Hollidaysburg wins a pair for Section 4 title
07/15/25 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Hollidaysburg's Callan Baker dons the team's homer run hat after his second dinger.
Hollidaysburg third-base coach Ben Layton congratulates Christian Moyer after Moyer hit the second of his three home runs in a game against State College. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
07/15/25 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Hollidaysburg's Callan Baker dons the team's homer run hat after his second dinger.
Hollidaysburg third-base coach Ben Layton congratulates Christian Moyer after Moyer hit the second of his three home runs in a game against State College. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Monday night was the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby, and the Hollidaysburg 12U All-Stars must have been inspired by the big leaguers on Tuesday evening.
Hollidaysburg crushed six homers in the first game of the Section 4 Championship in a 10-1 victory over State College to force a winner-take-all second game. Callan Baker, who hit two of the six homers in the first game, added another huge blast in the second game to help take the championship, 2-1.
"We've been hitting extremely well," Hollidaysburg coach Rick Sapko said. "This is a very good team that we faced. They had very good pitching. I was surprised we hit that many (home runs), to be honest."
Hollidaysburg punched its ticket to the Pennsylvania state tournament, which will be held in Fairchance beginning on Monday. The state champions will advance to the Mid-Atlantic Tournament in Bristol, Conn. next month before a possible trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, which Hollidaysburg advanced to in 2022.
Sapko, who is facing a battle with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, said he was not sure he would be at the tournament to coach the team the last four days due to his illness.
"This team has battled for me all season," Sapko said. "I couldn't ask for a better group of kids, a better group of parents, a better group of coaches. They've given me everything every single game, and I'm very proud of them."
None battled more than Christian Moyer in the first game, who hit a home run in all three of his at-bats and drove in five runs. Baker added two dingers, while Holden Schneider also had a solo homer.
Hollidaysburg pitcher Brayden Sapko tossed 5• innings before hitting the 85-pitch limit. He allowed just one unearned run on three hits, walked, three, and struck out seven. Thomas Burke got the final two outs to force the second game.
In game 2, Hollidaysburg pitcher Max Piper was a bulldog, striking out 11 in his complete game effort, including State College's final six batters.
Baker broke a 1-1 tie with a solo homer to center field in the top of the fifth for the go-ahead run.
State College's Andrew Maynard hit a solo homer in the bottom of the third to account for his team's lone run.
"I think (this group) underperformed in the past. This year we finally grinded it out. I couldn't be more proud," Sapko said.
NOTES: State College, which defeated Hollidaysburg, 4-1, on Sunday, turned a triple play and a double play in the second game. ... Piper needed just 77 pitches to get the complete game in the second game. ... Hollidaysburg will face the Section 5 champion on Monday at 10 a.m.
GAME 1
HOLLIDAYSBURG (10): Piper cf 311, Moyer ss 333, Sapko p-eh 200, Schneider 1b 211, Baker 2b 322, Layton c 302, Jancula 3b 313, Weimer rf 100, Heaton eh 301, Burke eh-p 300, Bowers eh 311, Patel lf 211. Totals -- 31-10-15.
STATE COLLEGE (1): Pozniak lf-eh 210, Trego p-lf 200, Bean 3b 201, Sowash 1b 201, Rodgers eh 201, Schenk ss 000, Goldstein 2b 200, Rossman rf 200, Maynard cf 200, Crispell eh-p 200, Laskowski eh 100, Leydig c 200, Black eh 200. Totals -- 23-1-3.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Hollidaysburg 105 013 -- 10 15 2
State College 100 000 -- 1 3 0
LOB--Hollidaysburg 7, State College 7. 2B--Jancula, Bowers. HR--Moyer 3, Schneider, Baker 2. RBI--Piper, Moyer 5, Schneider, Baker 2, Heaton; Bean. SAC--Weimer. SB--Bean. HBP--Sapko (by Trego).
Pitching
Hollidaysburg: Sapko--5 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO; Burke--2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SOl
State College: Trego--5+ IP, 12 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO; Crispell--1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO.
WP--Sapko. LP--Trego.
GAME 2
HOLLIDAYSBURG (2): Piper p 101, Moyer cf 101, Sapko ss 200, Schneider 1b 100, Baker c 211, Layton 2b 200, Jancula 3b 200, Weimer rf 211, Heaton eh 101, Burke eh 200, Bowers eh 201, Patel lf 200. Totals -- 20-2-6.
STATE COLLEGE (1): Pozniak lf 200, Trego ss 201, Bean 3b-p 201, Sowash p-eh 200, Rodgers 1b 201, Schenk c-3b 201, Goldstein 2b 200, Rossman rf 200, Maynard cf 211, Crispell eh 200, Laskowski eh 201, Leydig eh 100, Black eh 100. Totals -- 24-1-6.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Hollidaysburg 001 010 -- 2 6 0
State College 001 000 -- 1 6 0
LOB--Hollidaysburg 4, State College 5. TP--State College 1. DP--State College 1. 2B--Piper, Heaton; Bean. HR--Baker; Maynard. HBP--Heaton (by Sowash).
Pitching
Hollidaysburg: Piper--6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 SO.
State College: Sowash--3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO; Bean--2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO.
WP--Piper. LP--Bean.