Published: August 13, 2008 12:37 am      

Columbia Reds sink hosts with big 10th inning

Drew Permison isn’t accustomed to going the distance on the mound.

The Maryland State right-hander certainly didn’t expect to throw 156 pitches on Tuesday night. He probably didn’t envision himself working nine of the 10 innings the Columbia Reds needed to defeat Johnstown’s Delweld 5-2 at Point Stadium.

Delweld (1-1) will play Cleveland’s J.L. Thomas (1-1) at 7 tonight at the Point. Maryland State (2-0) will face Altoona’s Johnston Realty (2-0) at 1 p.m. at Lilly.

“I’ve never thrown that many pitches,” said Permison, a 5-foot-9, 165-pounder. “I’ve never even pitched nine innings before. It was a big deal for me.”

Permison said he usually was a middle reliever during his freshman season at Towson University, though he made the Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-American squad in the starting category with a 6-0 record and one save.

“I got my curveball over for a lot of strikes, and that helped me out,” said Permison, who had 10 strikeouts and five walks while allowing five hits in front of 2,500 fans. “My arm was lively the entire game. That helped. I didn’t slow down too much.”

One scout with a radar gun had Permison topping out in the low 90s, but mostly settling in the 87 to 88 miles per hour range as the game wore on.

Despite Permison’s effective outing, Delweld was in position to remain in the winner’s bracket. Right-hander Matt Skoner pitched effectively through seven innings, scattering five hits while striking out five and walking one.

Delweld held a 2-1 advantage in the seventh. Skoner was rolling along. After allowing Maryland State slugger Josh Winter’s towering homer to lead off the fourth, Skoner retired 10 consecutive batters.

With one out in the seventh, Skoner induced what appeared to be a routine fly ball to right field. But the ball got lost in the lights, finally landing several feet away from right fielder Jake Oswalt. Maryland State’s Brady Baxter hustled to a triple. Pinch-hitter Jamie Jiron grounded out to second but drove in the tying run.

“We got great pitching. The defense was great. We lost it up in the lights, but that happens in baseball at every level,” Delweld manager Rick Roberts said. “It’s a shame. I’m sure Jake feels worse than me but he’s given 110 percent. He’ll bounce back and be ready (today). We lost a ball in the lights. That’s part of baseball.”

Delweld led early. George Roberts continued his hot hitting with a leadoff single in the first. Drew Westover drove in the run with a single. George Roberts is 6-for-10 with two runs and five RBIs in two games.

Winter’s homer tied the game in the fourth. Johnstown led 2-1 in the fifth after Seth Roy walked and advanced on Brandon Varmecky’s sacrifice bunt, then scored on George Roberts’ double to right.

Skoner recorded 10 ground-outs and two infield pop-ups in addition to his five strikeouts.

“Skoner was finding a groove. He hung a change-up and they hit the home run, but he came back and threw an awesome game,” manager Roberts said. “Kody Reighard came in and did a great job (in relief in the eighth). Andrew DiNardo came in and got a great pickoff (in the ninth). I was hoping we could get a big hit in the bottom of the ninth, but we couldn’t get any breaks. The breaks went the wrong way.”

Maryland State threatened in the ninth as the first three batters reached base – two by walk and one hit. Delweld catcher Matt Cornetti caught Brock McAllister attempting to steal second, and DiNardo picked off Baxter before even throwing his first pitch in relief of Reighard.

The Reds strung together four straight singles off DiNardo in the 10th and scored three runs. Maryland State reliever Kevin O’Brien retired Delweld in order in the bottom of the inning.

Rick Roberts credited Permison’s fortitude.

“Anytime somebody throws 156 pitches, usually at 110 on you should be hitting the heck out of him,” he said. “He kept pounding the zone. We missed a lot of mistakes. I’m not big on seeing a kid throw 156 pitches, but it worked out for them (Tuesday night). He was probably in the 90s. Later in the game he was in the high 80s.”

Rick Roberts named AAABA League MVP Matt Staub as tonight’s starter.