Tyler Brashear dominates Boyertown for five innings as OJR baseball wins ninth straight

BUCKTOWN >> Two days after teammate Dom Billetta blanked Upper Perkiomen by allowing one hit across six innings, Tyler Brashear understood it was now his turn to take the baton.

Given the sizzling win streak the Owen J. Roberts baseball team finds itself on, nobody wants to be the one that ends this exhilarating ride.

Brashear unleashed his own one-hitter on Boyertown on Friday night, limiting the Bears to one hit and one run over five dominant innings in a 6-3 Wildcats victory, striking out nine. The win was OJR’s ninth in a row, and with every passing triumph, this team is realizing more and more that something special is in the water out in Bucktown.

“You’re definitely coming out there with confidence, right?” Brashear said. “Knowing I’ve got pitchers behind me coming out and dominating too. The whole chemistry of this team right now is absolutely firing on all cylinders. It makes you want to go out there and do well for everyone around you.”

The only blemish on Brashear’s night were the five walks he issued, which prevented him from pitching deeper into the game. But Boyertown made weak contact all night, managing just three singles off Brashear and relievers Gavin Cinkowski and Lucas Campbell, who teamed up to record the final six outs.

“So far I haven’t been able to go seven (innings) all year, but I have 100 percent confidence in these other pitchers to come out and deliver,” Brashear said. “Those guys came out of the bullpen and challenged hitters, which is exactly what you want.”

The Wildcats (11-2 overall, 9-1 PAC, 6-0 PAC Liberty) provided plenty of support early for Brashear, posting two runs in each the first and second innings.

Nick Remo doubled to center with one out in the first, coming around to score on a single by catcher Tyler Nau. Dysen Neill brought home another run on an infield hit to shortstop.

In the second, Remo lofted a sacrifice fly to center, and shortstop Sam Taylor doubled home another run on a deep shot to left center that almost cleared the fence for a three-run home run. The Wildcats settled for a 4-0 advantage through two, giving Brashear all the cushion he needed.

“One through nine, everyone is firing right now and doing their jobs,” Brashear said. “It’s been amazing to see, especially after the little bit of a slow start to the season we had. We had a couple of rough scrimmages, but after that we bounced back and we’ve been hitting the ball pretty well.”

Brashear, an East Carolina commit, struck out two batters each in the first and second innings before striking out the side in the third. Boyertown (6-7, 6-3, 3-2) scratched out a run in the fifth on two walks, a wild pitch and an RBI groundout, but that was the extent of the damage the Bears would inflict on the OJR senior. The righty throws a power fastball that Boyertown could not square up while also mixing in in a sharp slider that keeps hitters off balance.

“Obviously his fastball is his go-to pitch, and he blows that by a lot of guys,” OJR head coach Alex Condello said. “He competes on the mound, challenges himself and challenges hitters while mixing in his slider as well. Whenever we give him the ball, we know we have a chance to win, no matter who we’re playing.”

Louis Panunzio got the start for Boyertown but got only four outs, allowing seven hits and four runs in 1.1 innings. Senior Aidan Myers relieved him and settled in, striking out five batters in 2.2 innings while only allowing one run. Devin Hoelzle (0.1 IP, H, R, 2BB, K) and Ryan Soffa (1.2 hitless innings) combined to pitch the final two innings.

Boyertown’s other two runs scored on a dropped fly ball in right field with two outs in the sixth.

“I just think it’s our confidence, having seen our potential and what we’re capable of,” Brashear said. “We’ve just got to keep it rolling through each game and hopefully keep the momentum going.”

The Wildcats are the second-ranked team in District 1-6A right now, so odds are their ride is just getting started. Brashear said he began to sense there was something different about this group all the way back in December during winter workouts. The team spends nearly every waking minute together, whether that’s during the day in school, on the field at practice or games or hanging out together when they’re off the clock.

One of the players on the team has a barn on his family’s property that was converted into an indoor batting cage, and the entire team often finds itself there to hit and enjoy fellowship together. When you’re on a heater like the Wildcats are currently on, why mess with a good thing and spend extended time apart from one another?

“In all my years of playing baseball, this team probably has the best chemistry,” Brashear said. “I see these guys six or seven days a week. Everyone just loves talking to and being around each other. We enjoy being with each other at practice working hard, but we also like to go out and have some fun. We just like to be together, and as players out there we’re all behind each other.”

Owen J. Roberts 6, Boyertown 3

Boyertown              0 0 0 0 1 2 0 – 3
Owen J. Roberts    2 2 0 1 1 0 x – 6

WP: Tyler Brashear 5IP, H, ER, 5BB, 9K
LP: Louis Panunzio 1.1IP, 7H, 4ER, 0BB, 2K

2B: OJR- Adam Stahl, Nick Remo, Sam Taylor