Mike Bechtold set the tone with a blistering two innings of work. He was nearly untouchable. Bechtold retired all six batters he faced with five strikeouts, four of them looking.

Shore was happy to be a battery mate rather than an opponent.

“That’s the first time I’ve gotten to catch him. I was really impressed,” said Shore. “We faced him in the season and he shut us down.”

The duo thrived together with a little help from home-plate umpire Art Woods, who stretched the strike zone three or four inches on the outer half.

“You just got to take advantage of that,” said the James Madison University-bound Bechtold who, to be fair, would’ve been dominant under any circumstances. “You just got to keep working it (outside), and if he’s giving it to you it’s going to help a lot.”

It may have helped that Shore and Woods go back a ways.

“Actually, I know him from little league,” said Shore. “He lives around where I live. I just did my best to frame and get all I can get for the pitchers.”

Whether the few extra inches made the difference or not, the Central’s collection of arms gave the Del Val fits.

Following Bechtold’s five-K performance, Harriton’s Max Sturdivant one-upped his all-star teammate. Sturdivant struck out the side in the third and fourth innings and surrendered one hit. When Ben Thorpe of Springfield added another strikeout in the sixth, 12 of the first 15 outs were recorded via the K.

“Bechtold was killing it. They throw hard,” said Interboro’s Jason Lincoln. “Central League is always good at pitching.”

Lincoln himself is somewhat of an expert in that field. Prior to the game, he received the Pitcher of the Year award. Lincoln was also named a Cakey Dougherty/Jumbo Faulkner Scholarship recipient along with Marple Newtown’s Vince Greco.

“It’s amazing, such an honor,” Lincoln said. “I wasn’t really expecting to win pitcher of the year, but it’s great.”

But by the time he finally took the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning, the young man who gave up four runs all year was charged with stopping the bleeding rather than holding a lead.

After Nick Gorman of Springfield scored in the first following a lead-off single, the Central bats woke up in the middle frames. They tagged Malvern Prep’s Brent Greeley for three runs in the fifth, then tacked on two more against Bonner & Prendergast’s Anthony Martinelli.

The Central even got to Lincoln. Shore crushed a double off him in the eighth, then came around to score when Eli Needle followed with a double of his own. It was Shore’s second hit of the afternoon.

“I haven’t really been hitting well all year so it’s good to get back on the right track,” he said.

Lincoln, on the other hand, couldn’t shake off the rust of the early offseason. He had trouble finding the strike zone, as big as it was, and watched as three runners crossed the plate in two innings.

“I don’t think I was mentally ready today. I haven’t pitched in awhile,” said Lincoln. “But it’s nice to get back out there.

“It’s an honor to play here. It’s great to play.”

The Del Val did pull back two runs in the top half of the eighth. Martinelli smoked a drive to deep left-center field to move Penn Wood’s Rian Bluford to third base. Bluford scored on Bobby Jones’ sacrifice fly before Martinelli trotted home when Brady DiGiacomo flew out to right.

But that was all the offense the Del Val could muster. As fate would have it, Lincoln came to the plate with two out in the ninth. Ridley’s Ryan Downs struck him out to end the game, the Central’s 14th K.

“This is kind of our last hurrah,” said Shore, who will play baseball at Emory University. “We wanted to end on a high note, and I think that’s what we did.”