BROCKWAY, Pa. (EYT/D9) — They’re back.
Redbank Valley sports teams and District 9 championship games seem to go together like thunder and lightning.
The Bulldogs have brought a lot of both on an epic run in the district in multiple sports.
Now the Redbank Valley baseball team will play for another D9 baseball crown after edging Clarion-Limestone, 3-2, on Thursday night at Brockway in the Class 2A semifinals.
“It means everything,” said senior Ty Carrier. “The past three years we’ve made it, but I feel like this year is definitely more special because it’s my senior year. I’m very happy to be back and hopefully get that medal again.”
(Pictured above, Ty Carrier)
Redbank lost top Johnsonburg two years ago in the title game, but returned last season to beat Karns City.
The Bulldogs will take on surging Moniteau, which upset No. 1 seed Karns City on Thursday in the other semifinal, at Showers Field in DuBois on Memorial Day.
Carrier to shooting for his third district title this school year alone. He set the career assists record for the soccer team, which won the D9 championship in the fall. He was a guard on the basketball team this winter, which also struck district gold.
Teammate Owen Clouse is gunning for four in one school year. He was on the championship soccer and football teams this fall at Redbank and the basketball team.
“It’s been awesome,” Carrier said. “That’s pretty special.”
Carrier helped Redbank get a chance to defend its baseball crown by getting the win on the mound. He went five innings, giving up two unearned runs on five hits and struck out five.
He also went 2 for 3 at the plate.
Clouse worked the two no-hit innings to earn the save. He struck out five and walked one.
Mason Clouse tripled and drove in a run and Jaxon Huffman delivered the biggest hit of the day with a two-run single in the bottom of the third to give Redbank a 2-0 lead.
The Bulldogs (13-5) added another run in the bottom of the fourth.
Clarion-Limestone (12-6) sliced into the deficit with a two-run rally in the top of the fifth on a two-run, two-out double by Jake Smith. But Carrier got a groundout to escape with no further damage.
Tommy Smith got the loss. He went four innings, giving up three runs on four hits. He struck out eight and walked four.
Logan Lutz threw two scoreless innings to keep things close, striking out three.
Redbank Valley will now have to contend with Moniteau, the No. 4 seed. The Warriors (12-7) have won 10 of their last 12 after a 2-5 start.
The two teams met on April 16 with the Bulldogs winning 6-2.
“We’re definitely gonna have to play our best,” Carrier said. “They are a really tough team. We’re definitely gonna have to bring our A game and hopefully get the win.”
MONITEAU 2, KARNS CITY 1
Dawson Cook was sharp on the mound and Dawson Wallace got the final out in relief to get out a jam as the Warriors moved on to the District 9 Class 2A title game with an upset of the top-seeded Gremlins.
Ian Ross drove in both runs on sacrifice flies as the Warriors had just five hits.
Karns City’s only run came in the bottom of the sixth when Jacob Jones led off with a double and scored on a single by Adam Manuel.
The Gremlins put two on with no one out in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t score.
Cook went 6 2/3 innings, striking out nine. He was forced from the game with two outs because of the pitch count rules. He threw 103 pitches, giving up just the one run on six hits.
Wallace needed just four pitches to get a strikeout to earn the save.
“I knew I couldn’t leave the ball up,” Wallace said. “It could potentially end our season.”
After his strikeout, Moniteau celebrated.
The Warriors had lost twice to Karns City this season.
“Losing to them twice this year and not beating them at all last year, there were definitely some tears on the field for sure,” Wallace said. “It was just the best feeling to put together what we knew we could. We played as a team today and it just felt really good.”
Wallace also went 2 for 4 with a double at the plate.
Manuel got the loss. He went four innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hit. Jones relieved him and threw three no-hit innings, striking out four.
Moniteau will now enter the D9 title game with the feeling like it is playing with house money after starting the season 2-5. Few thought the Warriors would be playing for a district title.
“Our season really wasn’t what we expected,” Wallace said. “When we went down to Myrtle for our spring training, we played lights out. We played like we played today. We got back up here and we’ve been up and down. We want to show (Redbank) the Moniteau team we know that we are.”
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