Cambria Heights' Garrett Jasper Mirror file photo

EBENSBURG — Garrett Jasper cruised through the first five innings, and then he left the rest to freshman Nolan Clawson to close out a 3-0 shutout of Westmont Hilltop in a District 6 Class 2A baseball quarterfinal game on Friday evening at the Central Cambria High School athletic complex.

The Highlanders (12-8) play second-seeded Bishop McCort Catholic on Wednesday at Sargent Stadium in Johnstown.

The game site was switched from Cambria Heights High School because of the threat of inclement weather during the late afternoon. Cambria Heights does not have lights at its baseball facility.

Jasper struck out 10 batters and yielded only two hits over 5ª innings.

“If I woke up this morning and said I’d get 5ª out of my starting pitcher, I’d be very happy with the position we’d be in,” Highlanders manager Josh Bracken said. “We put zero runs on the board with that, that’s a good outing. I’m very happy. He’s been getting a little bit stronger, I think, as the year goes on. So it’s a credit to him.”

Jasper retired the first seven men in order. He allowed a pair of hits in the third inning but struck out sophomore Justin Ray out to halt the threat.

“Everything was working. It’s just a game of catch with my catcher (sophomore Bryce Lewis),” Jasper said.

The changeup proved to be Jasper’s most effective pitch.

“I work on that all the time. I work on that when I’m playing catch as coach Bracken wants us to. It floated when I went on the mound,” Jasper said.

“He was able to kind of paint the fastball. He let that fastball/changeup tunnel work. And he was not afraid to challenge guys at times. I think early in the game he got a couple of Ks up in the zone. So being efficient early always helps,” Bracken said.

Jasper walked the bases loaded with two outs in the sixth inning, however.

“I wouldn’t say I was tiring. I was starting to lose a little bit of control,” Jasper said.

The scoring threat left Bracken with no choice but to turn to Clawson in relief.

“He’s only a freshman, and I don’t lack confidence in him. He came in, did his job, and did it well. So I’m very happy with everything all around,” Bracken said. “I love Nolan. Nolan’s always there for me. He gets me out of those tough situations. Those things happen, and we’ll get out of them, just as we did today,” Jasper said.

Clawson struck out freshman Brandon Miller to halt the threat, and he then retired the side in order in the seventh.

“It’s been the story all season for us. We’ve had a hard time coming up with a big hit with runners in scoring position. That was no different,” Hilltoppers manager Chris DelSignore said.

Junior Brady Gartner pitched five innings for sixth-seeded Westmont Hilltop (9-11). He allowed five hits, struck out six and walked four, including one intentionally. He also threw three wild pitches.

“We got the start that we needed. We felt comfortable with Brady, and he gave us exactly what we needed. We didn’t hit today. It wasn’t our night,” DelSignore said. “Credit their pitcher. He really overpowered us tonight.”

Third-seeded Cambria Heights scored all the runs it needed in the fourth inning.

Senior Ethan Kline singled home Tristan Weakland with two out. Two unearned runs followed on an errant throw off a Clawson ground ball.

A well-placed sacrifice bunt by Harrison Snyder put two men in scoring position with two out. “That’s a freshman doing the job in a big-time situation,” Bracken said. “We have guys throughout the lineup contributing at different times. (We’ve had) a lot of timely hitting, tough two-strike approaches for the most part. When we reduce our strikeouts, we obviously give ourselves a chance.”

WESTMONT HILLTOP (0): Sweeney dh 201, Valente cf 000, Ray 2b 300, Goodman 1b 200, Rocco rf 200, Miller 3b 300, Chiodo c 300, Gartner p 300, Kohan p 000, Oakley ss 301, Bennett lf 200. Totals — 23-0-2.

CAMBRIA HEIGHTS (3): Kline cf 312, Clawson ss-p 300, Jasper p-lf 301, Lewis c 200, Swander 3b 200, Nelen lf-ss 301, Weakland dh 210, Thomas 2b 000, Lobick 1b 311, Snyder rf 200. Totals — 23-5-4.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Westmont Hilltop 000 000 0 — 0 2 1

Cambria Heights 000 300 x — 3 5 1

E–Swander. Oakley. LOB–Westmont Hilltop 5, Cambria Heights 7. 2B–Nelen. 3B–Kline. SB–Kline 2. CS–Goodman. SH–Snyder. Runs batted in–Clawson 2, Kline.

PITCHING

Westmont Hilltop: Gartner (LP) 5 IP 5 H 3 R 1 ER 4 BB 6 K Kohan 1 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 K Cambria Heights: Jasper (WP) 5 2-3 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 3 BB 10 K Clawson (S) 1 2-3 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 2 K WP–Gartner 3.

Umpires: Home, Dan Olsavsky; First, Brandon Ashurst; Third, Ed Richardson.

Team records: Westmont Hilltop (9-11), Cambria Heights (12-8).