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After going down 2-0 in the top of the first to Juniata Valley, the Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic offense cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the first and only got better from there.
BG took the lead with two more in the second, added six in the third and seven more in the fourth, pounding out 14 hits in a 16-4 mercy-rule win over the Hornets in the District 6 1A quarterfinals Monday at Vets Fields.
Nick Negola doubled and tripled, driving in three, while Cooper Rother and Hamilton Gates each had three hits and scored three runs. Rother and Owen Dombrosky had two RBIs apiece.
"When we're hitting 1-9, we're tough to beat. If they go 1-for-3, they've done their job for the day, or maybe it's moving a runner, drawing a walk. Just something to get us going," BG coach Tommy Williams said.
Second-seeded Bishop Guilfoyle advances to play sixth-seed Williamsburg in the semifinals at 1 p.m. Friday at Vets Field. Williamsburg knocked off three-seed Blacklick Valley Monday to advance.
"We really put ourselves in a good position (Monday). Everyone was attacking the ball, getting on base," Negola said. "We've struggled in the playoffs in years past. This is really our year. We've fine-tuned the little things. We've got a big game Friday. We've got to go out and attack them next."
Negola's two-run double scoring Rother and Dombrosky was the big blow in the Marauders six-run third. Ryan Hagg doubled home a run as well that inning.
After Reid Edwards doubled in two runs for Juniata Valley in the top of the fourth to make it a 9-4 game, BG's seven runs in the bottom half of the inning all came with two outs.
Gates doubled and scored on a Rother single. Dombrosky then singled in Rother and scored on Negola's triple. Negola scored on the back end of a double steal to further pad the lead.
Making his playoff debut on the mound, Kade Sell struggled with his control in the first. He walked two, both of whom came around to score on a Connor Robinson single.
He settled down after that, striking out eight over four innings to pick up the win.
"There were some nerves in the first inning, making my first playoff start," Sell said. "For me, for some reason, it's always about getting through that first inning and being able to put the ball in the zone. Make 'em hit it and trust in my defense to make the plays."
The BG defense made all the plays, committing no errors on the day. Juniata Valley, however, made eight errors.
"Giving up unearned runs has been a problem for us all season. They're a good team. They capitalized on a bunch of stuff," JV coach Jeffery Hensor said. "You can't make that many mistakes in playoff baseball. It'll hurt you, a lot. Our kids didn't just go cower in the dugout, though. They played to the end."
JUNIATA VALLEY (4): Rodkey cf 221, Edwards 1b 302, Buckley ss 210, Robison c 201, Gibson cr 000, Thompson lf-p 300, Harbst p-2b 200, Rowe ph 100, Dick 3b 200, Diehl lf 200, Couch 2b-rf 111. Totals - 20 4 5.
BISHOP GUILFOYLE (16): Rother ss 333, Dombrosky 3b-p 221, Negola cf 322, Sell p-1b 311, Tobin cr 000, Beauchamp 2b 411, Wyandt c 411, Cacciotti cr 010, Hagg rf 311, Williams 1b-3b 311, Gates lf 333. Totals - 28 16 14.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Juniata Valley 200 20x x - 4 5 8
Bishop Guilfoyle 126 7xx x - 16 14 0
E-Dick 3, Thompson 3, Couch, Robinson. 2B-Edwards 2, Hagg, Gates, Negola. 3B-Negola. RBI-Edwards 2, Robinson 2, Negola 3, Rother 2, Dombrosky 2, Hagg 1.
Pitching
Juniata Valley: Harbst (L) – 3.0IP 10H 9R 6ER 3BB 1SO 70 pitches. Thompson - 1IP 4H 7R 0ER 1BB 1SO 35 pitches.
Bishop Guilfoyle: Sell (W) - 4.0IP 5H 4R 4ER 4BB 8SO 90 pitches. Dombrosky - 1.0IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 0SO 12 pitches.
Records: Juniata Valley (6-16); Bishop Guilfoyle (14-7).