Mirror photo by Michael Boytim Central Cambria’s Jake Kirsch scores the game-winning run in front of Penn Cambria catcher Corbin Vinglish.

EBENSBURG — Two years removed from a District 6 baseball championship, Central Cambria entered this season with high hopes, but early-season injuries to Logan Black and Andrew Chappell have resulted in a slow start for the Red Devils.

Struggling Friday against rival Penn Cambria, Central Cambria got a spark with a two-out, two-run double by Derek McConnell, a four-run bottom of the sixth inning and then a bases-loaded, walk-off two-out single from J.D. Brouse to win 7-6.

“We lost a couple key players at the beginning of the year,” Central Cambria coach Dan Beyer said. “We really needed a game like this — a close win over a solid team much better than their record — to come back and win with everyone staying relaxed at the plate, it’s a huge win for us. This could be a springboard. We’re 3-4 right now with a couple games next week that we’re looking forward to. Hopefully this turns into a big game for us.”

Brouse, who completed a big week in which he was voted a first-team Altoona Mirror Boys Basketball all-star as only a sophomore, finished 3-for-5 and also had an RBI single in the sixth.

“It feels great,” Brouse said. “It’s a big deal for us. We have had some breakdowns in our confidence lately, because we lost our catcher and shortstop due to injuries. It’s been tough for us to pick it back up, but this is a good win. It feels pretty awesome (to be finding success in both sports). I have put a lot of work into this year, and it feels great to see it paying off.”

After winning its opener, 16-6, over Cambria Heights, Central Cambria had lost four straight before back-to-back nailbiting wins over Bishop McCort and Penn Cambria.

The Red Devils held a two-run lead going into the top of the seventh inning, but Penn Cambria tied the game on two errors, a hit by pitch and a couple wild pitches.

“It was definitely a little nerve-wracking being up by two and the ball doesn’t bounce your way a couple times,” Beyer said. “The biggest thing was — how were we going to come back? Our team came back and showed their toughness and made sure they were ready to go, and we couldn’t have asked for a better ending.”

Jake Kirsch singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, and McConnell reached on an error. A wild pitch moved them both up a base, but Penn Cambria pitcher Ayden Himmer got a strikeout to get the Panthers within an out of extra innings.

But Jake Fisher drew a walk to load the bases before Brouse ripped the game-winning single.

“Two years ago, we really turned the program around,” Beyer said. “Everyone has confidence. We know we’re a winning team now. The players know what we’re capable of, and when you are in a game like this when you’re down — you don’t give up.”

Himmer, Corbin Vinglish and Brady Jones — all stars on the Penn Cambria football team — had two hits each and helped Penn Cambria take a 3-0 lead behind Grant Gides’ strong start on the mound.

“The talent is there, we just have to ride the ship out and get this moving in the right direction,” Penn Cambria coach Brent Davison said. “We’ll get there. This is a group that has played a lot of football and basketball games at a high level. They know what it takes to get this thing going in the right direction. They will get there. I have full confidence with this senior group that they will get things turned around.”

Gides allowed just two unearned runs and six hits in five innings of work and left with a 4-2 lead.

“We’re putting runs up, and that’s the thing we have done consistently these past four games,” Davison said. “The previous games, it was walks that killed us. Today, Grant Gides threw a heck of a game. But we only gave him a two-run lead when we had to take him out. We need to get him more than a two-run lead.”

Walks from the relief pitchers — especially in the sixth inning — came back to haunt the Panthers and three of the four runners that scored reached base by error.

Penn Cambria fell to 0-4, but Davison remains confident in his team.

“A lot of these kids last year played a lot of varsity games and battled in some close games,” Davison said. “They know what it takes to get there. Credit to this senior group. They are always going to battle.”

PENN CAMBRIA (6): Davison 2b-ss 310, Himmer 3b-p 402, Gibbons ss-p-cf 411, Talko 1b-2b 401, Foreman pr 000, Vinglish c 212, Latterner lf 411, C. Gides rf 300, Mento 1b 100, B. Jones cf-3b 402, Maybush dh 200, N. Jones ph 111, G. Gides p-rf 000. Totals — 32-6-10.

CENTRAL CAMBRIA (7): Brouse 1b 503, Barra ss-p 401, Williams pr 000, Howard rf 200, Shaffer 2b-ss 411, Dawson 3b 320, KIrsch cf-2b 422, McConnell dh 401, Hildebrand c 311, Fisher lf-cf 200, Jorinscay ph 010. Totals — 31-7-9.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Penn Cambria 200 101 2–6 10 3

Central Cambria 000 204 1–7 9 5

E–Hildebrand 2, Dawson, Kirsch, Shaffer, C. Gides, Himmer, B. Jones. 2B–McConnell. RBI–Brouse 2, Howard, McConnell 2, Jorinscay, Himmer, Vinglish. WP–Barra. LP–Himmer. SO–Himmer 4, G. Gides 4, Wingard 3, Barra 4. BB–Gibbons 3, Himmer 2, G. Gides 1, Wingard 1.

Records: Penn Cambria (0-4); Central Cambria (3-4).