NORTHERN CAMBRIA — Mason Campagna knows how to finish what he started.

The senior drove in Claysburg-Kimmel’s first two runs, and then retired the last two men in the Bulldogs’ 3-1 victory against Northern Cambria in a District 6 Class A baseball semifinal playoff game on Thursday at American Legion Post 508 Field.

The third-seeded Bulldogs will play the winner of today’s Homer-Center-Juniata Valley game for the district championship on Wednesday at a site to be determined.

“We’re going to show up, get ready to play baseball,” Claysburg-Kimmel manager Kyle Glass said.

“I think we have a great shot. We talk a lot about how we set goals at the beginning of the season,” sophomore Dustin Treon said. “Hopefully, we’ll be all pumped up for this game, get this game and go on to states.”

“This is one of the goals we set this year, and all the pieces are falling in (place),” said Campagna, who drove in the game’s first two runs with a two-out triple in the second inning off junior right-hander Brady Hoover.

Campagna entered his fourth at-bat needing only a home run to hit for the cycle. But he drew an intentional walk in the sixth inning.

“I was just looking for a pitch to drive, and I got three good pitches today,” said Campagna, a Penn State recruit.

“He’s been a great hitter all year,” Glass said. “We put him at the top of the lineup because we want him to show everyone else what we need to do to get a win.”

Glass knew the Bulldogs needed to score as early and often as possible.

“We knew that Northern Cambria had two, if not three, really good pitchers. So we said we had to keep battling every inning. I don’t care if we get one runs, two runs, whatever that may be. We have to battle every inning because we also knew that they can hit the ball, they’re ready to hit the ball, and they can hit the ball at any time,” Glass said.

Campagna, who started behind the plate, relieved Treon with one out and two runners on base. Campagna struck out Parker Shutty and retired Hoover on an infield ground out to close out the victory.

“I trust in myself and I believe I can finish the game,” Campagna said.

Nathan Fee singled home Ayden Soler with a one-out RBI single in the third to push the Claysburg-Kimmel lead to 3-0.

Glass used three pitchers during the afternoon. Dustin Slowik pitched the first two innings before he gave way to Treon. Slowik and Treon gave up only one hit apiece.

“That’s impressive by all three pitchers. Dustin Slowik came in. His arm was a little tight at the beginning. So we pulled him, put Gavin Treon in, and he did an amazing job,” Glass said.

Treon entered the game with the Bulldogs ahead by three.

“I always have faith in my teammates, that they can always back me up whenever I need them, and they’re always behind me, every game,” Treon said.

Zak Kirsch scored the Colts’ lone run on a fifth-inning fielding error.

Northern Cambria, the number two seed, left the bases loaded in the first inning, and stranded a total of eight men. Claysburg-Kimmel left nine.

Northern Cambria head coach Skyler Eckenrode voiced what is on the verge of becoming annual dismay at his team’s lack of offense.

“It was the exact same thing we had last year against Juniata Valley in the semis. We have to hit the ball. We had our chances. We just couldn’t find that timely hit,” Eckenrode said.

Hoover allowed four hits, walked five and struck out only one before senior Reese Wagner relieved him.

“The zone was tight. I think that got the best of him early on. (He issued) a couple of walks. But the top of the order can definitely swing (the bat). They always come back to bite you at the worst times, and today was the worst time to (let them) do it,” Eckenrode said.

CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (3): Campagna c-p 303, Haney ss 200, Treon cf-p-cf 300, Slowik p-1b 300, Soler rf-cf-rf 300, Knisely 3b 311, Fee lf 301, Lehman dp 211, Claar 1b 000, Tremel rf 000, Murtaugh c 000, Cox 2b 200. Totals 24-3-6.

NORTHERN CAMBRIA (1): Cavallo ss 300, Kirsch 1b 212, Shutty c 400, Hoover p-3b 400, Lavigne pr 000, Wagner lf-p 200, Czar cf 300, Solley dp-3b 200, A.Bougher lf 000, B.Bougher 2b-rf 200, Buterbaugh rf-lf 300. Totals 25-1-2.

By innings

Claysburg-Kimmel 021 000 0 – 3 6 3

Northern Cambria 000 010 0 – 1 2 1

E – Hoover, Cox 2, Knisely. LOB – Claysburg-Kimmel 10, Northern Cambria 8. DP – Claysburg-Kimmel, Northern Cambria. 2B – Campagna. 3B – Kniseley, Campagna. SB – Lavigne. CS – Fee, Campagna. RBI – Campagna 2, Fee, Cox.

PITCHING

Claysburg-Kimmel

Slowik 2 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 2 BB 3 SO

Treon (W) 4 1/3 IP 1 H 1 R 0 ER 2 BB 1 SO

Campagna 2/3 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 SO

Northern Cambria

Hoover (L) 3 IP 4 H 3 R 2 ER 5 BB 1 SO

Wagner 4 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 3 BB 4 SO

HB P- Cavallo (by Slowik), Haney (by Hoover), Kirsch (by Treon). WP – Treon. PB – Shutty.

Umpires – Home, Dan Olsavsky; First, Justin Merriweather; Second, Carl Bopp; Third, Dave Meckley.

Team records – Claysburg-Kimmel (15-7), Northern Cambria (14-7).