The Golden Tigers are just two seasons removed from the program’s first-ever appearance in a PIAA baseball state championship game, and this year’s team sports a gaudy 16-2 record.

Hollidaysburg has hardly accomplished what they have with smoke and mirrors either, as the Tigers showed Friday afternoon in parlaying outstanding starting pitching, timely hitting, and long-ball power into a 5-1 victory over arch-rival Altoona on the Hollidaysburg Area High School baseball field.

Junior right-hander Vince Boland worked six shutout innings for the pitching victory, allowing just five hits, striking out six batters and walking only three.

“Jake threw an outstanding game,” Hollidaysburg coach Jon Szynal said of Boland, who, as a freshman two seasons ago, was one of the Golden Tigers’ key cogs in their state tournament run. “He did a really nice job keeping a good hitting Altoona team off stride and off balance.

05/08/26 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Hollidaysburg's Tanner Rossman is push at home plate by Spencer Davis after his solo home run.

“He threw strikes again today,” Szynal said of Boland, who reached the PIAA regular-season single-game limit of 100 pitches while retiring the final out of the sixth inning. “He’s been really working hard. He continues to work hard and get better for us every year.”

Hollidaysburg maximized its scoring opportunities, while Altoona (9-10) did not. The Golden Tigers got a solo home run from designated hitter Tanner Rossman in the second inning and a big three-run homer from sophomore catcher Braden Hatch in the sixth inning that was extended by an Altoona misplay on a foul pop-up.

“In a big rivalry game with two good starting pitchers on the mound, runs can be hard to come by, and getting two big hits like that was beneficial for us,” Szynal said. “Braden Hatch has been doing a really good job behind the plate for us, and he had a really good at-bat there, hitting a two-strike pitch for a big home run.”

Altoona junior right-hander Eric McAllister pitched a solid game, exiting after 5ª innings having also reached the 100-pitch limit. McAllister allowed six hits — including the two home runs — and struck out six, but three of the five runs that he surrendered were unearned as a result of the error.

Altoona had its share of scoring chances but stranded nine baserunners, which veteran Mountain Lions coach Tom Smith felt was a crucial factor in the final outcome.

“We knew that it was going to be a low-scoring game, and both (starting) pitchers pitched well, but from the third inning on, we had numerous opportunities to score runs, and we weren’t able to do so,” Smith said. “And for that, you have to tip your cap to (Boland). He got the outs when he needed to get them.”

After Rossman’s solo homer to left field in the second, Hollidaysburg tacked on a run in the third inning when Hatch walked and was run for by Caleb Detrick. A single by senior Josh Banks — who went 3-for-3 at the plate — advanced Detrick to second base, and after a perfectly-placed bunt by Mason Mierley advanced both runners, Detrick scored on Ty McGough’s sacrifice fly to stake Hollidaysburg to a 2-0 lead.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Hatch unloaded his homer to left-center that scored Donald Miller, who had hit a two-out single, and Mack Layton, who had drawn a walk.

Altoona got an unearned run in the top of the seventh inning to avert a shutout, with McAlliister’s two-out, RBI single scoring Tanner Stroup, who had reached base via a walk.

The Mountain Lions will open District 6 Class 6A tournament play with a semifinal game against State College next Thursday at a site to be determined. Hollidaysburg continues regular-season play with a Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference road game at Philipsburg-Osceola Monday.

“We need to focus on finding a way to beat State College in the semifinals next week,” Smith said. “We’ve been struggling to score runs all season, so we have to continue to pitch well and play well defensively.”

ALTOONA (1): Stroup lf 111, Kraft c 301, Baer cr 000, McAllister p 401, Waite 1b-p 402, Staines 1b 100, McConnell rf 300, Pike 3b 300, Webster cf 300, Glasgow ss 201, Palladini 2b 000, Gority dh 300. Totals – 27-1-6.

HOLLIDAYSBURG (5): Banks rf 403, Mierley ss 200, McGough 2b-p 100, Hartman 1b 300, Boland p-2b 000, Rossman dh 311, Phillips cf 201, Miller 3b 311, Layton lf 210, Hatch c 211, Detrick f 010. Totals – 22-5-7.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Altoona 000 000 1 — 1 6 1

Hollidaysburg 011 003 X — 5 7 1

E–Kraft, Boland. 2B–Waite. HR–Rossman, Hatch. RBI–McAllister, Hatch 3, McGough, Rossman. SAC–Mierley. SF–McGough. CS–Stroup (Hatch to McGough). LOB–Altoona 9, Hollidaysburg 6.

PITCHING

Altoona: McAllister (L) 5 2/3IP; 6H, 5R, 2ER, 4BB, 6SO (100 pitches); Waite 1/3IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0SO (5 pitches).

Hollidaysburg: Boland (W) 6IP, 5H, 0R, 0ER, 3BB, 6SO (100 pitches); McGough 1 IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 1SO, (30 pitches).

Records: Altoona (9-10); Hollidaysburg (16-2).

Umpires: Jim Cushion (plate); Dave Gildea (bases).