QUAKERTOWN - Like storm clouds on the horizon, Birches manager Butch Foust had some concerns about his team coming into the opening round of the Region 2 Legion tournament in Quakertown.

The top two pitchers for The Birches were unavailable for Friday afternoon’s game and the result was 11 walks and three hit batters during a 6-5 loss to Hamburg.

“We used up our two best pitchers to win the league championship,” Foust said. “We have one of our other pitchers hurt, so he can’t throw. We came in here knowing that pitching was going to be a bit of a problem for us today.”

Ryan Kymer, who got the start, left after 2/3 of an inning with a sore arm, complicating matters for Foust.

Hamburg was able to get two runs against Kymer, but Domonic Payan came on to record the last out with bases loaded to keep the game from getting out of hand.

Birches lead off hitter Nathan Loch did his job by collecting a walk to start the bottom of the first before stealing second and moving to third on a ground ball. Andrew Meitzler drove him in with a base hit before Hamburg starter Tristan Baer was able to get the final two outs leaving The Birches trailing 2-1 after the first frame.

Baer was his own worst enemy early on, as well, as he hit a batter and issued a walk in the second inning when Birches put two runs on the board to take the lead at 3-2. Nate Moskosky singled and Jacob Gethen reached when a play at second was too late to get Moskosky, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. The hit by pitch loaded the bases and Austin Ratti walked to push Moskosky across the plate. Later, another fielder’s choice brought home Grethen as The Birches went on top.

“We were well disciplined at the plate. We like to hit good pitches and run the count to 2-2, 3-2 and they always work the count,” said Foust of his hitters, who drew four walks in the game. Four Birches hitters were hit by pitches in the game as well.

Hamburg got a bases-loaded single from Braden Fetherolf in the third to tie the game, and then back-to-back walks forced two more runs across to put the Reds back in front 5-3. They put another run on the board in the fourth when Baer led off with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch before scoring on an RBI single from Ricky Clark.

Down 6-3, Birches bounced right back with a one-out rally. Brandon Ratti walked and went to second on a fielding error before both runners moved up on a ground ball by Nate Moskosky. From there, Gethen delivered a single to plate two runs and cut it to a one-run game through five innings.

Reliever Isaac Krick, who came on in the second for Baer, continued to pitch well and was able to shut down a bases-loaded scare in the sixth and get the third out with runners on first and second in the seventh. Payan also worked around a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh.

“We’ll have our pitching restocked for tomorrow (Saturday) and I like our chances a lot better knowing that,” said Foust. “Our kids really battled today and we came up just one run short, and they will have that same fight in them tomorrow. With our pitching situation getting better, we’ll be in better shape.

NOT DONE YET ... Foust will have his staff restocked as The Birches take on South Parkland, who lost to the host team Quakertown. That game will be Saturday at 1 p.m., while Hamburg will play Quakertown in Saturday’s finale at 7 p.m.

Birches 120 020 0 - 5 6 0

Hamburg 203 100 x - 6 4 4

Kymer, Payan (1) and Meitzler; Baer, I. Krick (2) and Bensinger. W - I. Krick. L - Payan.