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Central PA Notebook (April 15 - April 21)

April 22, 2013

By Jacob Oswalt
Central PA Area Scout

Central Pennsylvania had a much better weather week allowing baseball to be played more often than not. Following are highlights of the week that was in Central PA:

GAME OF THE WEEK: Berlin Brothersvalley 18, Shade 17 (8 innings)

  • The wild, wild, WestPAC, made up of mostly District 5 Class A teams, may not get the attention of most conferences in the state but on Thursday a wildly contested game was played. Shade (4-3) led 10-0 after three innings, before Berlin scored nine runs the next three innings. Shade still led 14-9 after six and a half innings, but Berlin managed to tie the game with a five-run rally in the bottom of seventh. If that wasn’t a crazy enough ending, Shade scored three runs in the top of the eighth. Three runs in the eighth should nail the victory down shouldn’t it? Think again. Berlin answered with four runs in the bottom of the eighth to walk off with an 18-17 victory and improve to 7-2 on the season. Berlin’s Dustin Coughenour went 5-for-5 with five runs scored and a walk. Wyatt Horning hit the game-tying two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Shade’s B.J. Spangler and Wade Walker each homered. The game featured seven different pitchers and 29 hits. A game featuring 35 runs with BBCOR bats is very rare and worthy of the title "Central Pennsylvania’s Game of the Week".

RUNNER-UP GAME OF THE WEEK: Conemaugh Township 11, Berlin 10 (12 innings)

  • Connemaugh Township overcame an 8-1 deficit scoring nine runs between the 4th and 6th innings to tie the game. Berlin was up 10-5 in the bottom of the 6th when CT scored five to tie the game. The teams went scoreless until the 12th inning when Dillon Boyer came around to score the walk-off run. Boyer, a Pitt-Johnstown recruit, went 3-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI. The senior SS/RHP also struck out all six batters he faced in the 11th and 12th innings to get the victory on the mound. Boyer was intentionally walked in his other four plate appearances.

HITTTING PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: Danny Beach, Bellwood-Antis

  • Danny Beach went 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI in a 21-4 victory Tuesday over Glendale.

OTHER NOTABLE HITTING PERFORMANCES:

  • Central HS 1B Jay Stern went 3-for-4 with a double and six RBI in an 18-5 victory Monday over Northern Cambria.

  • Jextin PughBishop Guilfoyle 1B/RHP Jextin Pugh, a Binghamton University recruit, hit the ball 330 feet in each of his three at-bats in a 3-2 victory Tuesday over Forest Hills. Pugh finished 2-for-3 with an intentional walk. Pugh tripled to dead center field on a 3-0 pitch, doubled to left field on a 0-1 off-speed pitch and then flew out to deep right-center on a 1-1 curveball thanks to a great leaping catch made the Ranger center fielder.
  • Hollidaysburg HS DH/RHP Andy Crum went 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBI in a 10-0 win over Westmont Saturday. Crum lined a single up the middle, a single to left field and a triple over the right fielder’s head in an impressive performance that showcased his ability to spray the field with authority.
  • Dan BowmanCentral Cambria's Dan Bowman is known as a strong pitcher, but he can do damage in the batter’s box as well. The senior went 4-for-5, scored four runs, doubled and drove in four runs in a 13-1 victory over Penn Cambria.
  • Conemaugh Township SS/RHP Dillon Boyer, who signed with Division II Pitt-Johnstown this week, went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, two doubles and an RBI. Boyer was also intentionally walked four times in an ultimate sign of respect in an 11-10 victory over Berlin in 12 innings.

PITCHING PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: Andy Crum, Hollidaysburg

  • Junior Andy Crum threw a complete-game no-hitter in an 8-0 victory Tuesday over Class AAAA Altoona, walking four and striking out eight.

OTHER NOTABLE PITCHING PERFORMANCES:

  • Meyersdale RHP Connor Christner threw a five-inning no-hitter in a 12-0 victory Thursday over Windber. He struck out nine in the masterful performance.
  • Bishop McCort LHP Nathan Neiderheiser threw a no-hitter in a three-inning 16-0 victory Friday over Conemaugh Township. The junior lefty walked two and struck out eight, showcasing a great changeup and an elevated fastball that Township batters had a tough time with all night.
  • Cambria Heights sophomore Josh Serafin struck out 14 batters in six innings in a 14-2 victory Thursday over Harmony.
  • North Star senior RHP Tony Straiser went four innings, striking out ten and allowing only one hit in a 12-2 victory Thursday over Conemaugh Valley.
  • Somerset RHP Ian Stiffler struck out eight in four innings and allowed only two hits in a 10-0 victory Wednesday over Central Cambria. Stiffler is a VCU recruit.
  • Richland freshman Jake Buchanan pitched five scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory over Central Cambria that featured a pitching duel with Cambria senior Dan Bowman. Buchanan struck out seven and allowed just three hits.

Additional PA news: