District 9 Class 2A Baseball Semifinal Recaps: Fifth & Sixth Seeds Brookville, Brockway Advance

May 26 District 9 Class 2A baseball semifinal recaps.

BROCKWAY 10, CRANBERRY 2

DUBOIS, Pa. – Brockway sent 13 men to the plate and scored eight runs with two outs in the fifth inning to vanquish Cranberry, 10-2, in the District 9 Class 2A semifinals Friday afternoon at Showers Field in DuBois.

The rally started with back-to-back one-out walks – one issued by starter Nolan Brannon and the second by reliever Andrew Gunn. Then, after Gunn recorded a second out, he walked a second batter loading the bases Jesse Johnson.

Johnson drove a 3-2 pitch to left scoring three before scoring himself after the ball was thrown around giving the Rovers a 5-2 lead.

Andrew Trunzo kept the inning going with a single and Matthew Clark reached on an error. Angelo Inzana then doubled home two runs making it 7-2.

After a pair of walks reloaded the bases, Tyler Serafini, who had walked earlier in the inning, capped off the game-deciding frame with a two-run single making it 9-2.

“One key to the eight-run inning was Jon Wood getting on and causing havoc on the base paths and the rest of the guys having great at-bats,” Brockway manager Terry Moore said. “Jesse Johnson came through in the clutch with two outs with his bases clearing (hit) that turned into him scoring because we put pressure on their defense.”

Until the fifth, it was a classic playoff duel between Brannon and Brockway’s Hunter Antonuccio.

Both teams scored in the third with Brockway taking a 1-0 lead on a squeeze by Erik Botwright.

Cranberry answered in the bottom of the inning scoring its lone two runs on a Jake Felmlee single and a Thomas Flinspach bases-loaded walk.

That was all the Berries could muster off Antonuccio and relief pitcher Santino Inzana.

Antonuccio went five innings before reaching the 100-pitch limit. He allowed two runs on six hits and six walks while striking out three.

“Hunter pitched great today, Moore said. “He stepped up for his team today. I’m very proud of the effort he gave.”

Inzana came on and threw a pair of scoreless innings allowing a hit and a walk.

Gunn took the loss getting just one out while allowing seven runs, three earned, on four hits and four walks while striking out one. Trevor Gladin finished up going 2 ⅓ giving up one run on four hits while striking out two.

Jon Wood went 2-for-2 with three runs scored, while Serafini was 1-for-1 with two walks, a run scored and two RBIs.

Brockway, the sixth seed, will take on Jefferson County neighbor Brookville, the fifth seed, in the title game at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Showers Field in DuBois.

“It means a lot because we as a team could have thrown in the towel,” Moore said about his team getting into the title game after an up-and-down regular season. “But we kept at it and things are coming together at the right time.”

BROOKVILLE 13, JOHNSONBURG 1, 6 INNINGS

JOHNSONBURG, Pa. – Visiting and fifth-seeded Brookville scored four first-inning runs and never looked back on its way to a 13-1, six-inning pounding of top-seeded Johnsonburg in the District 9 Class 2A semifinals at Johnsonburg.

“The kids were really excited to get to this point and felt they deserved it because of the tough schedule they played,” Brookville manager Bruce Ferry said. “It was exciting to watch it and see the strides they have made this year.”

Ben Caun had a monster day for the young Raiders on offense going 1-for-2 with a home run, two walks, two runs scored and five RBIs.

That backed up a strong pitching performance by senior Ben Reitz, who shut down the powerful Rams offense limiting them to one unearned run on three hits and three walks while striking out seven.

“Ben Reitz is our leader and the kids love playing behind him,” Ferry said. “He was really fired up and was looking forward to the challenge of facing a great team like Johnsonburg.”

Ferry said Reitz’s ability to pound the zone was important.

“He was throwing a lot of strikes, and very determined,” Ferry said. “With Bryan (Dworek) at the state track meet, he knew he had to be efficient with his pitches and attacked the strike zone.”

Brookville jumped all over Johnsonburg starter and loser Justin Kasmierski in the first inning with Aaron Park starting the scoring by singling home Seth Dunkle, who had singled leading off the game.

Then, after Reitz struck out, Caun blasted a three-run home run to make it 4-0 Raiders.

“Getting the lead was huge,” Ferry said. “We have been playing with a lot of confidence, and the early lead let them relax and have fun.”

After Johnsonburg got an unearned run back in the third on a Kasmierski single, Brookville put the game away with a run in the fourth and five more in the fifth to go ahead 10-1.

In the fourth, Tyler Park scored on an error to get the lead back to four.

The fifth inning saw the Raiders take advantage of wildness to break the game open.

Brady Caylor and Caun drew walks with the bases loaded, and a third run scored on a wild pitch before Dunkle capped off the inning with a two-run single.

Dunkle finished the night 3 of 4 with a stolen base, a run scored and two RBIs.

Park and Tanner LaBenne both added a pair of runs scored with LaBenne reaching base four times with a hit, two walks and a hit by a pitch and Park finding his way on three times with the RBI single and two walks.

Kasmierski, who went 4-plus innings on the hill allowing six runs, five earned, on eight hits, two walks and a strikeout, reached base three times for Johnsonburg getting the RBI hit and walking twice.

Johnny Mitchell scored the Rams lone run going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases.

Mitchell relieved Kasmierski and was wild in two innings of work allowing seven runs, four earned, on one hit, six walks and a hit batter. He struck out three.

Brookville takes on county rival Brockway in the title game at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Showers Field in DuBois.

“At the beginning of the year, we told the kids being young can not be an excuse for us,” Ferry said. “They have matured tremendously over the year and really enjoy playing with each other.

“The biggest thing in my mind, however, is that they follow two great leaders. They have learned and followed the example of Ben (Reitz) and Ben (Caun)n and they really want to win for them. It’s been really neat to watch that happen throughout the season.”