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WINGATE -- With the outcome of its District 6 Class 5A championship game in the balance Monday afternoon, Hollidaysburg opted to issue an intentional walk to load the bases and set up the opportunity for a double play.
The move backfired, however, as Central Mountain senior designated hitter Kelvin Probst crushed a grand slam homer over the center field fence in the bottom of the sixth inning, breaking open what had been an air-tight 6-5 game and giving the Wildcats breathing room in a 10-5 victory at Bald Eagle Area High School's Doc Etters Memorial Field.
Sometimes those decisions work out and sometimes they backfire. Probst made sure that the move by veteran Hollidaysburg coach Jon Szynal backfired, enabling Central Mountain to defend its District 6 Class 5A title and improve its season record to 20-1.
Starting in 2018, Central Mountain has now won the last five District 6 Class 5A titles that have been contested. The entire PIAA spring sports schedule was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
"Everybody knows what their record is, but we've played tough all year, even in the games we lost,'' said Szynal, whose Tigers wrapped up a 9-11 season. "A play here and a play there can turn the momentum of a ballgame.
"We battled the whole season, and we battled again today, but we gave up a couple unearned runs that cost us, and then the big hit.''
The big hit Szynal was referencing came after he ordered senior left-hander Landon Perry to issue a one-out intentional walk to left-handed hitting third baseman Cru Stover to load the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning.
That brought up the right-handed batting Probst, who crushed a first-pitch fast ball out of the park for the grand slam that put the game on ice for Central Mountain.
"We were just trying to set up a double play,'' Szynal said. "They have good hitters throughout their whole lineup, and their guy (Probst) did a nice job there.''
Probst was looking for a pitch to loft and knock in at least a run, but he got a bonus.
"Everybody on our team does their part, and it was my turn to do my part,'' Probst said. "I was just looking to get something into the air. It was a fast ball, and I was able to get all of it.''
The big blow came after junior Kevin Grinninger had reached on an infield single, and senior Gabe Johnson had hit a one-hop book-rule double that cleared the fence in left center field, sending Grinninger to third. Cayden Culvey was inserted as a courtesy runner for Johnson, and, after the intentional walk to Stover, Probst unloaded the decisive slam.
"Kelvin has hit the ball very well this year, and he put a good swing on that pitch,'' Central Mountain coach Mike Kramer said. "I'm very happy for Kelvin. He got the hit that took the pressure off us a bit heading into the final inning.
"We know that Hollidaysburg is a very competitive team, and we knew that it would be a battle today,'' Kramer added.
The second-seeded Golden Tigers opened the scoring in the top of the second inning against Central Mountain starting and winning pitcher Brady Myers, with Jake Hileman stroking a leadoff single, advancing to second on a wild pitch, moving to third on a single by Tucker Rossman, and scoring on desigated hitter Brady Steiner's forceout.
Top-seeded Central Mountain responded with three runs in the bottom of the second against Hollidaysburg starting pitcher Matt Smith. Levi Schlesinger hit a one-out infield single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by Connor Foltz to tie the game, 1-1.
Foltz moved to second on a wild pitch, and advanced to third on an infield single by Gardy Fravel - who had three hits on the day. Fravel stole second, Nate Helms walked to load the bases, and a two-run single to left by Grinninger chased home Foltz and Fravel to give Central Mountain a 3-1 lead.
Hollidaysburg scored a run in the top of the third when Perry's double to left-center scored Smith, who had singled, but Central Mountain scored twice in the bottom of the third on a run-producing sacrifice fly by Braylen Corter and an RBI single by Fravel as the Wildcats took a 5-2 lead.
Hollidaysburg rebounded with two fifth-inning runs after loading the bases against Myers. Perry drew a bases-loaded one out walk against reliever Chase Brush to force in one run, and the other scored on Hileman's groundout as the Tigers pulled to within 5-4.
Central Mountain engineered a double steal in the bottom of the fifth, with Corter scoring on the back end of it, boosting the Wildcats' lead to 6-4, before Hollidaysburg scored a run in the sixth inning on Keagen Hockey's RBI single that pulled the Tigers to within 6-5.
Hollidaysburg missed a couple opportunities to score additional runs, leaving the bases loaded in the fifth inning and two runners stranded in the sixth.
Central Mountain opens PIAA playoff action with a play-in game against either DuBois or Obama Academy next Wednesday at Etters Memorial Field.
Hollidaysburg graduates 10 seniors, but returns a decent nucleus in 2024 for its first season as a member of the expanded Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference.
"We're excited about the nucleus that we will have coming back,'' Szynal said.
HOLLIDAYSBURG (5): Bukosky ss 310, Smith p-rf 412, Perry 1b-p 301, Szynal cr 000, Hileman cf 411, Rossman c 302, McCrystal cr 000, Ulery lf 000, Steiner dh 300, Michaels ph 100, Karageanes rf-1b 300, Banks 3b 211, Hockey 2b 211. Totals - 28-5-8.
CENTRAL MOUNTAIN (10): Helms c 201, Hanna cr 000, Grinninger rf 312, Johnson 1b 401, Culvey cr 010, Stover 3b 320, Myers p 000, Brush p 000, E. Fravel dh 200, K. Probst ph-dh 211, Schlessinger lf 321, Foltz cf 422, Corter 2b 211, G. Fravel ss 403. Totals - 29-10-12.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Hollidaysburg 011 021 0--5-8-1
Central Mountain 032 014 X--10-12-0
E--Bukosky. 2B--Perry, Johnson. HR--K. Probst. SAC--Grissinger. SB--G. Fravel 3, Corter. SF--Corter. LOB--Central Mountain 8, Hollidaysburg 7.
PITCHING
Hollidaysburg: Smith (L) 2.2IP, 7H, 5R, 3ER, 2BB, 1SO; Perry 3.1IP, 5H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 2SO.
Central Mountain: Myers (W) 4.1IP, 7H, 4R, 4ER, 1BB, 3SO; Brush (SV) 2.2IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 4BB, 4SO.
Records: Hollidaysburg (9-11), Central Mountain (20-1).
Umpires: Nick Shope (plate); Klayton Heffner (first base); Jim Rivello (second base); Kevin Campbell (third base).
Pitch counter: Scott Druckenmiller.
Time of game: 2:05.