The 1999 Season
March
24, 1999
Changes plentiful in
Mid-Penn
New West
Perry baseball coach Jay Kipp, far left, watches a player work on his swing at
practice on Monday. Kipp replaced the legendary Larry Frederick, who retired
after winning 545 games in 38 seasons. Kipp will have his work cut out this
season as the Mustangs jump into the Commonwealth Division.
Doug Cain/Special to The Sentinel
High school baseball will
have quite a new look this spring. From new divisions, to a new tournament, to a
new coach — the Mid-Penn Conference baseball season should be rather
interesting.
Consider
the following:
The
Mid-Penn Conference will have its first postseason baseball tournament. Because
of it, five teams from Class AAA and AA will qualify for the District 3
playoffs.
This
is also the first year of a new two-year realignment plan. The old Mid-Penn
Divisions I, II, III and IV have been replaced with the Commonwealth, Colonial,
Capital and Keystone divisions.
The
PIAA has introduced Class A baseball at a state-wide level for the first time.
One of the four Mid-Penn Class A teams will advance to districts as well.
West
Perry has a new coach in Jay Kipp. Kipp replaces the legendary Larry Frederick,
who retired after 38 seasons.
The most talked about
development is the Mid-Penn Tournament. In the past, only the division
champions, and a few wild cards, qualified for the District 3 playoffs.
"Now
it's going to be decided on the field," Carlisle coach Harry Mundorff says.
"That's the way it should be decided. In 1995, we were 14-6 and playing in
Mid-Penn I and Palmyra got in ahead of us and they were playing double-A teams
all season in another division. I like this much better."
At
the end of the regular season, four teams from each of the two Class AAA
divisions (Commonwealth and Keystone) and the two Class AA Divisions (Capital
and Colonial) will participate in an eight-team tournament.
The
top five finishers from each tournament will advance to the District 3 playoffs.
"It
makes it exciting," Cumberland Valley coach Mike Whitehead Jr. says.
"It gives teams more chances to get in."
The
Mid-Penn, in conjunction with the district and state levels, will also hold a
tournament for the four Class A teams — Camp Hill, Milton Hershey, Fairfield
and Steel-High. Only one of those four teams will qualify for the District 3
playoffs.
"There's
just a lot of more opportunities for teams to qualify for districts and
states," East Pennsboro coach Bob Gill says.
Realignment
Divisional
realignment will add a little variery to the season.
The
Commonwealth Division will consist of Big Spring, Carlisle, Chambersburg,
Cumberland Valley, Gettysburg, Shippensburg, Waynesboro and West Perry. Big
Spring and West Perry are making a leap up from lower Mid-Penn divisions.
The
Keystone Division has Cedar Cliff, Central Dauphin, CD East, Harrisburg, Lower
Dauphin, Mechanicsburg, Red Land and Susquehanna Township.
In
the Capital Division, Bishop McDevitt, East Pennsboro, Hershey, Middletown,
Milton Hershey, Northern, Palmyra, Susquenita and Trinity will participate.
The
Colonial Division is made up of Bermudian Springs, Biglerville, Boiling Springs,
Camp Hill, Fairfield, Greencastle, James Buchanan and Steel-High.
The
realignment left most coaches unsure of which teams would be considered
favorites this season.
"I
have no clue how we are going to do," Shippensburg coach John Bartholow
says. "With this new division, this is a totally new situation for us. I
can't even begin to guess."
Legitimate gripe
The
team with the biggest gripe with the new alignment is Shippensburg. When the
Mid-Penn announced the new alignment midway through last season, Shippensburg
was considered a Class AAA school.
Yet,
when final enrollment numbers were announced after the season, Shippensburg was
classified a Class AA school. The Mid-Penn decided to leave the Greyhounds in
the Class AAA-filled Commonwealth Division.
To
qualify for the Mid-Penn Class AA tournament, Shippensburg must finish in fourth
place or better in the Commonwealth Division.
But
here's the catch. Shippensburg would enter the Mid-Penn Class AA Tournament as
the eighth seed.
"Even
if we win a AAA division, the league will only give us the eighth seed for the
AA playoffs," says Bartholow.
Long games ahead?
Because
of the Mid-Penn Tournament, the conference has had to shorten the regular season
by about a week. That means teams will often be forced to play three games a
week to simply complete their alloted division schedule.
That
scenario comes with mixed reviews.
"We've
always played three games a week (in the former Mid-Penn I) and now I'm glad to
see everyone else has to, too," Mechanicsburg coach Don Shirley says.
"It's about the time the rest of the league does it. It's a better
determiner of the depth of your team."
But
Trinity coach Al Hobby says pitching will become a problem for most of the Class
AA and A schools.
"Being
a small school, that doesn't work in our favor because we only have a small base
of kids to choose from," Hobby says.
Gill
says the move could have an effect on the length of games as well.
"You're
going to see a lot of high-scoring games because teams are going to run out of
pitching," the sixth-year East Penn coach says. "I'd be real surprised
if you don't. I also look for a lot of five- and six-inning games because it's
going to get dark before the game ends."
Gill's
situation at East Penn may be a little different than most Class AA teams
because he has a solid four-starter rotation — Mike Dallmayer (a University of
Maryland recruit), Tom Sgrignoli, Brandon Rowe and Dan Proctor — possibly the
deepest in the area.
A new face
The only coaching change
among the 14 area teams is a big one as Kipp replaces Frederick at West Perry.
Frederick,
who won 545 games in 38 seasons with the Mustangs, feels confident Kipp will do
a solid job at West Perry — though he believes the success won't come easy.
"I
think Jay will do well because he is a teacher," Frederick said. "It
might take him a few years to get his feet on the ground, but he knows the game.
But he enjoys teaching the kids."
Kipp,
who was an assistant for four years under Frederick, says he is ready for the
challenges — taking over for Frederick and competing in the Commonwealth
Division.
"Some people have told
me I'm in a no-win situation but I don't believe that," Kipp says. "I
know it's a pretty tough job to fill, but I don't look at it that way at all. I
think there is a good opportunity for us to play well this year."
March
28, 1999
Mechanicsburg 8, Steel-High 1
Mechanicsburg piled up eight
runs in the middle innings for an 8-1 win over Steel-High in a nondivision
baseball game Saturday.
Matt
Wagner picked up the pitching win, allowing one run and two hits in four
innings. Bill Serafin and Marc Campbell each hit home runs for the Wildcats.
Jason Altieri added two doubles. Campbell and Wagner had one double apiece.
Mechanicsburg hosts West
Perry Tuesday.
March
31, 1999
Mechanicsburg 3, West Perry 0
Mechanicsburg
followed Josh Martin's bat and Bill Serafin's pitching to a 3-0 win over West
Perry in Mid-Penn Commonwealth baseball Tuesday.
Martin
smacked a two-run home run in the third inning and set up the third run of the
game with a single.
Serafin
shut down the Mustangs on two hits through five innings. He had four strikeouts.
Jason Altieri allowed no hits over the final two innings.
Andy
Morrison took the loss for West Perry, allowing two runs in three innings.
Branden Brown and Chris Bassett had the Mustangs' hits.
Mechanicsburg (2-0) plays at
Carlisle Thursday. West Perry hosts Lower Dauphin Thursday.
April
6, 1999
Wildcats battle way past
Herd
Carlisle's
Matt Arnold slides safely back to first base as Mechanicsburg first baseman
Jason Altieri takes in a throw from pitcher Bill Serafin during the first inning
of the Wildcats' 6-1 victory over the Thundering Herd at Carlisle's George L.
Bowen Field. Arnold's single had given Carlisle a 1-0 lead in the inning.
(Michael Bupp/The Sentinel)
Mechanicburg's ace pitcher
Bill Serafin couldn't find the plate. Catcher Warren Amon hard a hard time
seeing much of anything with a contact lens problem.
The
Wilcat pitcher-catcher battery didn't seem to have much going for them during
Monday's game at Carlisle.
Well,
Serafin slowly found his rhythm and Amon got a little saline solution to solve
his vision problem. The duo led undefeated Mechanicsburg to a 6-1 win over the
Thundering Herd in a Mid-Penn Commonwealth game at George L. Bowen Field.
Serafin
allowed Carlisle a run in the first inning and was unhappy with his control for
most of the game. Despite his troubles, he allowed only four hits and struck out
five for his second victory of the season.
"I
didn't pitch too well," Serafin said. "I couldn't find it until the
last inning I pitched. I just wasn't striding right out there."
Amon
also played a big role in the game. In the top of the fifth inning with teammate
Matt Jumper on second, Amon's right contact lens came out of his eye after
fouling off a 3-2 pitch from Carlisle's Lee McClintock.
Amon called timeout and
struggled for some five minutes to put the contact lense back in.
"I
was surprised the ump gave me that much time to put it back in," Amon said.
"It just kept getting worse and worse and finally came out. I was seeing
better after that."
Amon
walked on the next pitch and gave the Wildcats (3-0) two runners on with no outs
— with Ken Logan pinch running for Amon. Two batters later, Sean O'Keefe hit a
bloop single to score Jumper and tie the game at 1-1. Jason Altieri followed
with a sacrifice fly to plate Logan and give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.
Mechanicsburg
blew the game open in the sixth inning as Serafin and Marc Campbell singled and
Scott Stada reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. Kevin
Fenstermacher, pinch running for Serafin, scored on a wild pitch to up the lead
to 3-1.
Amon
followed with a two-run single to give the Wildcats a commanding 5-1 lead.
Derrick McGrow's RBI double capped the four-run inning.
"I
just one-handed it," Amon said of his hit. "I was so far ahead of
it."
With
the big lead, Serafin settled and pitched the bottom of the sixth inning before
turning the ball over to Ryan Walters. Walters retired Carlisle in order in the
seventh.
"He
was definitley struggling," Amon said of Serafin said. "He threw well
before the game. He just didn't get a lot of close pitches. He just started
throwing strikes and let the defense do the rest."
Carlisle
jumped on Serafin in the first inning. Bryan Roberts walked, stole second base,
then scored on a single by Matt Arnold. It was one of only four hits for the
Herd — two apiece by Arnold and Brad Ruhl.
"We
have to improve our hitting," Carlisle coach Harry Mundorff said. "We
put the ball in play, we just weren't hitting the holes. Hitting can be
contagious. We just have to keep working on it."
For
the first four innings, McClintock almost looked unhittable for the Herd. After
allowing singles to Altieri and Martin to open the game, McClintock retired the
next 12 batters, eight of which were strikeouts. "Lee pitched very well
today," Mundorff said.
Carlisle
was inches away from a 2-0 lead in the third inning. After two outs, Arnold
singled for Carlisle. Ruhl followed with a single to right field that got away
from Mechanicsburg rightfielder Marc Campbell.
Campbell
recovered, fired a perfect relay throw to firstbaseman Altieri, who through a
strike to Amon to gun down Arnold at the plate for the final out.
"That
was a big play," Mechanicsburg coach Don Shirley said. "I didn't think
we'd get (Arnold). He had a good jump. But Altieri gets rid of the ball real
fast."
The
perfect relay dashed the hopes of a bigger inning.
"You just don't know
what would have happened with the next batter," Mundorff said.
April
7, 1999
Mechanicsburg rallies past
Shippensburg
The
Shippensburg Greyhounds traveled to face the Mechanicsburg Wildcats at Memorial
Field in a game that almost didn't happen Tuesday. Forty-five minutes before the
game was scheduled to begin, the skies opened up and soaked the field.
Luckily
for them, the Wildcats were fast enough to cover the field and fortunate enough
to get the game in.
After
the skies cleared, Mechanicsburg (4-0) took advantage of its home field and
defeated the Greyhounds 6-5 in eight innings.
Neither
team had much success in the beginning of the game, hitting or otherwise.
Because of the rain delay, the squads had 10 minutes of fielding practice, but
there was no time alloted for batting practice.
"The
rain didn't affect us at all," said Wildcat assistant coach Ryan Welker.
"We wanted to play and everyone worked on the field so that we could."
Shippensburg
(2-3) started the game with two runs in the first inning. Dustin Bailey led off
with a double and scored on a two-out double by Chad McNew. McNew scored when
Mark Smith singled.
Mechanicsburg answered back
with a run of its own. Jason Altieri scored when Marc Campbell hit a groundball
to the shortstop.
The
game remained that way until the Wildcats came alive in the third inning.
Altieri led the inning off by reaching second base on an overthrow to the first
baseman. Bill Serafin hit a one-out single to plate him.
With
two outs in the inning, Scott Stada reached base on a single and advanced
Serafin. Serafin then scored on a double by Matt Wagner for a 3-2 Mechanicsburg
lead.
Shippensburg
didn't go away quietly. At the start of the sixth inning, the Wildcats made what
looked like a costly error ã taking out starting pitcher Josh Martin and
replacing him with a relief pitcher.
The
Greyhounds capitalized on this decision by making a run for the game. In fact,
Shippensburg forced Mechanicsburg to use three pitchers in the inning in order
to stop the rally.
Smith
hit into a fielder's choice with McNew on first base. With one out, Nick Fleming
hit a single and Smith scored on an error to the Wildcat pitcher.
A.J.
Ierulli drove in Fleming with another single and then scored when Derek
Beckenbaugh hit a two-out single.
Suddenly
Shippensburg had a 5-3 lead.
"Martin
was getting tired since it was his first outing of the year," said Welker.
"I give a lot of credit to him, he pitched a great game, but he had a high
pitch count for this early in the year."
Going
into the bottom of the seventh with the Greyhounds ahead, it was do or die time
for Mechanicsburg.
With
two outs in the inning and two strikes on him, Stada singled to left field. He
then crossed home plate when Wagner hit his second double of the game.
When
Warren Amon singled to the shortstop and Wagner scored, the game went into extra
innings tied at 5-5.
"We
really started to hit the ball toward the end of the game," said Altieri.
"Coach just told us to go out and hit the ball and see what happens."
Apparently
Wildcat coach Don Shirley knew what was going to happen. After his pitcher, Ryan
Walters, gave up a triple and then got the next three batters out, it was time
for Mechanicsburg to prove itself.
The
team didn't make things easy for the fans or its coaches.
"I
was a little stressed out," said Welker. "I'm too young to have a
heart attack."
With
one out in the inning, Altieri singled and then stole second. Serafin was able
to draw a walk with two outs. Then Marc Campbell stepped up to the plate.
"I
just told him to relax, because he struggled at the plate and it was the
situation for him to be in," said Welker. "He's a senior this year who
is providing great leadership."
Campbell
waited for the perfect pitch and then hit a single to center field to score
Altieri with the winning run.
Mechanicsburg hosts Central
Dauphin Thursday while Chambersburg travels to Shippensburg.
April
9, 1999
Mechanicsburg 4, Central Dauphin 3
Warren
Amon's RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning gave
undefeated Mechanicsburg a 4-3 victory over Central Dauphin Thursday in a
Mid-Penn Keystone Division opener.
Bill
Serafin led off the seventh with a double and moved to third on a groundout.
With two outs, Matt Wagner walked then Amon singled in the winning run.
Wagner
improved to 2-0 with a complete-game victory. He struck out 11 and walked only
one.
Mechanicsburg (5-0) is at
Palmyra Monday for a nondivision game.
April
14, 1999
Wildcats slip past Patriots
Near
perfection almost turned into a near disaster for Mechanicsburg pitcher Bill
Serafin Tuesday.
Serafin
was cruising with a perfect game through 4 1/3 innings of a Mid-Penn
Commonwealth Division game with Red Land at Memorial Park when he ran into
trouble — a hit and three consecutive walks that cut the Wildcats' lead to
2-1.
"I
just started missing by a little hair," Serafin said. "They started
looking at a few pitches that were going into the dirt. It just wasn't a good
inning."
But Serafin settled, retired
the next batter to get out of the inning, and the undefeated Wildcats held on
for a 2-1 win.
The
win keeps Mechanicsburg (6-0) atop the Commonwealth Division standings at 2-0.
The Wildcats are tied with Shippensburg and Waynesboro for the division lead.
"We
keep winning these one-run games we have to win," said Mechanicsburg coach
Don Shirley, whose team has won its last three games by one run apiece.
Red
Land, which opened with four straight wins, falls to 4-2, 0-2. The Patriots have
scored just one run in each of their last two games.
"I think that everybody
can beat everybody in the league," Red Land coach Brandt Cook said.
"It's possible that the teams that end up in the top two of the division
could have a number of losses. There's no doubt that we can't keep losing.
That's for sure."
Mechanicsburg
opened the scoring in the first inning. After one out, Josh Martin singled,
stole second base, and scored on a single by Marc Campbell, who finished with
three hits.
The
Wildcats tacked on another run in the third inning. Jason Altieri opened the
inning with a double, Serafin walked and Campbell singled to load the bases with
one out.
A
sacrifice fly by Matt Wagner scored Altieri and gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.
Red Land pitcher Pat Gladfelter then picked off pinch runner Matt Jumper leading
off second to end the inning.
While
Mechanicsburg was scratching for runs, Red Land was simply hoping for a
baserunner. Serafin set down the first 13 batters he faced, and only one Patriot
batter hit the ball out of the infield in the same span.
"He's
been tough on Red Land," Cook said. "He's beaten us a lot. I knew we
were going to have trouble with him. But we helped them a lot and didn't get any
timely hits."
Third
baseman Bob Wertz broke up the perfect game with one out in the top of the fifth
inning with a double into the gap in right field on a full-count pitch.
Serafin,
who improved to 3-0 with the win, said he never figured he would finish the game
with a no-hitter.
"I knew it wasn't going
to happen," Serafin said.
Shirley
said he wasn't sure Serafin was even on his game early.
"I
was afraid early," Shirley said. "I didn't think he warmed up enough.
But he settled into a nice groove. He's a competitor."
With
two outs, Serafin walked three consecutive Red Land batters — Josh Musselman,
Chad Weaver and Jamie Wright. Weaver nearly gave Red Land the lead, but his hit
down the right field line was just foul.
"It
was just a couple of inches foul," Cook said.
Wright's
walked forced in Wertz and cut the lead to 2-1 with the bases still loaded.
"He
got out of his rhythm a little," Shirley said.
Serafin
then got Kodi Hockenberry to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Serafin regained his composure and allowed just one hit over the final two
innings to finish the complete-game win.
In
a losing effort, Gladfelter (2-1) was solid, allowing seven hits and striking
out four. Mechanicsburg didn't advance a runner past second base in the final
three innings.
"He
couldn't have pitched much better than he did," Cook said.
Mechanicsburg is at Lower
Dauphin and Red Land hosts Cedar Cliff Thursday.
April
20, 1999
Mechanicsburg 11, CD East 0
Bill
Serafin tossed a no-hitter, striking out 10 and walking none, to lead
Mechanicsburg to an 11-0 win over Central Dauphin East Monday.
Serafin
improved to 4-0 for the season and added two hits, including a double, in the
Keystone Division game. Josh Martin added two hits, including a triple. Jason
Altieri doubled.
The Wildcats (8-0, 4-0) play
at Susquehanna Township today.
April
27, 1999
Mechanicsburg 23,
Harrisburg 1
Mechanicsburg
exploded for 14 first-inning runs and went on to hammer Harrisburg 23-1 in
Mid-Penn Keystone Division play at Mechanicsburg on Monday.
Derrick
McGrow sparked the first inning outburst with a grand slam. All nine Wildcat
batters circled the bases in the inning.
Ken
Logan added a two-run home run and drove in three runs.
Mechanicsburg (10-1, 6-0
Keystone) travels to Cedar Cliff today.
April
28, 1999
Mechanicsburg 7, Cedar Cliff 0
Matt
Wagner struck out eight and allowed just three hits to lead Mechanicsburg past
Cedar Cliff in a Mid-Penn Keystone Division game at Cedar Cliff on Tuesday.
Offensively,
Jason Altieri led the Wildcats with three hits, including a double, and scored
three times. Marc Campbell added two hits and a run scored for Mechanicsburg
(10-1, 9-0 Keystone).
Justin
Phillips collected two of the Colts' three hits, including a triple.
Both teams return to play
today with Mechanicsburg traveling to Central Dauphin and Cedar Cliff (9-4, 6-2
Keystone) taking a trip to Harrisburg.
April
29, 1999
Mechanicsburg 8,
Central Dauphin 4
Ryan
Walters drove in four runs on two hits to lead visiting Mechanicsburg past
Central Dauphin 8-4 in a Mid-Penn Keystone Division game on Wednesday.
Walters
singled in his first two runs as part of a four-run first inning. He added two
more RBIs in the fifth.
Defensively,
Kevin Fenstermacher made an incredible diving catch in the fourth inning to save
two runs and maintain a 5-3 Mechanicsburg lead. Wildcats shortstop Matt Wagner
added 10 assists in the game.
Mechanicsburg
(12-1, 8-0 Keystone) travels to Red Land on Friday.
May
4, 1999
Mechanicsburg 3, Lower Dauphin 2
Bill
Serafin had a home run and earned the save on the mound as Mechanicsburg
defeated Keystone Division rival Lower Dauphin 3-2 Monday afternoon.
Serafin's
410-foot, two-run blast came in the third inning to put the Wildcats up 2-0.
Jason Altieri singled, stole second, then scored on a Josh Martin single in the
bottom of the seventh to give the Wildcats the win.
Mechanicsburg (14-1, 10-0
Keystone) plays at Central Dauphin East on Wednesday.
May
6, 1999
Mechanicsburg 12, CD East 1
Bill
Serafin and Jason Altieri combined for a 3-hitter as Mechanicsburg beat Keystone
Division opponent Central Dauphin East 12-1 Wednesday afternoon.
Serafin
had nine strikeouts while Altieri added three and didn't allow a hit or run.
Teammate Sean O'Keefe had a triple and a home run while Josh Martin added a
double.
Mechanicsburg (15-1, 11-0
Keystone) hosts Susquehanna Township on Friday.
May
7, 1999
Baseball tourney changed
The
inaugural Mid-Penn Conference baseball tournament will have a quite an
interesting look, and it may take until the last day of the regular season to
determine who's in and who's out.
During
a recent meeting of the Mid-Penn baseball committee, the coaches agreed to alter
the original plans set for the format of the playoffs. Some of the original
plans still remain.
The
top four finishers from each division — and all four Class A teams — will
qualify for the Mid-Penn playoffs, to be held May 17-19. Five Class AAA, five
Class AA teams and one Class A team will then enter the District 3 playoffs.
When
determining seeds for the Mid-Penn playoffs and there is a tie, a tiebreaker
procedure will be used. It includes head-to-head results, records vs. divisional
opponents, records vs. nondivisional opponents, and even a coin flip if needed.
But
there are some new catches designed to reward the division champions and help
keep teams from wearing their pitchers down before the District 3 playoffs.
The
four division champions will automatically qualify for the district tournament.
The division winners in the Commonwealth and Keystone divisions will play off
for the Mid-Penn's top seed for the D3-AAA playoffs. The champions from the
Capital and Colonial Divisions will do the same for the D3-AA playoffs.
"The way it was set up
before was that even if you won your division, you didn't qualify for
districts," said Mechanicsburg coach Don Shirley, whose team is atop the
Keystone standings. "I definitely think that was something that needed
changed and to (the committee's) credit, they did."
The
second-, third- and fourth-place teams from each division will compete in the
Mid-Penn playoffs for their respective class. The second-place teams get a bye.
"Second
place is real important," said Cedar Cliff coach Will Hoover, whose team is
currently second in the Keystone. "Obviously this makes things more
exciting."
In
the first round of the Mid-Penn playoffs, the third-place team from the
Commonwealth will face the fourth-place team from the Keystone, while the
third-place team in the Keystone will play the fourth-place team from the
Commonwealth. The same format holds true for the Capital and Colonial divisions
in Class AA.
On
the second day of play, the second-seeded teams will play the winners of the
third- and fourth-seed games. The winners of those games will play for third and
fourth place seeds in districts. The losers will play for fifth place.
Shippensburg's
situation changed as well. The Greyhounds are the lone Class AA team competing
in a Class AAA division.
If
the Greyhounds finish in the top four places in the Commonwealth, they'll enter
the Mid-Penn Class AA playoffs. Where they are placed in the bracket would be
based on where they finish in the division.
Originally,
Shippensburg was slated to be the eighth seed in the Mid-Penn Class AA playoffs
regardless if they finished first through fourth in the powerful Commonwealth.
"I'm
pleased, it's a little better than it was," Shippensburg coach John
Bartholow said. "But maybe it's not as fair as it could be considering who
we are playing all season."
If
Shippensburg, already out of the running for the top two spots in the division,
finishes in third or fourth place, the fifth-place team from the Commonwealth
will not be bumped into the Mid-Penn Class AAA playoffs. Instead, the
third-place team from the Keystone Division will receive a bye in the first
round.
If
Shippensburg enters the Mid-Penn Class AA playoffs, the fourth-place team from
the Colonial Division would be bumped out of the postseason as well. The Capital
has seven Class AA teams while the Colonial has just five.
With
that in mind, there are a host of playoff spots still up for grabs. Most
Mid-Penn teams have three or four games remaining with the divisional schedule
set to conclude Wednesday.
In
the Commonwealth, Waynesboro (11-1) and Chambersburg (11-2) qualified for
postseason play, but are battling for the top spot.
Four
teams — Carlisle (6-5), Cumberland Valley (6-6), Shippensburg (5-6) and West
Perry (5-6) — are battling for the third and fourth spots.
Cumberland
Valley has just two games left, at Big Spring Monday and hosts Waynesboro
Wednesday.
Carlisle
is at Shippensburg tonight then hosts Chambersburg Monday and then Big Spring
Wednesday to wrap up the regular season.
"Our
pitchers have to do a better job," Carlisle coach Harry Mundorff said.
"Now we have to say "enough is enough." We want one of those two
spots."
Shippensburg
hosts Carlisle tonight, travels to West Perry Monday and finishes with a home
game against Gettysburg Wednesday. West Perry hosts Gettysburg tonight, hosts
Shippensburg Monday and is at Chambersburg Wednesday.
In
the Keystone Division, Mechanicsburg (11-0) has a two-game lead on second-place
Cedar Cliff (9-2). The teams will meet at Mechanicsburg Monday.
Mechanicsburg
was in a similar situation last year, needing to win one of its last three games
to get into the postseason — they didn't win one of them. This season, the
Wildcats need to win one of their last three to win the division.
Mechanicsburg
will also host Susquehanna Township today and travels to winless Harrisburg
Wednesday. Cedar Cliff hosts CD East today and hosts Susquehanna Township
Wednesday.
Four
teams are still battling for third and fourth place — Central Dauphin (5-5),
Red Land (5-6), Susquehanna Township (5-6) and Lower Dauphin (4-7).
Palmyra
needs just one win in its final four games to wrap up the Capital Division
title. The Cougars are 11-1 and have a three-game lead on East Pennsboro (8-4)
and Hershey (8-4).
The
final three playoff spots are up for grabs. Trinity (7-7), Susquenita (6-6),
Middletown (6-7), Bishop McDevitt (5-7) and Northern (5-9) are all in the hunt
with a lot of baseball left to play.
Greencastle
(7-2) and Biglerville (7-2) are fighting it out for the Colonial Division title.
Bermudian Springs (5-3) and James Buchanan (4-4) are hoping to finish in the top
four as well and get into the Class AA playoffs.
In
Class A, Fairfield (5-4) holds a slim lead over Camp Hill (5-6) for the top
record in Class A. The top team will likely play winless Milton Hershey (0-13)
in the first round while the second-place team will host Steel-High (2-7).
The District 3 playoffs will
start May 24.
May
11, 1999
For a
moment it appeared the Mechanicsburg baseball team had won another game.
Left
fielder Derrick McGrow recorded what was thought to be the final out — a
flyball off the bat of Cedar Cliff's Justin Phillips with two outs in the top of
the seventh inning and the Wildcats holding a 5-4 lead.
But as the Mechanicsburg's
players gathered behind third base to celebrate the victory, the home plate
umpire ruled Wildcats catcher Warren Amon interfered with McGrow's swing.
Phillips was awarded first base.
Two
batters later, Ryan Stephenson smacked a single to center field to give the
Colts a 6-5 lead, which they would hold on to in their wild victory over the
Wildcats in a Mid-Penn Keystone Division game.
"I
don't remember playing in a game quite like that," Stephenson said.
The
loss was Mechanicsburg's first of the season (12-1) in the division The Wildcats
(16-2 overall) have already wrapped a berth in the District 3-AAA playoffs even
if they lose to winless Harrisburg and Cedar Cliff (11-2 in the division)
defeats Susquehanna Township Wednesday. The Wildcats own the tiebreakers.
"I
think we have a pretty resilient bunch and will be able to bounce back,"
Mechanicsburg coach Don Shirley said. "It's tough to go through the whole
season undefeated, and that's what these guys wanted."
The win gives the Colts (15-4
overall) two important things. First, they clinch second place in the Keystone
and to get a first-round bye in the Mid-Penn playoffs, which start May 17.
Just
as important, the Colts continued to build momentum heading into the postseason.
Cedar Cliff has won five straight games and 11 of its last 12.
"This
is a win that can really push us into the playoffs," Stephenson said.
"We know we can beat one of the best teams in the league."
Mechanicsburg
jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning at Memorial Park.
Bill Serafin and Amon had RBI singles in the inning.
Serafin
(6-1) took a no-hitter into the fourth inning before getting touched for four
runs by the Colts. Mike Rehman drove in two runs with a single. Stephenson and
Rehman scored on a Mechanicsburg error.
The
Wildcats tied the game at 4-4 with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Matt
Wagner hit a sacrifice fly and Amon, who had three hits, hit an infield single
to score another run.
"We
played well enough to win today," Shirley said.
In
the bottom of the sixth, Walters led off with a single and pinch runner Scott
Baum moved to second base on Kevin Fenstermacher's sacrifice bunt. Jason Altieri
struck out, but advanced to first on a wild pitch that also allowed Baum to move
up to third.
Mechanicsburg's
next batter, Josh Martin, hit a grounder to Cedar Cliff shortstop Rehman. Rehman
threw to second base to force out Altieri, but Altieri's slide knocked over
Cedar Cliff second baseman Phillips to break up the double play and allow Baum
to score.
"We
got back in the dugout and knew we had to battle back," Stephenson said.
"We knew we had to get the hits and come back."
Cedar
Cliff rallied in the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Brian Brzezinski
singled. With two outs, Phillips reached first on the catcher's interference.
"That's
tough to feel like you have it won then have to go back out there and
refocus," Shirley said. "It's tough to come back like that, especially
with runners on first and second base."
Ben
Glatfelter walked to load the bases for the Colts. Stephenson, who struck out
twice in his first three at-bats, ripped a 1-0 pitch up the middle for a single
off Serafin to score Brzezinski and Phillips and give the Colts the 6-5 lead.
"I
was just glad I got the opportunity," Stephenson said. "(Serafin)
threw me a fastball on the first pitch. So I just sat on the fastball. I was
ready for it."
Stephenson
allowed a single to Amon in the bottom of the seventh inning before recording
the last two outs to end the game. Stephenson improved his record to 7-0.
"I'm speechless,"
Cedar Cliff coach Will Hoover said. "This is the first time we have beat
Mechanicsburg in a long time. This is the type of game that builds momentum for
the postseason. These kids dug down to the bottom of their stomachs and beat a
great team."
May
13, 1999
Runkle, Martin step up at
close of season
Heather Runkle Camp Hill High School Soccer Sophomore Netted seven goals and two assists in three games Josh Martin Mechanicsburg High School baseball Senior Had seven hits and a save to help win division
Camp Hill's
Heather Runkle isn't the most talkative girl on the soccer field. But she's easy
to pick out. She's usually the one scoring for the Lions.
The
forward led Camp Hill with 23 goals and four assists this season. After a solid
start, she came on strong at the end. Last week alone, she tallied seven goals
and two assists. Not bad for a sophomore.
Mechanicsburg
baseball player Josh Martin, a senior, also came on strong late in the season.
Martin
went 7-for-10 at the plate last week and scored five runs in three Wildcat wins.
He also saved one game on the mound as Mechanicsburg wrapped up the Keystone
Division title and berth in the District 3-AAA playoffs.
For their efforts, Runkle and
Martin are The Sentinel Athletes of the Week for May 3 to 9.
Mechanicsburg
hadn't won a division title since 1987 (winning Mid-Penn I). That changed this
season when the Wildcats ended with a 13-1 division mark.
"That's
real important to us because we haven't won that for 10 years," Martin
says. "We've always been second and third. But we knew we were going to be
good this season."
Martin
said he and his teammates couldn't wait for this season to start. After losing
the last three games last season and missing the district playoffs by one game,
the offseason was especially long.
"It
was hard waiting," Martin says. "We knew we had a good team this year
and we were all excited to get the season started."
Mechanicsburg
coach Don Shirley said Martin has been a consistent player since moving to
varsity as a sophomore. Martin hit a game-winning single in the bottom of the
seventh inning against eventual state champion Central Dauphin that season.
"He's
been steady for three years," Shirley says. "He's been very consistent
and has played excellent defense."
"I
feel I've hit the ball pretty consistently this year," said Martin, a .431
hitter this season. "Last week I was just a little more patient. I'm trying
not to swing at the first pitch. I'm trying to be more selective and wait for
better pitches."
Martin's
week consisted of a 2-for-3 game against Lower Dauphin, a 2-for-3 effort against
CD East and a 3-for-4 game against Susquehanna Township, when the Wildcats
locked up a berth in the district playoffs.
"I
think I have gotten a little more aggressive on the bases this year and have a
little more power, too," says Martin, who has a home run, two triples and
two doubles this season and has hit safely in 13 of the last 14 games.
Martin
also earned a save in the 9-5 win over Susquehanna Township. The team's No. 3
pitcher, Martin is 2-0 and has allowed only three runs in 19 1/3 innings.
"I'm
in the bullpen almost every game," Martin says. "But our pitching has
been so good with (Matt) Wagner and (Bill) Serafin, and they get a lot of
complete games, so I haven't had to pitch much."
Here's a closer look at this
week's athletes:
Josh Martin
Mechanicsburg High School
Class:
Senior. What do you like best about baseball? Playing as a team, winning
as a team. What has been your greatest accomplishment in baseball?
Winning Mid-Keystone Division this year. Who is the toughest opponent you
have faced? Travis Hardman of Waynesboro last season. What is the
toughest team you have faced? Palmyra. How many years have you played
baseball? Ten. Do you play other sports? No. What other activities
in school are you involved in? None. What is your favorite subject in
school? History. Who has been the most influential person in your life?
My family. Person you'd most like to meet (alive or dead)? Ken Griffey
Jr. Favorite team? Seattle Mariners. Favorite athlete? Alex
Rodriguez.
May
18, 1999
Trojans down Wildcats, 6-3
Chambersburg
base runner Adam Witter, left, dives safely for first base during the top of the
fifth inning Monday at Memorial Park as Mechanicsburg's Jason Altieri tries to
apply the tag. The Trojans claimed the Mid-Penn Class AAA No. 1 seed with a 6-3
victory. (Wally Shank/The Sentinel)
Bill
Serafin didn't exactly put himself in a good spot in the fifth inning against
Chambersburg Monday afternoon.
The
Mechanicsburg right-hander had a 2-2 game going against the Trojans, retiring
seven of the last eight batters he faced.
Some
outstanding defense and timely pitching put Serafin in control of the potent
Chambersburg lineup. A few breaks here and there, and he had a chance to grab
the Mid-Penn Conference's No. 1 seed for his team in the District 3-AAA playoffs
next week.
Even
after a walk to Trojan No. 8 hitter Adam Witter to start the inning, Serafin
seemed to recover. His pickoff throw to first base beat Witter to the bag, but
the umpire called safe.
Suddenly
the breaks started going the other way, and that's bad news against
Chambersburg.
"I think Billy has
pitched better games this year," Mechanicsburg coach Don Shirley said.
"His fastball didn't have the extra pop on it today. He only gave up five
hits, though, and that's pretty good against their lineup."
It
wasn't the amount of hits, it was when they came.
After
Chambersburg's Matt Hoover singled, Serafin got the first out of the fifth
inning on a groundball to third base. With runners on second and third, he
struck out Scott Folmar for out No. 2.
After
an intentional walk to Andy Dangler (a .570 hitter), Serafin stepped in against
Trojan cleanup hitter Travis Arnsparger and quickly threw two strikes.
One
pitch away from escaping the jam, he fired a fastball on the outside edge of the
plate to the left-handed Arnsparger. The umpire ruled ball one — another break
for the Trojans on a close pitch.
"I
don't know how that kid took that pitch," Shirley said. "Then Bill
made a mistake and got the next pitch up."
Up
and in Arnsparger's hitting zone. The lefty cranked a two-run single to give
Chambersburg a 4-2 lead.
Mechanicsburg
couldn't answer when it faced similar spot in the seventh inning, and the
Trojans took home the 6-3 victory at Memorial Park.
Chambersburg
(19-2) takes the Mid-Penn's No. 1 seed for the District 3 playoffs, and the
Wildcats (18-3) get the No. 2 seed. Both teams are off until the playoffs open
May 24.
"We
had a lot of chances and you have to capitalize," Shirley said.
"Against a good team, you can't leave them on the bases."
Just
like Serafin, Chambersburg starter Aaron Edwards pitched himself into jams
throughout the game. The Wildcats had the bases loaded in the third and seventh
innings and managed just two runs.
Every
time Edwards dug himself into a hole, he climbed out of it.
"I
was a little off and on all day," the right-hander said. "I tried to
go with whatever was working."
Early
in the game, it was the fastball.
When
Mechanicsburg loaded the bases with one out in the third on singles from Josh
Martin and Bill Serafin and a walk to Matt Wagner, Edwards bared down. He walked
Warren Amon to force a 2-2 tie. He responded with a groundball out and strikeout
to end the inning, both on fastballs.
In
the seventh, the Wildcats scored a run and loaded the bases with two outs on a
Serafin single, a Sean O'Keefe walk, a Randy Walters RBI single and a Derrick
McGrow walk.
This
time, Trojan coach Bob Thomas decided he had seen enough.
"We
decided that was it for him," Thomas said. "On the way to the mound, I
decided I might check with him. He said he could go. I told him, `This is it.
You get this guy or you're out.'"
"I
figured I went this far, I might as well finish it," Edwards said.
He
did, using a fastball and three curveballs for the strikeout.
Despite
giving up 10 hits and five walks, Edwards responded with 12 strikeouts to strand
14 Mechanicsburg batters in seven innings of work.
"Every
time he got in trouble, he got out of it," Shirley said. "This isn't
anything new that started today. He has a history of that and we knew it."
Serafin
couldn't come up with the same answers when he got in trouble.
In
the second inning, he had two outs with a man on and a count of two balls and
two strikes to Adam Witter. Serafin hung the next pitch, and Witter, a
left-hander, belted a two-run home run just over the 325-foot sign in right
field.
"That
home run hurt. It hurt a lot," Shirley said.
Chambersburg
added its final two runs on a double steal in the fifth and Folmer's RBI double
in the seventh against Wildcat reliever Matt Wagner.
Mechanicsburg
scored its runs on Kevin Fenstermacher's single in the second, Amon's walk in
the third and Walters' RBI single in the seventh.
They
had plenty of chances to earn more runs.
"I don't think we had
our best effort today, and I'm not happy about that," Shirley said.
"I've felt that way all year. It's something we'll have to fix for the
playoffs."
May
26, 1999
Mechanicsburg powers past
Colonials
CHAMBERSBURG —
Mechanicsburg coach Don Shirley has been waiting all season for his players to
start hitting the ball with power.
In
the first round of the District 3-AAA playoffs against New Oxford Tuesday, the
Wildcats finally began producing with power.
"Tonight
our hitters had a lot of power and I've been waiting for that all season,"
said Shirley. "You can't always count on your hitting though you need
pitching and defense to carry you."
Mechanicsburg
(19-3) had all of the elements of the game covered Tuesday night as the Wildcats
defeated the Colonials 11-1 in six innings at Henninger Field in Chambersburg.
Mechanicsburg's
starting pitcher Matt Wagner started out a little shaky after his team had built
a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
The
Wildcats jumped ahead with two outs in the first inning when Bill Serafin
singled and scored on a home run to straight away center field by Marc Campbell.
In the bottom of the inning,
Wagner was having problems finding the plate and with two Patriots in scoring
position he regained his composure to strike out the last two batters.
"Coach
just told me to relax and be confident," Wagner said.
Wagner
did relax for the rest of the game to strike out 10, and he only gave up one run
when his team had already built a 9-0 lead on the way to his seventh win of the
season.
"My
fastball had a lot of pop tonight," said Wagner. "They were good
hitters but people have bad days some times."
On
the offensive side for the Wildcats there was no relaxing. Everyone was not only
hitting the ball, but hitting it hard.
Serafin
was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored and Campbell and Sean O'Keefe
both had home runs.
After
scoring two in the first Mechanicsburg had plenty of confidence and New Oxford
was beginning to worry.
With
a 3-0 lead in the third inning the Wildcats were not ready to finish scoring.
Josh Martin lead the inning with a single and Serafin followed with one of his
doubles.
Campbell
hit a sacrifice fly ball to deep right field to score Martin. With two outs in
the inning Wagner drew a walk. Serafin scored on a hard hit single by designated
hitter Ryan Walters. Catcher Warren Amon plated Wagner with another hard hit
single.
The
field was not an easy one to defend. The outfield was large and oddly shaped and
since it was a night game the lights made it difficult to judge pop ups.
"It
was hard (to defend) because the ball goes all over the place," said
Serafin. "The lights are low and once it goes up there you can easily lose
it."
The
Wildcats took advantage of the field and scored two more runs in the top of the
fourth.
Jason
Altieri led off by reaching base on an error. With one out in the inning Serafin
doubled to plate Altieri. O'Keefe singled with two outs to score Serafin.
"Tracey
was a good pitcher with a good curve ball," said Serafin. "We just
turned it on today."
New
Oxford turned it on with the threat of being 10-runned in the fifth inning. The
Colonials trailed 9-0 going into the bottom of the fifth inning.
With
two outs in the inning lead off hitter Joey Lawrence tripled on a ball that took
a bad hop in right field. The next batter Chad Clingon singled to give the
Colonials one run and make the score 9-1.
The
Wildcats knew what had to be done in the top of the sixth if they wanted to go
home early.
Kevin
Fenstermacher, who came in to relieve Campbell, led off the inning with a
single. O'Keefe followed with the second home run of the game to right field.
Those two runs gave Mechanicsburg the runs needed to build a 10-run lead.
The Wildcats held the
Patriots in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the game 11-1 and advance to
the second round of the district playoffs.
Mechanicsburg
will face Hempfield in the next round on Thursday at a site and time to be
determined later. The Knights defeated Boyertown 3-2 in 10 innings Tuesday
night.
May
28, 1999
Serafin sparks Wildcats win
EPHRATA —
The comparison starts with the reputations.
In
District 3 baseball play, Mechanicsburg pitcher Bill Serafin is just another
face. He doesn't have a blazing fastball. His curveball is better than average.
A no-nonsense pitcher.
Hempfield's
Aaron Herr is a budding superstar. The son of former Major Leaguer Tom Herr,
Aaron is junior right-hander with a fastball that cracks the mit at around 86
miles per hour.
Herr
is all glitz. He throws hard, striking out the first four Wildcat batters he
faced Thursday on just 15 pitches. His mannerisms speak of Greg Maddux and he
plays with emotion.
Serafin,
he doesn't really do anything pretty. He allowed a Hempfield runner to reach
second base in each of the first five innings. He never smiles on the mound, he
never frowns.
This
was glitz vs. grit Thursday night at Ephrata High School — Hempfield and its
star pitcher vs. Mechanicsburg and its gutty pitcher.
"That's how I like
it," Serafin said.
With
a little friendly advice from his mom and some stellar defense, Serafin was a
rock on the mound for seven innings against the Black Knights.
The
only help his offense could provide was all he needed — Marc Campbell's RBI
single off Herr in the bottom of the sixth.
Grit
won out. Mechanicsburg knocked off Lancaster-Lebanon champ Hempfield 1-0 to
advance to the District 3-AAA semifinals Tuesday.
The
Wildcats (20-3) face Governor Mifflin (21-4), a 13-3 winner over Manheim
Central, at RiverSide Stadium at 5 p.m. They can thank Serafin's mom for setting
the tone early Thursday morning.
"She
woke me up and told me that this was the biggest day of my life," Serafin
said. "I said, `Be quiet.' I had finally gotten over the nervousness and
she says that."
"I
guess we owe Billy's mom a thank you," Mechanicsburg manager Don Shirley
said. "He's a clutch player. He's absolutely a battler."
Serafin
was battling through the first four innings Thursday while Herr seemed in total
control.
The
Black Knights' ace pitcher struck out the side in the first through fourth
innings, limiting the Wildcats to three base hits. When Serafin led off the
fourth with a double, Herr answered by striking out Campbell, Sean O'Keefe and
Matt Wagner on 13 pitches.
Serafin
wasn't as pretty, but just as effective.
In
the first, he allowed a two-out double to Herr before fielding Doug Bechtold's
hard linedrive for the final out.
In
the second, Serafin gave up a walk and an infield single with two outs. He
struck out Knights No. 9 hitter Josh Albright on a curveball to end the threat.
In
the third, Serafin gave up a two-out single and stolen base to Herr before
getting Bechtold to ground out to first.
In
the fourth, Serafin allowed a leadoff double to Chad Guzenhauser before
sandwiching two strikeouts around a groundout.
"Their
guy on the hill threw a great game, so did Aaron," Hempfield manager Tom
Getz said. "They just happened to squeak one in."
The
Knights had the golden opportunity first, in the top of the fifth.
With
one down, leadoff hitter John Wilson hit the third double of the game off of
Serafin. No. 2 hitter Steve Roberts stepped in next with Herr on deck.
"I
worry all the time," Shirley said about the tight situations. "But I
have a lot of confidence in Billy."
"That's
when you step it up," Serafin said. "You just focus in."
This
time Hempfield provided some help.
Roberts
lined Serafin's second pitch on a groundball to shortstop. Wilson broke with the
crack of the bat. Problem was, the ball went right to Wagner, who fielded it
cleanly and tagged out Wilson for out No. 2.
"What
can you say, it was a base-running mistake," Getz said.
Still,
Herr was up next, already smoking two hits off Serafin. This time he never got a
chance. Roberts took off from first base on a steal attempt, but Serafin and
catcher Warren Amon had a pitchout on. Amon gunned Roberts down at second base
for the final out.
"Pitching
and defense are what got us this far, and that's what won the game
tonight," Shirley said.
Plus
a little help from a wounded veteran.
Herr
got through the bottom of the fifth without much trouble. Serafin answered in
the top of the sixth with a one-two-three inning, including a strikeout against
Herr.
Herr
finally cracked a little in the bottom of the sixth.
Josh
Martin led off the inning with a single and moved to second when the umpires
ruled Herr balked on a pickoff attempt. Serafin followed with a groundball out
back to Herr that advanced Martin to third.
With
one down, Campbell stepped to the plate.
The
senior right fielder missed the middle part of the season with a hamstring
injury, returning to the starting lineup in the first round of districts Monday.
In
his first plate appearances against Herr Thursday, Campbell struck out twice.
"I
was just looking to make contact and put the ball in play," Campbell said.
"He was pitching me outside all game. I struck out twice, so I wasn't
looking to pound the ball."
Herr
tried to get Campbell to chase his best pitch — a chin-high fastball —
twice, but Campbell backed off both times.
"That
was tough," Campbell said. "I like those pitches."
Finally,
on his fourth pitch, Herr delivered a fastball low on the outside corner and
Campbell followed his intuition.
"That's
what I was looking for," he said. "I just tried to put it out there.
It's been a long year, and I just wanted to contribute."
Campbell
hit a bloop single that dropped just over the first-base bag to bring Martin
home for the 1-0 lead.
After
a fielder's choice, Wagner followed with a double down the third base line to
put runners on second and third. Herr dug down one more time, striking out Ryan
Walters to end the inning.
But
one run was a mighty big deal in this showdown.
"I
was worried about going into extra innings," Serafin said. "That run
was a big lift."
Hempfield
sent its Nos. 6, 7 and 8 batters to the plate in the top of the seventh, and
Serafin went to work.
He struck out Chris Biechler
for third time in the game to start things off.
Then
came a groundball out to Wagner at shortstop for out No. 2. Finally, a
groundball out to Martin at second to end the game and bring out the emotions
for Mechanicsburg.
"That
was a championship game with the intensity out there," Shirley said.
"The composure both teams showed was tremendous."
"(Our seniors) have
waited four years to get into the playoffs," Campbell said. "We're out
to prove we belong here."
May
31, 1999
Teams closing on D3 title
games
Mechanicsburg baseball coach
Don Shirley has been around long enough to know when a team is primed for a
letdown.
When
his Wildcats lost to Chambersburg 6-3 in the Mid-Penn title game on May 17, the
28-year veteran coach didn't like what he saw on the field. The loss he could
live with. The way his team played was another story.
"I
didn't think they were focused out there and played with intensity,"
Shirley said. "But the most important thing for our team now is how they
reacted to that. The focus and intensity the last two games has been as strong
as it can be. They have a goal right now and they want to reach it."
A
letdown? Forget it.
The
goal is the District 3-AAA title and the Wildcats are two steps away from it.
The first step won't be an
easy one. Mechanicsburg (20-3) will face Governor Mifflin (23-4) in the
semifinals at 5 p.m. Tuesday at RiverSide Stadium in Harrisburg.
The
winner will advance to Thursday's final and also earn a berth in the state
tournament. Mechanicsburg hasn't been in a district final since 1984, which is
also the last time the Wildcats appeared in the state tournament.
"My only concern right
now is maintaining that level of intensity that we've had for the last two
games," Shirley said.
Mechanicsburg
reached the semifinals using all facets of the game. The Wildcats pounded out 16
hits in an 11-1 victory over New Oxford in the first round. They got solid
defense and top-notch pitching from Bill Serafin in a 1-0 win over
Lancaster-Lebanon League champion Hempfield in the quarterfinals.
"I don't want Hempfield
to be the highlight of our season," Shirley said.
Mechanicsburg
will face an offensive-minded Governor Mifflin team that was the runner-up in
the Berks County League. The Mustangs have six players in their starting lineup
with batting averages over .390.
"We
have hit the ball," Governor Mifflin coach Ed Williamson said.
"Offensively, we are better than any team I have ever had. I thought our
strength would be solid pitching. It's been there, but it hasn't been
outstanding."
Governor
Mifflin defeated Dallastown 8-3 in the first round then routed Manheim Central
13-3 in the quarterfinals. The Mustangs hit three home runs in the win over
Manheim.
"Looking
at the scores, they seem to hit the ball well," Shirley said.
Williamson
said he will start junior right-hander Tim Gombar (3-1, 2.36 ERA) on Tuesday.
Though he could opt for senior left-hander Brandon DeWald (6-0, 2.58 ERA).
"We're
keeping people under five runs a lot," said Williamson, who is in his 18th
season. "We don't have a dominant pitcher who is going to shut anyone
down."
Mechanicsburg
will counter with senior righty Matt Wagner (7-0, 0.86 ERA). In his last outing
against New Oxford, Wagner threw a five-hitter and struck out 10 in six innings
of work.
"His
strength has been his control," Shirley said. "His location is
excellent. He mixes speeds very well."
The winner will face the
winner of the 7:30 p.m. game at RiverSide Stadium between Chambersburg (22-2)
and Central Dauphin (19-6). The final is set for Thursday at a site and time to
be determined.
June
4, 1999
Trojans defeat Wildcats, 4-3
Mechanicsburg's Jason Altieri,
left, signals for time as Chambersburg second baseman Chaz Runk looks for the
call during the fifth inning Thursday at RiverSide Stadium. Altieri was safe.
(Jason Minick/The Sentinel)
HARRISBURG
— It seemed like an unfair way to end a great baseball game.
Chambersburg
baserunner Mike Carr stood on second base with no outs in the bottom of the
seventh inning of Thursday's District 3-AAA title game with Mechanicsburg at
RiverSide Stadium.
He
turned to look into the outfield as Adam Witter flyball skyed into deep center
field — by far the highest-hit ball of the evening.
After
a few seconds, Mechanicsburg center fielder Sean O'Keefe threw his arms up in
the air. No one knew at first whether O'Keefe was simply letting his teammates
know he had the play or if he couldn't find the ball.
Carr
played it safe. He stood at second base for a moment. He thought O'Keefe might
have been playing possum — just two pitches before, Mechanicsburg nearly
worked the hidden-ball play to perfection and got Carr leaning off at second
base.
Whether it was the wind —
which gusted all night toward left field — or the lights, O'Keefe never found
the ball. It landed some 20 feet to his right in left-center field.
Carr came around to score as
Witter ended up on third base with a triple, and Chambersburg took a 4-3 victory
to claim its second district title in three years.
"It's
too bad it had to end that way, but I'll take it," Chambersburg coach Bob
Thomas said. "It (the ball) got up in the wind and got a lot farther than I
thought it would."
It
was the second tough loss of the season for Mechanicsburg to the Trojans. They
also fell short in a 6-3 decision on May 17 in the Mid-Penn Class AAA first-seed
game.
"I'm
as disappointed as I can be," Mechanicsburg coach Don Shirley said while
walking quickly to the team bus. "It was two great teams out there."
The
Wildcats will have to put the loss behind them quickly because Monday's
first-round opponent in the state tournament is a tough one. Mechanicsburg
(21-4) faces District 1 champion Coatesville (20-2), a state finalist last year,
in the first round at a site and time to be determined.
"Hopefully
this will get us energized for states," Shirley said.
Things
started well for Mechanicsburg in the top of the first inning. After one out,
Josh Martin tripled to the center-field wall and scored two pitches later on
Bill Serafin's groundout.
But
Serafin got off to a rocky start on the mound in the bottom of the first inning.
The senior right-hander walked Chaz Runk on four pitches, then threw the ball
away trying to pick off Runk at first base.
After
one out, Runk moved to third when Andy Dangler hit a check-swing infield single.
Travis Arnsparger followed
with a
three-run
home run over the right-field wall to give Chambersburg a 3-1 lead.
Serafin
(7-3) pitched an almost-flawless game the rest of the way. He struck out a
season-high 12 and walked only one batter. He allowed just one baserunner to
second until the seventh inning.
"His
curveball was on," Carr said. "We weren't even seeing any fastballs.
It was curveball after curveball after curveball."
After
leaving the bases loaded in the second inning, Mechanicsburg struck for two runs
off Chambersburg starter Chad Braniff in the top of the third.
Martin
smacked a solo home run to left field to open the inning and cut the lead to
3-2. Serafin singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by O'Keefe to tie the
game at 3-3.
"They
are a great team," Carr said of Mechanicsburg. "I hope we can see them
in states."
While
Chambersburg couldn't find a way to get to Serafin through the middle innings,
Mechanicsburg was just as helpless against Braniff in the final four innings.
The
sophomore allowed only one hit in that span — a single by Altieri to open the
fifth inning — and retired the last nine batters he faced.
"I
was really nervous at the start of the game," Braniff said. "Being
this is my sophomore year, I'm not used to this."
Neither
team threatened until the seventh inning, when Chambersburg scored the
game-wining run. Carr opened by walking on four pitches. On the first pitch to
the next batter, Witter, Carr stole second base.
"I
told Mike, if you get on base, we're going to steal ... just don't get
caught," Thomas said.
On
an 0-1 count to Witter, Mechanicsburg tried a hidden-ball play in hopes of
picking off Carr.
Serafin
turned and faked a throw to second base. Shortstop Matt Wagner and second
baseman Martin acted as if the ball was thrown into center field.
Carr
took two steps off second base, but got back before Serafin could throw to
Martin, who was approaching the second base bag.
"I
sort of got lucky," Carr said. "That was an awesome play."
Two
pitches later, Witter slammed the ball to center field that fell in for a hit
and gave Chambersburg the district title.
"I was tagging the whole
time," Carr said. "When the center fielder put his hands out, I said
`I am scoring.'"
June
8, 1999
Wildcats bats sleep in 5-0
loss to Raiders
COLLEGEVILLE — Jason
Altieri did just what you want your leadoff hitter to do Monday.
The Mechanicsburg senior went
3-for-3 against Coatesville ace pitcher Glenn Woolard, smacking three singles
and reaching second base twice (by an error and wild pitch).
Altieri stood on second base
twice with less than one out. That's how you ignite an offense.
Unfortunately for the
Wildcats, everything else fizzled from there in the first round of the PIAA
Class AAA baseball playoffs.
Mechanicsburg (21-5) managed
just two more hits against Woolard, who struck out 10 for a complete-game, 5-0
win at Ursinus College in Collegeville.
"We didn't hit. We
haven't hit the way I think we can the last two games," Wildcats coach Don
Shirley said. "When you're playing a good team and you're not even putting
the ball in play, you'll be in trouble."
Coatesville (21-2) certainly
has the pedigree of a good team — three straight trips to the PIAA playoffs, a
runner-up finish to Mt. Lebanon last year and a 20-2 record entering PIAAs
Monday.
And with Woolard on the
mound, the Red Raiders eased into round two Thursday where they will face
Tunkhannock.
Woolard's performance was
even more impressive considering he threw over 110 pitches in 98 degree heat.
"My kids throw six-day
schedules," Coatesville coach Hal Ziegler said. "Glenn's days were
Mondays and Tuesdays during the season. That gave him time during the year so
his arm could recuperate. I think his arm's pretty well resilient now."
Altieri didn't seem to have
any trouble, opeing the game with a linedrive single and advancing to second
base when the Red Raider left fielder bobbled the ball.
Woolard didn't allow another
Wildcat to reach base until Altieri batted again in the third inning. This time
Altieri singled with two outs and then tried to reach second base on a steal
attempt.
No go. Coatesville catcher
Tim Duff gunned him down for the third out of the inning.
Already leading 1-0, the Red
Raiders broke the game open in the bottom of the third against Mechanicsburg
starter Bill Serafin.
Serafin allowed an unearned
run in the first, and pitched out of a jam in the second. With one down in the
third, he started another jam by walking No. 2 hitter Rich Orph.
"Bill's been our No. 1
starter and I felt he deserved the start," Shirley said. "The heat
affected both teams, but I think it affected Billy a little more."
Serafin relies on a curveball
to get hitters out, but the curve started hanging up in the strike zone in the
third inning and Coatesville jumped on it.
First, Dan Newton lined a
single to left field. Then designated hitter John Yearsley followed with an RBI
double down the left-field line, moving Yearsley to third.
With the Wildcats down 2-0,
Shirley headed out to the mound to offer some advice to Serafin.
"I told him he needed to
get the ball down. He was too inconsistent," Shirley said. "He just
wasn't as sharp as he has been."
Serafin hung another
curveball in the next at-bat to Duff, and the senior belted a two-run double
into right-center field for a 4-0 lead.
That's a good margin in any
game; a huge margin with Woolard on the mound.
"That's what high school
pitching is about," Ziegler said. "You hang some and you hit them.
That's what good hitting teams need to do."
The Wildcats faced Woolard
with a new approach in the fourth inning — patience.
With the Nos. 2 through 4
hitters due up, Mechanicsburg decided to test Woolard's concentration. After
Josh Martin struck out, Serafin dug in and proceded to foul off nine pitches in
a 14-pitch at-bat. The end result was a single to center field and some hope for
the Wildcats.
"All the kid was
throwing was fastballs," Shirley said. "We have to be able to hit
that."
They couldn't. Marc Campbell
stepped in next, working a full count and fouling off three pitches. Woolard
struck him out swinging on a fastball.
Sean O'Keefe followed and
worked another full count. Woolard sent him down swinging for a third strike to
end the inning.
When Newton added some
insurance with a solo home run off of relief pitcher Matt Wagner in the fifth
inning, Woolard finished off the Wildcats.
His only walk of the game
came against Wagner to lead off the fifth inning, but Duff picked off a pinch
runner and Mechanicsburg went down 1-2-3.
Altieri smacked a one-out
single in the sixth, but Woolard struck out Martin and forced Serafin into a
groundout.
The seventh was more of the
same, with Woolard striking out two batters before Wagner singled. This time
Warren Amon followed with a popout to the shortstop in left field to end the
game.
"The focus should go on
(Coatesville). They're a tough team," Shirley said. "It was very
important for these seniors to get here. But we didn't get into states to just
play one game.