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Game Recaps: District 3 Playoffs at Northern York High School

May 22, 2015

By Mark Chimel
PA Area Scout

District 3 AAA: Spring Grove 3, Greencastle-Antrim 2

In the AAA affair at Northern, Spring Grove???s Matt Brooks (right) outlasted Greencastle-Antrim???s Matt Kline in a pitcher???s duel that saw Brooks get stronger as the game went on. Using a high 80s fastball that even touched 90 in the 7th inning, the junior right hander did not rack up high strikeout numbers (five total), but scattered only five hits and allowed just one earned run. This set up his offense to give him the 3-2 victory on a walk-off single by lead-off hitter Trent Baker.

Greencastle-Antrim actually led for most of the game commanding a 2-0 lead through five innings of play after scoring in the 1st and 4th. The 1stt inning run was fueled by a Rocket error with the fifth inning run coming from a single off the bat of Preston Meyers. Meyers' RBI was set up by a single by Bailey Parker who was moved into scoring position via a sacrifice by Austin Branchman.

Both teams were then silent for an inning and a half until the Rocket offense finally got to Kline. The junior righty was close to unhittable through the first five innings striking out seven. Caleb Ruth got the attack started with a hard-hit, one out single to left field that was followed by a single from Brooks. A botched double play by Greencastle-Antrim allowed Spring Grove???s first run to score and a Jon Sager single brought in the second to tie the score.

Brooks noticeably bared down with the additional run support and had his sharpest inning in the seventh. A lead-off walk started the scoring threat for Spring Grove, but they would not push the final run across until there were two outs and a runner on second for Baker. Baker singled to center and the throw from the outfield was too high giving the Rockets the victory.

Brooks was the complete game winner for Spring Grove and the Rocket offense was led by two hits from Ruth. For Greencastle-Antrim, Quin Ambeault had two hits in the loss. With the victory, Spring Grove has already punched its ticket to the state tournament and will now take on Twin Valley in the District 3 semifinals.

District 3 AAAA: Chambersburg 6, Mechanicsburg 2 

In the AAAA nightcap, the outcome would be less thrilling as Chambersburg upset its second Mid-Penn Keystone foe of the District 3 tournament by a score of 6-2. The district???s No. 10 seed used ten hits, two Mechanicsburg errors, and some uncharacteristic Hayden Seig wildness to push across their six runs for complete game winner Austin Suders (right).

The Trojans broke up a scoreless game in the top of the 3rd inning with three runs off of Seig and followed that up with two more in the 4th. Seig, who had been one of the district???s best pitchers all year, was then chased from the game after facing only one batter in the 5th inning. Reliever Josh Herring would then shut the door on the threat to set up Mechanicsburg to get on the board themselves.

Mechanicsburg got back into the game with a bases loaded, two-RBI single up the middle by Jeff Allen cutting the lead to 5-2. Suders worked out of the jam before the Wildcats could draw any closer. A scoreless sixth inning for both teams was then followed by Chambersburg tacking on an additional insurance run in the top of the seventh. Suders sat the Wildcat offense down quietly in the final frame to secure the victory.

Suders allowed five hits and two runs while striking out four. Herring was strong in relief for Mechanicsburg allowing no earned runs and only two hits in three innings of work. Hunter Brindle had a big 3-for-4, two RBI game for Chambersburg while Trent Ebersole and Matt Stonesifer added two hits of their own. Besides the two RBI from Allen, the Mechanicsburg offense was paced by Eric Herbein with two hits.

Chambersburg will now get another upset opportunity facing Warwick in the semifinals on Tuesday. Unfortunately, for Mid-Penn champion Mechanicsburg, who only lost three games all year, their season has come to an unexpected end.

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