The Scarlet Dragons have been the area’s premier high school baseball team for a long time and have consistently been in the hunt for District 6 and PIAA championships.

But that also means a big target comes with that reputation.

Wins like the 9-5 triumph Bellwood-Antis came away with Thursday simply mean more than just an ordinary victory because of all the success Central has enjoyed.

“Regardless of their record, that’s a good baseball team,” B-A coach Adam Plummer said. “It’s always going to mean something when you come to Central and win a baseball game. It doesn’t come easy. They are a good program. They have always been a good program, and they will continue to be a good program moving forward.”

Mirror photo by Michael Boytim Bellwood-Antis’ Cam Swogger (center) is mobbed by teammates after Thursday’s win.

Brady McConnell drove in three early runs with a pair of hits in the first two innings to give the Blue Devils a 4-2 lead. After Central responded with three runs in the bottom of the second inning to take the lead, B-A fired back with three runs in the top of the fourth inning highlighted by Chase Plummer’s two-run double.

“We expect to get each team’s best, and we like that,” Central coach A.J. Hoenstine said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t give our best today.”

Central scored five runs in the first two innings but left two runners on base in the second inning, two more in the fifth and stranded the bases loaded down just two in the sixth inning.

“Today we didn’t play our best,” Hoenstine said. “Hats off to Bellwood. Their pitcher threw strikes. I thought we had him on the ropes in the second inning, but then he got into a groove and really shut us down. We have struggled to get base hits all season with runners in scoring position, and we did that again today. I told the team it would get better as the year went on, and I think they have. It’s baseball. We didn’t play well today, but they’ll stay after it, and we’ll see. I think we can make a run in the playoffs, but we have to get there first.”

The result has been a 7-8 record, which included an 0-2 mark in the Curve Classic — a tournament the Scarlet Dragons have enjoyed tremendous success in over the years.

Prior to Thursday’s game, Central had won three games in a row to get back to .500 and move up in the District 6 Class 3A playoff hunt. The Dragons are currently seventh in a field of very good teams.

Central celebrated its 10 seniors on senior day Thursday — Wyatt Dilling, Coltin Harbaugh, Troy McNichol, Mason Sparks, Josh Beltz, Brody Mellott, Blake Dick, Joe Hale, Kade Robison and Alex Eicher — several of which played major roles in past successful postseason runs.

“You rely on those older guys to play the game the way we do here at Central,” Hoenstine said. “They have done a pretty good job of that. It hasn’t shown in the win-loss column, but we have faced some pretty good arms, especially early in the year. But those are the arms you have to beat in the playoffs. If we get there, I believe we can make a run.”

Bellwood-Antis, also 7-8, is hoping Thursday’s win will give the Blue Devils some momentum as the playoffs approach. B-A is currently sixth in a tightly-packed 2A field with plenty of opportunity to move up in the final weeks.

“We’re battling,” Plummer said. “We have some games we need to win. You get into the playoffs and anything can happen. I am feeling good about the way we are playing toward the end of the season. We played a tight game with Hollidaysburg that slipped through our fingertips. This is a big win. We go to Johnstown (Friday), and we need to get another one.”

Leading by two in the top of the seventh inning with two outs, the Blue Devils got a two-run double by Cam Swogger that set the final score.

“In the last inning, we needed those insurance runs and came through,” Plummer said. “We got timely hits when we needed them. It feels a lot different battling back from four runs than it does two runs. Those two extra runs in the top of the seventh were big mentally.”

Caleb Plummer finished 3-for-4 and scored three runs, and Bradyn Partner had two doubles and scored twice from the No. 8 and No. 9 spots in the order for Bellwood.

“We put the ball in play,” Plummer said. “Caleb had a couple nice bunts for hits. Bradyn had a double down the line. We don’t look at the top of our order to produce. We look at our lineup as a whole, and today they came up huge.”

BELLWOOD-ANTIS (9): Dorminy cf 422, McConnell 1b 502, Swogger c 402, Ch. Plummer ss 502, Sneath 3b 300, Worthing 2b 300, Mock dh 110, McCartney pr-dh 100, Shedlock p 000, Partner lf 322, Ca. Plummer rf 433. Totals — 33-9-13.

CENTRAL (5): Sparks 1b 311, McNichol c 301, Dilling ss 110, Clapper 3b 311, Porecca dh-p 402, Loucks cf 401, Muthler lf 411, Harbaugh rf 300, Dick rf 100, Beltz 2b 311, Moushlian cr 000, Mellott p 000. Totals — 29-5-8.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Bellwood-Antis 130 300 2–9 13 3

Central 230 000 0–5 8 1

E–Dilling, Worthing 2, Swogger. 2B–Porecca. 3B–Porecca. RBI–Porecca 2, Clapper, Dilling, McConnell 3, Swogger 2, Ch. Plummer 2, Ca. Plummer, Dorminy. WP–Moser. LP–Mellott. SO–Moser 4, Shedlock 1, Mellott 1, Porecca 6. BB–Moser 5, Mellott 3, Porecca 2.

Records: Bellwood-Antis (7-8); Central (7-8).