May 24 baseball recaps.
(Photo: Elk County Catholic’s Tylor Herzing reached on an error that scored two runs to help the Crusaders upset top-seeded DuBois Central Catholic in the D9 1A semifinals Thursday. Photo by Christie Datko)
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 8, DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 6
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – Scoring a pair of runs on an error on a ball hit by Tylor Herzing with two outs in the top of the seventh innings, fifth-seeded Elk County Catholic stunned top-seeded DuBois Central Catholic, 8-6, in the District 9 Class 1A semifinals at Punxsutawney’s Kuntz Field.
In a game that ECC led 6-1 after 3 ½ innings, the Crusaders found themselves tied at six after DCC scored three in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the fifth.
But in the seventh, a walk and an error on DCC with one out gave ECC runners on first and second for Dan Wimer, who singled to center. But DCC centerfielder Brandon Walker gunned out Brennen Klawuhn at home for the second out with runners going to second and third on the throw.
Another walk loaded the bases before Herzing’s ball was mishandled giving ECC the lead.
DCC got a leadoff walk and a two-out walk in the bottom of the seventh before Brady Schneider struck out Anthony Kness to secure the win.
Herzing was 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI, while Alec Wehler was 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI for ECC. Also for the Crusaders, Taylor Boland was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
Domenic Toretti was 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and three runs scored for DCC with Tyler McIntosh going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI and Walker going 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
Schneider got the win in relief of Boland going two scoreless innings not allowing a hit while walking two and striking out four. Boland pitched five innings allowing six runs, all earned, on 11 hits and a walk while striking out three.
Kness, the third DCC pitcher, took the loss. He gave up two unearned runs on two hits and three walks while striking out three in three innings of work.
Cole Sansom started and pitched three innings allowing five runs, all earned, on six hits and three walks while striking out one. Toretti went an inning giving up a run on two hits and two walks.
ECC will play Otto-Eldred in the title game at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, at Showers Field in DuBois.
OTTO-ELDRED 2, CLARION-LIMESTONE 0
WILCOX, Pa. – Chase Sebastian and Chris Connelly had back-to-back RBI hits with two outs in the first inning, and Cole Sebastian made those two runs stand up to give second-seeded Otto-Eldred a 2-0 win over third-seeded Clarion-Limestone in the District 9 Class 1A semifinals at the Wilcox Legion Field.
Jake Merry got things going for the Terrors in the bottom of the first when he singled to center with two outs. Chase Sebastian followed with a run-scoring triple to center and scored on Connelly’s single to left.
Cole Sebastian didn’t need any more support, as he tossed a four-hit shutout. Needing 99 pitches, the sophomore walked one and struck out eight. He retired 11 in a row until a two-out error in the seventh followed by a single by Camden Hankey gave C-L life with runners on first and second, but Sebastian struck out Brady Fowkes to secure the victory.
Bryson Huwar was the hard-luck loser giving up the two first-inning runs, both earned, on four hits and a walk while striking out six.
The victory was the first in three tries this school year for Otto-Eldred over C-L. The Terrors had lost to the Lions in the District 9 football and basketball playoffs.
Otto-Eldred will take on Elk County Catholic in the title game at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, at Showers Field in DuBois.
COUDERSPORT 5, JOHNSONBURG 4, 9 INNINGS
ST. MARYS, Pa. – Kullen Crosby’s walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth innings lifted top-seeded Coudersport into the District 9 Class 2A title game with a 5-4 victory over fourth-seeded Johnsonburg.
Johnsonburg trailed, 4-3, going to the top of the seventh but scored on run on an error to tie the game at four. The Rams tried to take the lead on a suicide squeeze, but Coudersport’s defense recorded the out at the plate to keep the game tied.
The Falcons trailed 3-2 going to the fifth but tied the game in the fifth on a Jackson Glover double before taking the 4-3 lead on a Hunter Redmond single. Redmond had a pair of RBIs on the day while going 3-for-3.
Kolby VanWhy got the win in relief of Blake Burgett. Austin Green took the loss in relief of Gavin Elmquist, who relieved Gabe Watts.
Coudersport will take on second-seeded Moniteau, a 6-1 winner over Karns City Thursday, in the title game at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, at Showers Field in DuBois.
PUNXSUTAWNEY 11, BRADFORD 3
DUBOIS, Pa. – Daren Byers and Isaac Knarr helped top-seeded Punxsutawney return to the District 9 title game for the first time since 2016 with an 11-3 win fourth-seeded Bradford in the Class 4A semifinals at Showers Field in DuBois.
Byers broke open a close game, 5-3, with a two-run single in the fifth, and Knarr calmed things down for the Chucks on the mound tossing three scoreless innings after the game had gone back-and-forth in the early going.
Punxsutawney then put the game out of reach with four runs, thanks in part to a pair of Bradford errors, in the sixth innings. The Owls committed five errors on the day.
Not only did Bradford have trouble fielding the ball, the Owls also couldn’t come up with a clutch hit leaving the bases loaded twice and failing to take full advantage of seven walks and four hit batters by the Punxsutawney pitching staff.
Bradford did hold a 2-1 lead early only to see a wild pitch, a bases-loaded walk and a sac fly put Punxsutawney up 4-2 in the third. The teams then traded runs in the fourth before Byers had his key two-run single.
Peyton Manion had a strong day at the plate for Bradford with two hits and two RBIs, while Michael Gow also had a pair of hits.
Knarr got the win with Tyler Gigliotti, who only lasted 1 ⅔ innings, taking the loss.
CLEARFIELD 5, ST. MARYS 1
DUBOIS, Pa. – Third-seeded Clearfield stunned second-seeded and defending champion St. Marys, 5-1, in the District 9 Class 4A semifinals.
In a rematch of last year’s title game, the Bison took advantage of wildness from St. Marys’ Nathan Beimel, who didn’t start the game, to score four runs in the fifth inning and ended up with five runs on just three hits.
Beimel, who came in to start the fourth inning, had trouble locating the strike zone in the fifth. He walked the first three batters of the inning to load the bases, and then Clearfield took the lead when Hayden Williams reached on an error that left the bases loaded.
Allan Myers then delivered the knockout punch with a three-run, bases-clearing double to center before Beimel struck out the side.
Myers had two of the Bison’s three hits going 2-for-4 with the three RBIs. Williams added a pair of RBIs.
Beimel was 2-for-4 for St. Marys but had the Dutch’s only two hits off Clearfield pitchers Eli Glass and Cade Walker.
Walker got the win in relief not allowing a hit while walking one and striking out six in three innings of work. Glass pitched the first four innings allowing one earned run on two hits and six walks while striking out six.
Beimel took the loss in relief of Matt Bellina. He pitched four innings allowing four runs, two earned, on two hits and four walks while striking out nine. Bellina went three innings giving up an earned run on one hit, two walks and a hit batter while striking out two.
Clearfield will take on Punxsutawney in the title game at a time to be announced Wednesday, May 29, at Showers Field.
Fall Sports
Rocky Grove and Lakeview Team Up for Mason
