Bald Eagle Area manager Jim Gardner has seen a lot in his tenure as the Eagles’ baseball skipper.
He’s seen ups and downs. He’s qualified for the postseason numerous seasons. He won a PIAA Class AA state championship in 2007.
Wednesday, Gardner saw a first.
Central Mountain (Mill Hall) and Bald Eagle Area (Wingate) combined for 41 hits – 16 for extra bases – as the Wildcats won a slugfest 23-18.
Mark Kotzur tied the game at 18 with a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, only to see CM plate five in the seventh on a squeeze bunt by freshman Von Walker and a grand slam by West Virginia recruit Cody Dolan.
"I’ve never seen a game like this," Gardner said, "and I don’t know if I ever will."
The Mill Hall, Pa. school scored in every inning. Bald Eagle combined for more than 10 runs in just three frames.
"I kind of expected this," CM manager Mike Kramer said. "When you come up to Bald Eagle Area, you know there is going to be a lot of runs scored because there are two good-hitting teams on the field with competitive players," Kramer said. "There were clutch hits on both sides. I'm just glad that we came through with the victory in the end."
2. BEA, P-O softball battle: In what very well could be a preview of the District 6 Class AA championship game, Bald Eagle Area hitting roughed up Philipsburg-Osceola (Philipsburg, Pa.) pitcher Chelsea Rex for five home runs in a 10-6 victory, according to the Centre Daily Times. BEA rallied from a 5-3 deficit to take a 10-5 lead, and the reigning state Double-A champs never looked back. The newspaper reported that BEA had 12 hits against Rex, a Division I prospect, eight of those for extra bases.
3. Koch outduels Wilson: In a rare matchup between two of District 4’s best pitchers, Jersey Shore’s Brooke Koch tossed an 11-inning, four-hitter in the Bulldogs’ 2-1 victory over Porshia Wilson and the Loyalsock Lady Lancers. Wilson and Koch, both Division I recruits, took center stage on the hill. Wilson, being looked at by several DI institutions, allowed eight hits and had more than 10 strikeouts. Koch, heading to St. Francis University, had 16 punchouts. Shore’s Chelsea Cummings had the game-winner in the 11th – a push bunt that rolled through the infield, scoring Natasha Martin from second.
4. Lackawanna League favorites picked: The Scranton Times-Tribune announced their picks for the Lackawanna League in baseball. In Division I, Scranton (Scranton, Pa.) High School was chosen over the state’s reigning Class AAA champ, Abington Heights (Clarks Summit, Pa.). Valley View (Archbald, Pa.), which returns seven starters, was given the nod in Division II, while it’s up for grabs in Division III with Mountain View (Kingsley, Pa.), SSusquehanna (Susquehanna, Pa.), Blue Ridge (New Milford, Pa.) and Montrose (Montrose, Pa.) all garnering attention.
5. Lancers edge rival Hughesville: Loyalsock scored four runs over the final three innings to rally out of an early deficit en route to a 5-3 victory over rival Hughesville, according to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Loyalsock, which won the state Double-A title two years ago, used a big night at the plate from Brian Stopper and Kyle Winton to secure the win. Senior Gabe Noyalis and Taylor Hill combined for a five-hitter.
Among the top efforts
Koch tossed her first perfect game on Thursday in the team’s 11-0, five-inning victory over Shikellamy. Shore stands at 3-0 this year, while Koch already holds the school record for strikeouts
Penns Valley’s Kevin Montminy and State College’s Taran Buie were both named to the all-state basketball team, according to the Associated Press. Montminy, a junior at Penns Valley, was named to the Double-A third team, while Buie was named to the Quad-A second team. Hughesville’s Brian Gerney was named to the first team in Double-A.
Warrior Run’s Taylor Parker tossed a no-hitter Thursday in the team’s victory over Hughesville. She had 10 strikeouts in the game, and has only allowed one run this season.
Fox’s Fab 5
High School Baseball
1. Jersey Shore, District 4
2. Loyalsock (Williamsport), District 4
3. Scranton, District 2
4. Valley View (Archbald), District 2
5. Philipsburg-Osceola, District 6
High School Softball
1. Bald Eagle Area (Wingate, Pa.), District 6
2. Philipsburg-Osceola (Philipsburg, Pa.), District 6
3. Jersey Shore (Jersey Shore, Pa.), District 4
4. Old Forge (Old Forge, Pa.), District 2
5. Loyalsock (Williamsport, Pa.), District 4
Tom Fox is sports editor at The Lock Haven (Pa.) Express and covers Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania for MaxPreps. He can be reached at tfox@lockhaven.com.
