State cashes in on Altoona miscues, captures D6 title
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CRESSON -- Losses always hurt. They seem to be even worse when it's clear the losing team had plenty of opportunity to win, especially in the postseason.
Altoona squandered a three-run lead to open the game, regained it in the sixth inning but a defense that has stung the Mountain Lions on and off all season ended up biting them in a 9-7 loss to State College in the District 6 Class 6A baseball championship game Wednesday at Mount Aloysius.
Seven of the Little Lions' nine runs were unearned after six Altoona errors.
"There were just a couple plays that didn't go our way," Altoona coach Tom Smith said. "If we make a couple more plays, I think we're out there (celebrating) instead of them. They made a couple more plays than us. In a big game, you have to make most of your plays, and hopefully your errors don't hurt you. Some of our errors definitely hurt us, and that was the difference."
Altoona jumped ahead early when Trent Meyers was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sean Bettwy and scored on a Connor Blough triple. But that's when the misfortune started for the Mountain Lions.
After State College missed the cutoff man, Blough tried to score but stumbled slightly going home and was thrown out at the plate. Three innings later with Altoona ahead, 4-2, Bryce Eberhart tried to tag up from third on a flyout by Brennen Freiwald, but he also tripped on his way home, got into a rundown and was tagged out.
"We were inconsistent in a lot of areas, but it wasn't for a lack of effort," Smith said. "We battled. We jumped out on top, but some crazy things happened in the game. We could have added on, and we just didn't for whatever reason. Then we handed them a couple runs and gave them some life. Give them credit. But we just didn't execute. They got two runs with two outs and no one on. We gave them new life, and when they were given those opportunities, they took advantage of it."
The Little Lions scored their first runs of the game after an error extended an inning that starter Evan Alwine would have made it through quickly -- something that came back to haunt him in the bottom of the sixth with one out when he reached 102 pitches and was removed from the game with Altoona ahead by a run.
The next batter reached on an error, State College's Tony Herring beat out a bunt in an extremely close play at first base and Jack Messina singled to load the bases. Adam Cooper, who finished 3-for-4, hit his second double of the game to unload the bases and give State College its 9-7 lead.
"He's battling some illness right now, and we didn't know if he was going to be able to go," State College coach David Williams said. "But he's the heart of this team. To battle through it and to play that way, like he has all year, was impressive. He answered the bell. Without him today, I don't know if we're on top at the end of the game."
Before Cooper's heroics, Altoona was in position to win the game thanks to a three-run top of the sixth inning helped by the wildness of State College reliever Cooper Ryan, who hit two batters and walked two more, including Freiwald, with the bases loaded.
Sam Saylor, who had injured his ankle between innings taking infield practice but had convinced Smith to let him stay in the game after a delay, came through with a two-run single to put the Mountain Lions ahead, 7-6.
"He said he was good to go, so we threw him some grounders out there, and he said he was good and wanted to stay in," Smith said. "For him to turn around and get the huge hit to give us the lead, that was pretty cool."
A year after winning the Mid-Penn Conference, District 6 title and a subregional game over McDowell, Altoona's season and the high school careers of a big group of seniors came to an end.
"It's a large group, 12 of them, that all contributed in some shape or form," Smith said. "It's very tough saying goodbye to 12 of them, and when you don't win your last game, it's always disappointing."
Alwine, who had an RBI triple, will continue his baseball career at Division I Florida International while many of his fellow senior teammates will also play at the college level.
"Passion is what I think sums up my senior teammates," Alwine said. "I think there are a lot of underclassmen that have potential here, but I grew up with this senior group. I have been playing with Connor Blough since I was 6 years old. He's one of my best friends, and it is great to finish out my high school career with him."
State College improved to 11-11 and will next play in a subregional game for the opportunity to make the PIAA tournament.
"This group, the seniors, having been with them for four years at the JV and now varsity level, they are resilient," Williams said. "They handle adversity well, and today was just another example of that. They have played this way their whole career."
Though their season is now over, Alwine said he wouldn't trade his teammates for anyone.
"We have a bunch of kids that are serious about the game and want to go far," Alwine said. "That's why we have been successful the last two years. This year didn't go as well as last year, but we set a really high bar last year. It's tough to have a season as mediocre as this year, but we made the most of it."
ALTOONA (7): Meyers cf 220, Bettwy c 200, Blough 3b-ss-p 312, Lindsey rf 300, Albright ss-p-ss 000, Riccio dh 300, Young pr 010, Eberhart lf 121, Alwine p-3b 301, Yost cr 010, Freiwald 2b 200, Saylor 1b 301, Smearman pr 000. Totals -- 22-7-5.
STATE COLLEGE (9): Rhoades rf 422, Herring 3b-ss 211, Messina 1b 311, Janik p 000, Shannon 3b 000, Cooper dh 413, Weaverling 2b 400, Ryan ss-p 300, Chestnut lf 300, Gaul c 200, Dillon cr 020, Summerson cf 220. Totals -- 28-9-8.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Altoona 121 003 0--7 5 6
State College 020 313 X--9 8 0
E--Blough 4, Alwine, Meyers. 2B--Cooper 2. 3B--Blough, Alwine. RBI--Saylor 2, Freiwald 2, Alwine, Blough, Cooper 3, Herring, Ryan.
PITCHING
Altoona: Alwine--5 1/3IP, 5H, 4K, 3BB, 6R, 0ER, 102 pitches. Albright (L)--0IP, 3H, 0K, 0BB, 3R, 2ER, 10 pitches. Blough--2/3IP, 0H, 0K, 0BB, 0R, 0ER, 6 pitches.
State College: Janik--3IP, 3H, 2K, 2BB, 1HBP, 4R, 4ER, 48 pitches. Ryan (W)--4IP, 2H, 6K, 3BB, 2HBP, 3R, 3ER, 62 pitches.
Umpires: Andy Brown (HP); Marty Knezovich (1B); Anthony Kline (2B); Andy Lubert (3B).
Records: Altoona (10-11); State College (11-11).