Top 25 Countdown: No. 19 ECC Baseball Goes from Fifth Seed in D9 to Final Eight in State

CLARION, Pa. – D9Sports.com’s Chris Rossetti is taking a look at his the Top 25 stories that impacted District 9 during the 2018-19 school year.

NO. 19: ECC BASEBALL GOES FROM FIFTH IN D9 TO TOP EIGHT IN STATE

Going into the District 9 baseball playoffs, no one knew exactly what to expect from the Elk County Catholic Crusaders in the Class 1A tournament.

After all, ECC was seeded fifth in the bracket and entered the playoffs coming off a 9-0 loss to St. Marys, its second loss by at least nine runs in its final three games.

But a 2-0, eight-inning win at Clarion in the District 9 quarterfinals seemed to trigger something inside ECC, and they ended up winning the District 9 title and advancing to the PIAA quarterfinals.

The run almost didn’t happen, though, as in the game against Clarion the Bobcats put a runner at third with no one out in the sixth inning only to watch Hunter Cashmer, who pitched perhaps the best game of his life, wiggle out of the jam by getting a pair of pop outs and a groundout.

Cashmer, who needed just 87 pitches to go the eight-inning distance, gave up two hits and a walk while striking out 10 but was locked in a showdown with Clarion’s Chase Kriebel, who went 6 2/3 innings allowing giving up two hits and four walks while striking out 15. But Krieble ran out of pitches, and ECC was able to get two runs in the eight to move into the semifinals.

Heavy underdogs in the semifinals against a DuBois Central Catholic team that had twice beaten it 10-0, including in the third-to-the-last game of the regular season, ECC surprised the Cardinals with an 8-6 win in Punxsutawney.

The game was tied at six with two outs in the top of the seventh when two runs scored on an error on a ball hit by Tylor Herzing. Brady Schneider then stranded two runners in the bottom of the seventh with a game-ending strikeout to send the Crusaders to the title game.

After having the championship contest in DuBois pushed back a day because lightning knocked out the lights at Showers Field, ECC had little trouble against second-seeded Otto-Eldred cruising to a 12-2, 5-inning win to claim the D9 title.

In the opening round of the PIAA playoffs back in DuBois, ECC was back to winning close games topping Vincentian Academy, 4-3, on a walk-off double by Ryan Fritz that scored pinch runner Tommy Slay all the way from first in the seventh inning.

ECC led 3-0 in the game thanks to a three-run second before VA tied the game with three runs in the fourth.

The Crusaders season ended with a 5-2 loss to Bishop McCort in the quarterfinals.

ROSSETTI’S TOP 25 MOST IMPACTFUL HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS STORIES FROM 2018-19 SCHOOL YEAR

20. Moniteau Baseball battles back to win D9 title
21. Brookville Wrestling, a D9 Dynasty
22. Chambers steal and miracle Shot
23. Callen nearly unhittable
24. Wruble’s Clutch Hit
25. Ella Marconi’s terrific season caps terrific career