CLAYSBURG — The Claysburg-Kimmel baseball team got themselves in a hole down 8-0 after 5½ innings on Tuesday night against an annual District 6 powerhouse in Mount Union.

Most probably wouldn’t have found a way to get back in the game with the tying run in scoring position, but the Bulldogs fell just one hit short of completing a comeback in an 8-6 loss to the Trojans in a night game at Claysburg-Kimmel High School.

Gavin Treon got his team started with a 3-run homer down the left field line in the bottom of the sixth, and the Bulldogs added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh before falling short on the rally.

“We’ve battled all year in the late innings,” Claysburg-Kimmel coach Kyle Glass said. “We’ve had two or three walk-off hits, and we know we’re in every single game no matter if it’s 8-0 or closer. They were close to mercy ruling us, but we battled back. I like to see that out of our guys with one regular season game left.

“We could have just won the ICC East, but we’re still right there in the playoff run. We’ll be a 3 or 4-seed, and we can make a good run in districts.”

Mount Union starting pitcher Jamon Ranck kept the Bulldog hitters at bay for a good portion of the game. Through the first five innings, he allowed only two hits. His defense also came up big with two key double plays. One was a 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded to end the bottom of the first inning, and the other came on a fly ball to right field where Trojan right fielder Ethan Covert fired a strike to the plate for a double play.

“Every time (Ranck) goes out there he does a great job,” Mount Union coach Tim Hicks said. “He keeps them off balance and our defense makes plays.

“Offensively it’s been a struggle for us this year. I was pleased to see our guys really go up there and take some good swings. I thought we hit the ball well. I wish we would have pushed a few more across to give us a little more room because nothing is ever safe.”

Treon’s homer came with one out in the sixth inning to cut the Mount Union lead to 8-3.

“We were quiet until he hit that home run,” Glass said. “He’s a great all-around athlete. Between Mason (Campagna) and him, they spark the offense. When they do something, everyone else thinks they can do it as well.”

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Campagna was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brayden Haney singled to plate two runs, while Treon blooped in a hit to make it 8-6.

After Dustin Slowik walked to load the bases, Paydden Knisely’s line drive to the center fielder ended the game.

“We were going really well, and they started to hit the ball,” Hicks said. “We gave them a little bit of momentum, and they definitely hit the ball. It was good to see our guys hold on at the end.”

Mount Union’s Maddox Hobbs got the Trojans on the board with a 2-run homer in the top of the second. They also had one run in the fourth, three in the fifth, and two in the sixth to go up 8-0.

Treon had three hits and knocked in four runs to lead Claysburg. Haney drove in the other two runs.

Abe Weirich was the only Mount Union player with multiple hits.

Claysburg finishes the regular season on Thursday on the road at Northern Bedford.

MOUNT UNION (8): Snyder 2b 311, Ranck p-ss 311, Hunsinger 1b 401, Weirich c 402, Collins cf 21, Hobbs ss-3b 211, Covert rf 400, Smith dh 411, Clark lf 000, Wise 3b 211, Heane cr 010, Chlcote cr 010. Totals — 28-8-8.

CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (6): Campagna c 220, Haney ss-p 301, Treon cf 413, Slowik p-ss 200, Knisely 3b 400, Soler rf 300, Fee lf 311, Lehman dh 200, Claar 1b 000, Walter ph 111, Cox 2b 310. Totals — 27-6-6.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Mount Union 020 132 0–8 8 2

Claysburg-Kimmel 000 003 3–6 6 4

E–Wise 2 (MU); Haney, Knisely, Treon, Claar (CK). 2B–Snyder, Ranck (MU); Treon (CK). HR–Hobbs (MU); Treon (CK). RBI–Snyder, Ranck, Hunsinger 2, Weirich, Hobbs 2 (MU); Haney 2, Treon 4 (CK). WP–Ranck. LP–Slowik. SO–Ranck 7, Wise 1 (MU); Slowik 4, Haney 1 (MU). BB–Ranck 2, Wise 1 (MU); Slowik 1, Haney 2 (CK).

Records: Mount Union (14-5); Claysburg-Kimmel (12-7).