May 24 District 9 Baseball Playoff Recaps

Tuesday’s District 9 baseball playoff recaps.

Class A

(6) Redbank Valley 10, (11) Brockway 0, 5 INNINGS

OAK RIDGE, Pa. – Led by a lights-out pitching performance from Bryan Layton and a strong day from the bottom of its lineup, Redbank Valley cruised to a 10-0, five-inning win over Brockway in the opening round of the District 9 Class A playoffs at the Oak Ridge Field.

Layton was spectacular on the mound facing just three over the 15-batter minimum while giving up just one hit. He walked two and struck out 10.

Meanwhile, Grayson Harman and Sam Heeter, the No. 7 and 8 batters in the Bulldogs lineup, accounted for five hits, six RBIs and three runs scored with Heeter going 3-for-3 with a two-run home run, four RBIs and a run scored.

Layton and Heeter talk about their performances.

Redbank Valley, the sixth seed, scored single runs in the first and second innings off of Brockway starter and loser Corey Carr despite having just one hit in the first two innings, and then added three runs in the fourth including a two-run home run to center by Heeter that made it 5-0 and gave the senior three RBIs on the day.

The Bulldogs then closed out the game with a five-spot in the fifth without recording an out.

Walks were a big part of that rally with Redbank Valley drawing three in the inning, including a pair of bases-loaded free passes from reliever Mike Martino, who walked the first two batters he faced. Harman and Heeter followed with RBI singles to end the game.

Carr went four-plus innings allowing nine runs on just five hits. He walked four with three of them coming around to score and the other one being erased on a fielder’s choice with the player who hit the fielder’s choice scoring. He struck out four.

Martino allowed one run on two hits and two walks without recording an out in the fifth.

Carr had Brockway’s lone hit, a single leading off the second but was quickly erased on a double play when Seth Shugarts popped up a bunt to Layton.

The Rovers, the 11th seed, had three other base runners with Alex Lindemuth reaching on an error in the third and Shugarts and Braden Martini drawing walks in the fifth.

Redbank Valley is now 12-6 and will play at third-seeded DuBois Central Catholic at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Brockway finished the year 5-12.

(7) PORT ALLEGANY 16, (10) A-C VALLEY 6, 6 INNINGS

PORT ALLEGANY, Pa. – Port Allegany scored at least four runs in three of its six at bats on its way to a 16-6, six-inning win over visiting A-C Valley in the opening round of the District 9 Class A playoffs.

The Gators, the seventh seed, scored four in the first, five in the second and five more in the sixth on their way to the victory. The nine runs in the first two innings were important, because A-C Valley’s bats came out swinging as well putting up six runs in the opening two frames including a four-run second.

Dylan Kio and Jordan Seefeldt paced the 14-hit attack for Port Allegany with three knocks each, while Tyler Lashway drove in six runs.

Seefeldt was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored with Kio going 3-for-3 with two walks, four runs scored and two RBIs. Lashway had the Gators lone extra-base hit, a double, and was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored to go with his six RBIs.

All the damage came off A-C Valley’s Tommy Amsler, who wasn’t removed from the game despite giving up 16 runs, 12 earned, on 14 hits and eight walks while striking out nine. He unofficially threw 162 pitches (Port Allegany count).

While Amsler took the brunt of the Gator attack, Port starter Tre Garzel last just one-plus innings giving up five runs, two earned, on five hits and a walk while striking out two.

But the Gators got strong relief work from Garrett Talkington, who went five innings to get the win. He allowed one unearned run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Zach Muhl led the A-C Valley offense going 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. Austin Kriebel was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Amsler and Dylan Stewart each scored twice.

After A-C Valley, the 10th seed, took a 2-0 lead on a two-run single by Muhl, Port Allegany answered with four runs in the bottom of the first including a bases-clearing double by Lashway.

The Falcons went back ahead, 6-4, with the four-run second that included a two-run double by Muhl, but Port went back ahead for good with a five-spot in the bottom of the inning, which included a two-run single by Seefeldt.

After adding runs in the fourth and the fifth to go up 11-4, Port put the game away with the five-run sixth that included a two-run single by Garzel, who was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Port Allegany (13-5) will travel to play second-seeded Elk County Catholic at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Berwind Park in St. Marys. A-C Valley ended the year 8-10.

(9) NORTH CLARION 14, (8) CLARION-LIMESTONE (4), 5 INNINGS

STRATTANVILLE, Pa. – A 10-run fourth inning by North Clarion proved to be the difference in a 14-4, five-inning win over Clarion-Limestone in the opening round of the District 9 Class A playoffs.

The ninth-seeded Wolves led 4-3 after three innings before exploding for the 10 fourth-inning runs. They sent 15 batters to the plate in the inning and took advantage of six walks issued by three different C-L players.

Logan Minich had a two-run double, Zayn Hargenrader a two-run single and Tyler Wolbert a two-run single in the inning that also featured RBI base hits by Griffin Schmader and Korey Mills and bases-loaded walks to Zander Hargenrader and Foo Seales.

Schmader and Zayn Hargenrader both had three hits for North Clarion with Schmader going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI and Zayn Hargenrader finishing 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Zander Hargenrader added a 2-for-3 game with three RBIs and two runs scored for the Wolves, Mills went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Sam Minich was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Logan Minich and Wolbert each chipped in two RBIs.

Zayn Hargenrader got the win going four innings allowing three unearned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out nine. Schmader threw one inning allowing one run on two hits and a walk.

Taylor Smith suffered the loss going three-plus innings allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three.

Alex Acree walked the only batter he faced, and that person scored, while Sam Leadbetter gave up seven runs on eight hits on eight hits and three walks while striking out four in two innings.

Christian Smith drove in all four of C-L’s runs. He was 2-for-3 with a double. Riley Hummell added a triple and run scored for the eighth-seeded Lions, while Leadbetter was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

North Clarion (11-8) will take on top-seeded and defending champion Oswayo Valley at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Oswayo Valley. C-L ended the season 11-7.

CLASS AAA

CLEARFIELD 9, BRADFORD 0

CLEARFIELD, Pa. – Brandon Orsich threw a two-hit shutout, and Zane Morgan, Logan Lykens and Eli Glass each had two hits, as Clearfield moved into the District 9 Class AAA championship game with a 9-0 win over visiting Bradford.

Orsich tossed his third shutout of the year for the second-seeded Bison walking one, hitting one and striking out nine. It was also his eighth complete game in nine starts – in the other start he went seven innings but the game went to extra innings. He lowered his ERA to 1.22 and now has 68 strikeouts and seven walks in 63 innings of work.

Morgan had a pair of singles, stole a base and scored twice for Clearfield with Glass also picking up a pair of singles and scoring twice. Lykens had two RBI singles for the Bison as well, while Jon Timpey had a two-run double and an RBI grounder that was misplayed by the third-seeded Owls.

Matt Moonan and Danny Manion had the hits for Bradford, both singles.

Andrew Bacha took the loss going four innings allowing five runs, two earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out three. Manion went two innings allowing four runs on five hits and a walk while striking out three.

Clearfield took a 2-0 lead after three innings on RBI singles by Lykens and Zane Morgan.

The Bison then put the game away with a pair of three-run innings in the fourth and fifth.

An error scored one run in the fourth, and Reese Wilson had an RBI groundout and Justin Fedder and RBI single for Clearfield.

In the fifth, Trimpey had a two-run double and Lykens added his second RBI hit.

Will Myers then singled home a run in the sixth to end the scoring.

It’s the first playoff win for Clearfield, who will take on top-seeded Punxsutawney in the championship game at 6 p.m. Thursday at Showers Field in DuBois, since edging St. Marys 5-4 in the 2009 semifinals.

Clearfield is 12-8. Bradford finished 8-12.