Local Sports

Conrad Chiropractic/Lilly American Legion pulls even in City League championship series

Thursday night, Conrad Chiropractic/Lilly American Legion looked like it was on track to see its impressive run come to an end as it trailed 2-0 in the Altoona Greater City League championship series.

But two games later, Lilly reminded everyone why it has been on this impressive run, and it is on the verge of making history again.

Lilly scored two runs in the top of the first inning to take the lead and never looked back as it shut out Sheetz in game 4 Friday night at Vets Field, 6-0, to even the series at 2-2.

"We got those clutch hits when we needed to," Lilly manager Lucas McCoy said. "We left so many runners in scoring position especially with two outs this whole playoffs --- the semis and this series. We were able to punch them through and were able to control the game and play the way we like to play."

The win forced a winner-take-all game 5 at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Vets Field. If Lilly wins, it would be its eighth straight championship and its 21st in the last 24 years.

"It was a tough day today," Sheetz manager Kyle DeGennaro said. "We couldn't get anything going with the bats when we got runners on. That's killer against Lilly. That really was the difference today."

Ryan Ickes started the scoring as he got home on a passed ball before a sacrifice fly by Jake Hillard scored Cody Gallaher, helping Lilly get up 2-0.

Sheetz had two prime scoring chances with the first coming in the third as Aiden Steinbugl reached on a single before Lucas Muffie smacked a double. A popup to C.J. McCoy followed by two strikeouts by Aiden Coleman extinguished the threat.

Coleman -- who pitched in relief on Friday --tossed a stellar six innings, allowing seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

"You got to start with Aiden Coleman," Lucas McCoy said. "Came in and got the win (Friday), coming out throwing six strong. That's an effort. He wanted the ball. You couldn't have asked for anything more."

"He just had us off-balance," DeGennaro said. "We couldn't get consecutive hits going. Credit to him for pitching a good game. We definitely have to be better come (Saturday)."

The second prime scoring chance came in the fifth after Lilly added on in the top of fifth on a Hillard single. Hillard was 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs.

Steinbugl led off the Sheetz half with a single before reaching third following an Evan Young single, but a flyout to Ryan Ickes ended that scoring attempt.

The floodgates opened up in the sixth as Lilly capitalized on two walks and a hit batter. Brandon Ickes drove in a run with an RBI single before Hillard slapped a two-run double.

Brandon Ickes was 3-for-3 with a double, run scored and the RBI.

We had our backs against the wall," Lucas McCoy said. "We're even now. We're right where we want to be, and hopefully we continue this into (Saturday)."

DeGennaro warned his team that finishing the job wouldn't be easy. They are hoping that the third time will indeed be the charm as they hope to become the first team since Locker Room in 2018 to dethrone Lilly.

"I have no doubt that we'll come ready to play,'' DeGennaro said. "Last couple of games we've left a lot of runners on base, and we haven't hit the way we've been accustomed to hitting all year. We need to change that."

CONRAD CHIROPRACTIC/LILLY AMERICAN LEGION (6): R. Ickes cf 120, Gallagher 1b 321, B. Ickes ss 313, Hillard 2b 402, C. McCoy 3b 400, Gully c 401, Dunlap dh 200, Olsavsky pr-dh 100, Fabbri rf 400, Bracken lf 311. Totals -- 29-6-8.

SHEETZ (0): Gregg cf 400, Steinbugl ss-p 403, Muffie 401, Kravetz lf 400, Young 2b-ss 301, Detrick rf 300, Speece 1b 301, Co. Sanders c 300, Tromm dh 301, Empson p 000, Schmoke 2b 000. Totals -- 31-0-7.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Lilly 200 013 0 - 6 8 1

Sheetz 000 000 0 - 0 7 2

E--Hillard, Empson, Co. Sanders. 2B--B. Ickes, Hillard. RBI--B. Ickes, Hillard 4.

PITCHING COMPARISON

LILLY: Coleman (W) 6 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO; Smith 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.

SHEETZ: Empson (L) 5.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO; Steinbugl 1.2 IP, 1 H 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.

Series: Tied, 2-2.