HOLLIDAYSBURG - Just days after losing to Altoona in the Curve Classic championship game, the Hollidaysburg baseball team got even with the Mountain Lions.
The Golden Tigers broke an 8-8 tie with a 5-run fifth and went on for a 13-9 win Thursday at the HAHS field. Dane Scallen went 3-for-5 with two doubles, three run scored and two RBIs to lead the Hollidaysburg attack.
Brett Hileman also banged out pair of doubles and scored three runs while Trevor Nichols knocked in four runs. Both teams are now 4-1 on the season.
"There was a revenge factor," Hollidaysburg coach Chad Swogger said. "Losing in the Curve Classic fueled our fire. They really took it to us the other day."
Chris Storm and Aaron Burger started the decisive rally with back-to-back singles. After Hileman bunted into a fielder's choice, Scallen broke the tie with an RBI double.
Hollidaysburg got the proverbial merry-go-round going with four straight singles off Matt Frederick, each of which brought home a run.
Joe Glass got the win in relief, retiring Altoona in order in the sixth before surrendering a meaningless run in the seventh.
"We got timely hitting with men on base and got big outs when we needed them," Swogger said. "Joe Glass shut 'em down after the big inning. That's exactly what we needed in that spot."
Altoona, on the other hand, did not get the timely hit it needed, particularly early on. The Mountain Lions had Hollidaysburg starter Brandon Gallagher on the ropes but managed just three runs off the junior lefty.
The Mountain Lions left two runners on base in each of the first four innings.
"Everything was reversed from the Curve Classic," Altoona coach Tom Smith said. "We didn't pitch well, we didn't field well and even though we scored nine runs, we weren't disciplined at the plate, particularly late in the game."
Hollidaysburg took advantage of numerous Altoona mistakes early. The Golden Tigers scored four runs in the third despite having just one slow-rolling infield single in the inning.
Starting pitcher Craig McCloskey walked three batters and hit another before giving way to Chris Sinisi. Back-to-back Altoona errors led to another run.
"It was not a well played game, but we're not going to dwell on it. It's just one game. We'll put it behind us," Smith said.
ALTOONA (9): Henderson 2b 331, Helsel ss 211, McCloskey p 000, Sinisi p 000, Frederick p 000, Douglas p 000, Lombardo dh 511, Steele rf 400, Bush lf 401, Clancy 3b 300, McDonald 1b 300, Green cf 422, Watson c 412. Totals - 33 9 9.
HOLLIDAYSBURG (13): Hileman 2b-ss 532, Scallen rf 533, Pope cf 521, Barr lf 321, Nichols dh 312, Gallagher p 000, Budd p 000, Glass p 000, Schimminger c 000, Lascoli c 201, Ford 1b 400, Baum ss 200, Storm ss 101, Burger 3b 321. Totals -33 13 12.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Altoona020 150 1- 9 9 3
Hollidaysburg104 350 x-13 12 4
E-Helsel, Clancy, Sinisi, Baum 2, Ford, Storm. 2B-Hileman 2, Scallen 2, Lombardo, McDonald. RBI-Helsel 3, Lombardo 3, Steele, Scallen 2, Pope, Barr, Nichols 4, Schimminger, Lascoli. WP-Glass. LP-Frederick. SO-McCloskey 1, Sinisi 1, Douglas 1, Gallagher 1, Glass 2. BB-McCloskey 3, Sinisi 1, Frederick 1, Gallagher 3, Budd 1, Glass 1.
Records: Altoona (4-1); Hollidaysburg (4-1).
