×

Tigers advance to finals

By Matt Michelone

For the Mirror

HOLLIDAYSBURG — If walks can haunt a baseball team, then Hollidaysburg gave Brashear nightmares all Wednesday afternoon.

The second-seeded Golden Tigers’ patience at the plate helped draw 11 free passes, and they made them hurt as they routed the third-seeded Bulls, 11-1, in the District 6-8-9 Class 5A semifinal at Tiger Field in six innings.

“Early on in the game, some of our hitters are overanxious and out in front a little bit on their front foot,” Hollidaysburg coach Jon Szynal said. “We convinced them to wait it out, try to hit a good pitch and if you don’t get one, a walk is as good as a hit.”

The win sets up a date with the winner of the other semifinal between No. 1 Central Mountain and No. 4 DuBois next Wednesday in the championship at Peoples Natural Gas Field at a time to be announced. The CM-DuBois game is being played today.

Bryce Martellacci was an example of the Tigers’ calm at the plate as he racked up one of the few hits the Tigers had. He belted a two-run home run in the second inning to put the home team ahead 4-0.

“I had to adjust,” Martellacci said. “Move up in the box, adjust to the pitch and took it out.”

Brashear did manage to make things interesting in the fourth on David Niklas’ RBI single, but that’s as close as the Bulls got in the end.

Hollidaysburg put the game away in the fifth as the Tigers scored five runs and batted 10 times in the frame. Zac Barton capped off the outburst with a two-run single to make it 10-1. Barton would later hit a single in the sixth to activate the 10-run rule and end it.

“It’s a great opportunity that we have,” Martellacci said of playing in the final. “We haven’t won a district playoff in awhile, and I feel like we have a lot of momentum.

Caleb Gampe and Carson Kensinger combined to shut down Brashear. Gampe worked five innings, struck out seven, walked no one while giving up just one run. Kensinger worked the sixth, giving up just one hit.

BRASHEAR (1): White 2b 300, Clark cr-2b 000, Pacheco 2b 000, Frejdasz ss 200, Egenlauf cf 301, Seymour lf 301, McGough lf-ss 311, Niklas c 302, Sanders p 000, Cottrill p 000, Borelli dh-p 300, Jones 1b 101, Woodall ph-1b 100, Engelhardt rf 000. Totals: 25-1-6.

HOLLIDAYSBURG (11): Barton lf 222, Martellacci cf 121, Gampe p-dh 200, Kensinger p 000, Perry p-dh 300, Miller 2b 210, Faber rf 311, Estep c 120, Stevenson cr 000, Shale ss 321, Jandora 3b 410. Totals: 21-11-5.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Brashear 000 100 X – 1 6 1

Hollidaysburg 220 151 X – 11 5 2

E – McGough; Gampe, Jandora. HR – Martellacci. RBI – Niklas; Barton 3, Martellacci 2, Miller 1, Shale 1, Jandora 1.

PITCHING

Brashear: Sanders (L) 2IP 3H 4R 3ER 0SO 3BB, Cottrell 2IP 0H 4R 4ER 0SO 8BB, Borelli 1IP 1H 3R 3ER 0SO 0BB King 0IP 0H 0R 0ER 0SO 0BB.

Hollidaysburg: Gampe (W) 5H 1R 0ER 7SO 0BB, Kensinger 1 IP 1H 0R 0ER 0SO 0BB.

Records: Brashear (7-6), Hollidaysburg (12-6).

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today