1968 Varsity Baseball

Mechanicsburg WildcatsCoach - Don Shirley; 32nd seasonDivision - KeystoneClassification - AAALast year's record - 15-6 overallKey players lost - Steve Kline (P/OF); Jim Serafin (P/ IF); Alex Sudak (P/OF); Jason Ringquist (3B)Key players returning - Jarold Gruber (Sr., P/OF); Bucky Kosyk (Sr., P/IF); Patrick Gorman (Sr., P/OF), Dan Makowski (Sr., 3B); Jon Kopchick (Sr., 2B); Matt Trusch (Sr., SS/P); Ryan Melick (Jr., OF)Opener - March 22 at CarlisleCoach's comments- We lost 12 seniors last year, including our starting catcher, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder and center fielder. We only had one non-senior starter.It's going to be interesting because those kids that are coming back were quality backups, they just didn't start. We have a good nucleus coming back, but we don't have the numbers.

Mechanicsburg 3, Chambersburg 2

Mechanicsburg pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the sixth, topping Chambersburg 3-2 in a nondivision baseball game Monday.

Kevin Gorman picked up the pitching win, allowing two runs and three hits in six innings of work. Bucky Kosyk pitched a one-two-three seventh inning for the save. John Kopcheck, Jeremy Boone and Matt Trusch scored runs for the Wildcats.

Mechanicsburg (1-0) hosts Cedar Cliff Thursday.

Mechanicsburg's Patrick Gorman slides into home after a passed ball as Cedar Cliff's Brian Stringer (34) awaits the throw from catcher Kevin Murphy Thursday at Memorial Park in Mechanicsburg. (Michael Bupp/The Sentinel)

If the ability to win one-run games is a major component of winning championships, Mechanicsburg is going to give teams fits in the Mid-Penn Keystone Division this year.

With an impressive 3-2 win over defending District 3-AAA champion Chambersburg in the tank, the Wildcats pulled out a 4-3 win over the Cedar Cliff Colts Thursday at Memorial Park in Mechanicsburg.

The Wildcats (2-0 overall, 1-0 Keystone) took advantage of some uncharacteristic mistakes by the Colts (1-2 overall, 0-1 division) to score three runs in the fourth inning to take the lead. From there, starting pitcher Bucky Kosyk found a bit of a groove and made the one-run lead stand up.

In a game where Kosyk said he didn't have his best stuff, he still was able to settle in and retire the last nine Colts he faced.

"I didn't have my best stuff tonight, and that's two games in a row," said the senior right-hander, who also pitched in the season opener against the Trojans. "I had some first-game jitters. I knew I had to be good because they were such a great hitting team."

Trailing 3-1 in the fourth, Wildcat Matt Trusch started the rally with a hard single down the left-field line. After Melick forced Trusch at second with a groundout, Jeremy Boone ripped the first pitch he saw from Colt starting pitcher Brian Strawser to right field. Melick was on the move with the pitch and reached third base without a throw.

Strawser then caught Boone leaning toward second, but first baseman Ryan Acri's throw to second base was high and sailed into left field. Melick scored on the play, and Boone continued all the way to third base, just beating the throw of Colt left fielder Derek Holjes.

Strawser appeared ready to escape further damage when he struck out Wildcat Jordan O'Keefe. However, Kosyk helped himself by looping an RBI single to left field which scored Boone.

With the score tied 3-3 and Dan Makowski in as a courtesy runner for Kosyk, Strawser's pickoff attempt caromed off the end of Acri's glove and allowed Makowski to move into scoring position at second base. The mistake proved costly when Patrick Gorman singled up the middle to score Makowski for the game-winner.

Mechanicsburg pounded out four of its eight hits on the game in the fourth inning, but the three Colt errors enabled the rally to continue longer than it should have.

"We work on defense constantly," said Cedar Cliff head coach Will Hoover. "Our guys are good fielders. The overthrow by Acri is a play he makes nine out of 10 times ... the tag play ... things just happen. We had our chances, but you can't let a team like Mechanicsburg stick around. (Mechanicsburg head coach Don Shirley) has done that for years and has been very successful."

Indeed, if not for some clutch pitching by Kosyk in the first inning, he may not have been around long enough to benefit from the late Wildcat rally.

The Colts loaded the bases in the first inning with the first three batters. Leadoff designated hitter Matt Curran led off with a walk. Derron Pellman ripped a line single to center, and Adam Jacobs walked. However, Kosyk was able to sandwich Lee Moore's sacrifice fly between two strikeouts to give up only the one first inning run.

"The first three innings he struggled a little bit," Shirley said of his ace. "He wasn't real sharp, but we as a team weren't real sharp. But, its a gutsy group. We have taken advantages of miscues to win the early games, and that's a sign of a good team."

"We should have come up with more than one in the first," said Hoover. "We had a chance to knock him out. You gotta get (Kosyk) early."

The Colts built a 3-1 lead with two runs in the fourth. Colt Ted Staruch singled, stole second and scored on Jon Zimmerman's single. Zimmerman came around to score on a past ball.

The Wildcats took advantage of a passed ball to score their first run after Patrick Gorman singled and stole second. Gorman was 1-for-1 with two walks and a run scored to go along with his game-winning hit. Designated hitter John Kopchick, Boone, and Kosyk all had two hits apiece. Kosyk scattered four hits and four walks, but used his six strikeouts to escape damage.

"This game is a credit to the team," said Kosyk. "We gutted it out. That's a team win you just saw right there."

"Our defense has been outstanding," said Shirley. "We got great games from Boone, Trusch, and Gorman had the game winning hit.

"I don't know where our heads were with our baserunners, though. We're used to fielding groundballs, but not running the bases. We have a lot of mistakes to fix. There were too many missed signs, and mental and physical errors."

Hoover pointed to the same things as points of emphasis for his team.

"We'll get back to work," said Hoover. "We have a great group, and a nice group of seniors. We'll bounce back. This is a tough league. Every game, every team has a chance to win."

Curran, Pellman, Staruch, and Zimmerman had the Colt singles.

Mechanicsburg's Kevin Hellam no-hit Carlisle Saturday, and the Wildcats went on to defeat the Herd 12-0 in cross-divisional baseball action.

Hellam went five innings, allowing no runs, no hits and only two bases on balls. He struck out four.

"Occasionaly he got the ball up, but there was really nothing to criticise today," Mechanicsburg coach Don Shirley said of his pitcher. "We've been playing good defense, and that's part of (a no-hitter). He walked two guys and only struck out four, so they put some balls in play.

"I'm very pleased. The mental part of the the team - as far as mental erorrs - still has a long way to go. But we finally hit the ball today. We're just thrilled with the start."

Catcher Ryan Melick added three hits in three at-bats with a pair of runs scored for the Wildcats. Matt Trusch went 1-for-3 from the pate with three runs scored.

Mechanicsburg improved its record to 3-0, 1-0 in the Keystone Division. The Wildcats travel to Red Land Monday.

Carlisle slipped to 1-2 on the year, but remained 1-0 in the Commonwealth. The Herd hosts Waynesboro Monday.

"Hitting wise, we have some positions we're trying to firm up," Carlise coach Harry Mundorff said. "In the infield, we're tyring to find the right combination (of guys) now. We just don't have luxury of 12-15 games like colleges have before they start conference play."

Mechanicsburg 9, Hershey 5

Mechanicsburg's baseball team ran its record to 4 - 0 overall by beating Hershey 9 - 5 Wednesday.

Matt Trusch had two hits, including a home run, in four at - bats for the Wildcats. He scored twice.

Catcher Ryan Melick also went deep for Mechanicsburg, hitting a two - run shot in the bottom of the first inning that tied the score.

Jon Kopchick went 1 - for - 3 with two runs scored. He hit a double in the sixth inning.

Mechanicsburg (4 - 0; 2 - 0 Keystone) travels to Red Land today.

Mechanicsburg's baseball team improved to 5-0 overall Thursday with a 4-0 win over Keystone Division opponent Red Land.

Patrick Gorman had two doubles and two runs scored in two at-bats for the Wildcats. Jeremy Boone had one hit in two at-bats, including the game-winning RBI.

Bucky Kosyk went seven innings, giving up four hits and striking out nine, to earn the win.

Mechanicsburg (5-0; 3-0 Keystone) travels to Central Dauphin today.

Mechanicsburg 8, Central Dauphin 0

Mechanicsburg won again, beating Central Dauphin 8-0 to stay perfect on the season. The Wildcats are 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the Keystone Division.

Mechanicsburg 7, Susquehanna Twp. 0

Nearly a week of rain didn't slow down Mechanicsburg's baseball team, which rolled to 7-0 on the season Thursday with a 7-0 Keystone Division win over Susquehanna Twp.

The Wildcats have the best record in the Mid-Penn.

Center fielder Gerald Gruber had three hits and a pair of RBIs in three at-bats, and Bucky Kosky had a hit and two RBIs in three at-bats.

Kevin Gorman earned the win for Mechanicsburg, allowing one hit in seven innings, and striking out 11.

Mechanicsburg (7-0; 5-0 Keystone) stays home for a doubleheader against State College Saturday.

Biglerville's baseball team has played three games, while Mechanicsburg has fit in seven.

"We've been lucky," Mechanicsburg coach Don Shirley said last week. "I think that our infield, in particular, handles water very well. We were able to play when other teams couldn't.

"I'm not sure how far behind other teams are, but anytime you can play the games on your schedule, or play the next day, it's a bonus. You don't want to get backed up and have to make up all those games in one week."

Lower Dauphin 3, Mechanicsburg 2

Mechanicsburg split a pair of games Saturday, topping State College 2-1 and falling to Lower Dauphin 3-2.

The Wildcats opened the day with the 2-1 win over the Little Lions in a nondivision game on Patrick Gorman's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.

Mechanicsburg followed that win with its first loss of the season, a 3-2 decision to Lower Dauphin in a Keystone Division game. Ed Schwartz smacked a three-run home run in the first inning off Wildcat starter Bucky Kosyk and it stood up for the win.

Mechanicsburg (8-1 overall, 5-1 division) plays at Cedar Cliff Monday.

Mechanicsburg baseball coach Don Shirley will take a temporary leave from the team to undergo treatment for soft tissue cancer. No time table has been set for his return, though Shirley, who is in his 32nd year as coach of the Wildcats, is optimistic. "I could be back on Monday," he said. "It just depends what the doctors tell me." (Jason Minick/The Sentinel)

Mechanicsburg head baseball coach Don Shirley said Monday that he will be temporarily leaving the team to undergo treatment for cancer of the soft tissue on the right side of his trunk.

That surgery is planned for Wednesday, in Pittsburgh.

"I'll probably need two surgeries a month apart," Shirley said. "We're optimistic."

Soft tissue sarcomas, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), are tumors that develop in the tissues that connect, support or surround organs in the body.

Shirley lost a kidney to cancer in 1993, and said that this latest diagnosis is related.

"Kidney cancer is a strange thing," he said. "It doesn't get the recognition that some other forms of cancer do.

"In '93 I had kidney cancer and had a kidney removed. Everything's been fine 'til ... Well, the cancer is back."

Luckily, Shirley said, it hasn't targeted his other kidney.

"It's not the other one, thank God," he said, patting his right side. "It's in the soft tissue where the kidney was."

While the California Kidney Cancer Foundation estimates that more than 30,000 cases of kidney cancer will be reported in 2003, soft tissue sarcomas are relatively uncommon. According to the NCI they account for less than one percent of new cancer cases per year, and in 2000, it is estimated that 8,100 new cases of soft tissue sarcoma were reported.

Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are options for combating soft tissue sarcomas, though the NCI reports that surgery, in which the doctor removes the cancer and a safe portion of tissue surrounding it, is the standard.

Which is good news for Shirley — who has been coaching Mechnicsburg's baseball team for 31 years and has no plans to stop now.

The Wildcats are 9-1 overall and leading the Keystone Division with a 6-1 record. They suffered their first loss Saturday, to Lower Dauphin.

"Winning games makes you feel a lot better," Shirley said with a laugh. "This is just a physical thing. It's nothing they're telling me I have to do.

"I doubt I'll be throwing batting practice, and I don't know if I'll be coaching (soon). I won't be able to drive at all, so there's a lot of 'ifs' here.

"But I could be back on Monday. It just depends what the doctors tell me."

Mechanicsburg's Dan Amon slides safely into second base as Cedar Cliff second baseman Matt Curran leaps over him during the third inning Monday at Cedar Cliff High School. The Wildcats defeated the Colts 12-2 in five innings. (Jason Minick/The Sentinel)

The Cedar Cliff pitcher found himself in the disagreeable position of pitching against a Mechanicsburg team smarting from its first loss of the season, a 3-2 decision to Lower Dauphin Saturday.

Though Mechanicsburg scratched by State College 2-1 in the first of two games Saturday, the offensive-minded Wildcats managed just three hits and two runs in the afternoon loss to Lower Dauphin.

"After Saturday, I was worried," Wildcats head coach Don Shirley said. "We faced two good pitchers and didn't get great production. Sometimes that can put you in a funk.

"And Cedar Cliff is always tough."

Monday afternoon, though, Shirley wasn't worrying any more.

The Wildcats (9-1; 6-1 Keystone) jumped on Knucson for eight runs in 3.2 innings Monday, then tagged relievers Josh Simpson and Derek Stoner for four more runs in the next inning-and-a-third.

The mercy rule ended the 12-2 game after the fifth inning.

"When you win a big ball game and then lose a tight one (as Mechanicsburg did Saturday), I think it prepares you for a game like this," Cedar Cliff head coach Will Hoover said. "They put the ball in play, and hit it hard."

The Wildcats mashed three doubles, four triples and a home run on Cedar Cliff's field — which has no outfield fence. Colt outfielders were sent scurrying down hills and around another field's bleachers to gather the blasts.

"After Saturday, facing (Andrew Reichard) from State College and (Derrik) Lutz, who may be the best two pitchers in the state, we were ready to go," Wildcat shortstop Matt Trusch, who launched the third-inning home run, said. "The bats really came alive in the third inning."

Kevin Hellam earned his third win of the season for Mechanicsburg. He pitched five innings, giving up two runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out two.

Knucson got the loss, allowing nine runs in three-and-a-third innings. He gave up nine hits, struck out two and walked one.

"He was tense when we were down (1-0 in the third)," Trusch said of his pitcher, "but with the run support, he settled down."

Hellam hadn't allowed a run in 10 innings in his two previous starts, giving up just two hits and struck out 11 in wins over Carlisle and Central Dauphin.

And run support hasn't been a problem for Hellam, either.

Mechanicsburg outscored Hellam's first two opponents 20-0, defeating Carlisle 12-0, and shutting out Central Dauphin 8-0.

"Hellam did a great job," Shirley said. "He wasn't sharp today. ... We just hit the ball so hard."

Designated hitter Jon Kopchick paced Mechanicsburg's offense, getting three hits in three plate appearances, scoring two runs and driving in three.

Left fielder Dan Amon had two hits and three runs-scored in two at-bats for the Wildcats, and second baseman Jeremy Boone had two hits and scored two runs in three at-bats.

"He's been lucky with that this year," Shirley said of Hellam's run support. "More-so than that, though, the three double plays today were huge."

Cedar Cliff batters cracked their share of pitches, but where Mechanicsburg bloops cleared a diving shortstop and line drives hugged the foul lines for triples, the Colts ripped liners that were snagged by diving infielders and turned into highlight-reel double plays.

Lee Moore had a hit and an RBI in two at-bats for the Colts; he also drove one foul ball through the rear window of teammate Kevin Murphy's Plymouth.

"We hit the ball hard today," Hoover said, "right into double plays.

"There's not much you can say; we've been snake-bitten this year. The guys know, if you keep hitting the ball hard, good things are going to happen."

The Colts (2-5; 1-4 Keystone) got on the board first, with Darren Pellman singling to center to start the second inning. He stole second, moved to third on Ryan Acri's basehit, and scored on Jon Zimmerman's sacrifice bunt.

"We used that drag bunt early in the game," Hoover said. "I thought one run could make the difference."

Mechanicsburg charged back in the top of the third inning.

Left fielder Amon walked to start the inning, then stole second. Center fielder Gerald Gruber pushed him to third with a sacrifice bunt.

Kopchick drove him in with a single that tie the game. Trusch followed him with a home run; two batters later Boone crushed a triple and first baseman Bucky Kosyk flicked a bloop single that scored him.

The Wildcats then batted around in the fourth inning, with Kopchick, catcher Ryan Melick and Kosyk driving in the runs.

Amon tripled to lead off the fifth. Gruber walked, putting runners on the corners. Pinch hitter Justin Eckert cleared them both with a triple to deep center than put the Wildcats up 12-2.

Red Land 3, Mechanicsburg 1

Red Land handed Mechanicsburg just its second loss of the season Wednesday, defeating the Wildcats 3-1.

A two-run, based loaded single in the third inning put the Patriots up for good.

Red Land (5-3; 4-3 Keystone) hosts Waynesboro today.

Mechanicsburg (9-2; 6-2 Keystone) plays at CD East today.

Kosyk

Mechanicsburg's Bucky Kosyk threw the area's first no-hitter of the baseball season Thursday, shutting down Central Dauphin East and leading the Wildcats to a 4-0 victory.

Kosyk struck out eight in seven innings of work. He walked two batters, and the Wildcats committed one error.

Leadoff batter Gerald Gruber led Mechanicsburg offensively, going 2-for-3 from the plate with two doubles. He scored three runs; Dan Makowski scored the Wildcats' other run.

Matt Trusch added two hits, including a triple, in the win.

Mechanicsburg (10-2; 7-2) plays Monday at Hershey.

Mary Dell and Bucky Kosyk

Kosyk pitched a no-hitter in the Wildcats' 4-0 win over Central Dauphin East April 17. He posted eight strikeouts against two walks in the complete-game effort.

Dell won the 100-meter hurdles, plus the 100 and 200 dashes, at the Shippensburg Invitational Saturday. She won the same three events and was a member of the winning Bubbler 400 relay team as the Boiling Springs girls' track team downed Camp Hill 97-53 April 15.

For their performances, Kosyk and Dell have been selected as The Sentinel's Athletes of the Week.

A loss to Red Land the day before his no-hitter may have helped spur Kosyk to a better effort against CD East.

"The Red Land loss was a reality check," he says. "We're not unbeatable. I came out a little stronger (against CD East). I wanted to show I could pitch against a decent team."

The Red Land game was the first time the Wildcats were without head coach Don Shirley, who underwent cancer surgery that day. Kosyk lost his father to cancer, so Shirley's absence hit especially close to home for him. But he refuses to blame the loss on that.

"Of course people will say that should have been a factor," Kosyk says. "All our minds were on him and how he was doing. We knew what time his surgery was. With my dad having cancer, I was especially worried.

"But Red Land played great ball that game. They're playing well right now. We had too many mental mistakes."

There were no mental mistakes against CD East. Kosyk was just too sharp on the mound.

"Everything actually did (work for me)," he says. "All I remember is the first curveball I threw, to get the first batter to strike out had to have dropped four inches. That had to be the best pitch of the game, but everything just worked perfectly."

That wasn't his favorite moment of the season, though. In fact, he wasn't even pitching for that moment.

Mechanicsburg defeated State College 2-1 back on April 12. Kosyk had a home run in the game, but that wasn't even what he remembers most fondly.

"Gerald Gruber had maybe pitched 1/3 of an inning (before that game)," Kosyk says. "He pitched phenomenally. And defensively we played amazing."

That was Shirley's last home game before leaving the team for surgery.

"Coach was preaching to us that it's a team game. There's no one person that can win," says Kosyk. "It was team-oriented, and that was great.

"Thank goodness the team was there (against CD East). That was a team win again."

Mechanicsburg (10-2) sits atop the Mid-Penn Keystone Division. Kosyk, who has a 4-1 record on the mound and a .384 batting average, has been a big part of that. His inspiration comes, at least in part, from low expectations at the start of the season.

"We saw we were picked to finish fifth in our division. That really upset the six seniors, myself included, and a lot of the underclassmen," Kosyk says. "We felt hurt, like a slap in our face that we're not going to do anything this year. Our main goal was to prove people wrong."

Wildcat detractors are a lot harder to find now. But Kosyk hasn't forgotten them.

"The big thing in the community is that Mechanicsburg baseball can't win a postseason game," he says. "Every (playoffs) I've been in, we've been knocked out in the first round.

"We want to make the playoffs and win that first round, get out there and do some damage."

· What do you like best about baseball? My teammates. The friendships (and) little inner jokes amongst the team nobody else knows about.

· What has been your greatest accomplishment in baseball?Being part of the American Legion team last year. We only had nine guys, but we made it to the last game before states. That was phenomenal. I had to leave for the Keystone Games.

· Who is the toughest opponent you have faced? Ryan Loper (Cumberland Valley). He's just great player.

· What is the toughest team you have faced? Central Dauphin, definitely, the year they won states.

· Who has been the most influential person in your life? My family. They're always there for me no matter. Especially my twin sister. She's my biggest fan and she's at every game. She's the scorekeeper for our baseball team.

· Person you'd most like to meet (alive or dead)? My dad again. I have a lot of questions I haven't asked him.

· Favorite athlete? Musa Smith, former West Perry and University of Georgia running back. I remember reading about him, everything going on in his personal life. But he was always outgoing and would always say hi to everybody no matter what. I strive to be like that.

Mechanicsburg 4, Central Dauphin 3, 8 innings

The first-place Mechanicsburg Wildcats held onto the Keystone Division lead Wednesday, fighting off second-place Central Dauphin 4-3 in eight innings.

The score was tied 7-7 at the end of seven innings. In the home half of the eighth, Ryan Melick reached second on a two-base error, Jeremy Boone hit an infield single and Bucky Kosyk was intentionally walked to load the bases. Kevin Gorman then drew a two-out walk to force home the winning run.

Matt Trusch had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI for the Wildcats. Melick added a hit and a run.

Mechanicsburg (11-2; 8-2 Keystone) plays today at Hershey.

Mechanicsburg 9, Hershey 2

Mechanicsburg mowed through Hershey Thursday, beating the Keystone Division opponent 9-2.

Every Wildcat starter had at least one hit in the win.

Gerald Gruber led Mechanicsburg from the plate, getting three hits, including two doubles, and scoring a run. He also had two RBIs and a stolen base in the win.

Kevin Gorman earned the win for Mechanicsburg, allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings.

Mechanicsburg (12-2; 9-2 Keystone) plays today at Susquehanna Twp.

Susquehanna Twp. 2, Mechanicsburg 0

Despite a strong outing from pitcher Kevin Hellam, Mechanicsburg fell 2-0 to Susquehanna Twp.

Hellam pitched six innings, scattering four hits and posting five strikeouts. The Wildcats (12-3, 9-3 Keystone Division) hosts Lower Dauphin Monday.

Mechanicsburg 13, Gettysburg 7

Mechanicsburg withstood seven late Gettysburg runs to claim a 13-7 interdivision baseball win Friday at Gettysburg.

Patrick Gorman hit a three-run homer in the second inning and finished the game with five RBIs. He went 3-for-3 at the plate, walked once and was hit by a pitch.

Bucky Kosyk (2-for-2) hit two doubles and scored two runs for the Wildcats. Jeremy Boone scored three runs, while Matt Trusch (3-for-5) and Ryan Melick (2-for-4) scored two apiece. Jon Kopchick went 2-for-3 with a run. Gerald Gruber had a hit and a run. Also hitting for the Wildcats were Dan Amon, Dan Makowski and Jordan O'Keefe. Ryan Bushey scored a run for the Wildcats.

Mechanicsburg (14-4 overall) hosts Cumberland Valley Monday.

Nondivision
Cumberland Valley 6, Mechanicsburg 5

Cumberland Valley scored five runs in the first inning and held on for a 6-5 win over Mechanicsburg in a nondivision game Tuesday.

Ryan Henderson highlighted CV's big first inning with a grand slam as the Eagles (11-5) took advantage of four Wildcat walks. Ryan Loper added a solo home run for CV. Matt Trusch and Patrick Gorman paced Mechanicsburg with three hits apiece.

Mechanicsburg (14-5) hosts East Pennsboro Friday

Mid-Penn AAA Playoffs
Mechanicsburg 3, Chambersburg 2

Mechanicsburg's baseball team secured the No. 1 seed for the District 3 playoffs Tuesday by defeating Chambersburg 3-2.

Wildcat pitcher Bucky Kosyk allowed a run in the first inning, but then locked in to record the complete-game victory. He allowed two runs on three hits, while striking out seven.

"It was a great game and a great pitchers' duel today," Mechanicsburg coach Don Shirley said.

Pinch hitter Dan Amon drove in the first two Wildcat runs in the fifth inning. Mechanicsburg scored the winning run on a dropped third strike that Chambersburg's catcher threw toward first, trying for the out.

The throw missed the target, though, and Mechanicsburg's Ryan Mellick scored from third.

Mechanicsburg (15-5) plays Monday in the first round of districts. The opponent and site are yet to be determined.

Here's a look at two local teams playing in the District 3 Baseball Championships, beginning Monday.

Mechanicsburg, the Mid-Penn's top Class AAA seed, will face Solanco, the Lancaster Lebanon fifth seed, at Creekview Park Monday; Cumberland Valley, the Mid-Penn Class AAA No. 3 seed, will play Penn Manor at Wenger Field at Northern Lebanon High School Monday.

Camp Hill, the Mid-Penn Class A No. 1 seed, will face the winner of the Class A first-round game between Living Word and York Catholic, Thursday.

Class AAA
Mechanisburg (Mid-Penn 1) vs. Solanco (LL 5) at Creekview Park, 5

Solanco Golden Mules
Record: 8-12 overall
Coach: John Girvin
Key Players: Pitcher Chris Powl (3-4 record, .413 batting average); short stop Matt Solomon (.340 BA); catcher Nick Wolle (.326 BA); third baseman Bill Solomon (.315 BA).
Notes: Lost in first round of league playoffs to Lampeter-Strasburg (LL 2), 5-4. ... At 8-12, the Golden Mules have the worst record of the District 3 playoff teams.

Mechanicsburg Wildcats
Record: 15-5; 10-4 Keystone
Coach: Don Shirley
Key Players: Pitcher Bucky Kosyk (5-2 record, .444 BA); pitcher Kevin Hellam (4-1 record); short stop Matt Trusch (.448 BA, seven extra-base hits); second baseman Jeremy Boone (.301 BA, seven extra-base hits); catcher Ryan Mellick (.302 BA).
Notes: Mechanicsburg won the Keystone Division for the fourth time in five years. ... The Wildcats beat Chambersburg, the Commonwealth Division's top-seeded team, 3-2 Tuesday to earn the Mid-Penn No. 1 seed at districts. ... Kosyk finished the regular season tied for the area lead in pitching wins. ... Mechanicsburg won 12 of their first 14 games; they've lost three of their last four heading into the postseason.

Matt Solomon of Mechanicsburg (41) heads for third base as Solanco's Jeremy Boone tries to field the ball Monday. (Wally Shank/The Sentinel)

When the dust settled and the game had ended, it was easy to question why Solanco head coach Doug Girvin selected Jason Argue to be the Golden Mules' starting pitcher against Mechanicsburg Monday.

The Mid-Penn No. 1 seed Wildcats (16-5) pounded Argue on their way to an early 4-0 lead, knocking the Mule left-hander out of the game in the top half of the second inning.

Solanco ace Chris Powl took the mound from there, allowing a hit and a walk in the second inning and two runs in the third. From there, he shut out Mechanicsburg as the Mules chipped away at Wildcats starting pitcher Bucky Kosyk to make it very interesting late at Creekview Park in Hampden Township.

Kosyk used great defense behind him to get the win and help the Wildcats advance past the pesky first round. Mechanicsburg lost 4-2 in the first round last year to Manheim Central in a game it was supposed to win and oh yeah ... against a left-hander.

"I was a little surprised to see (Argue)," Mechanicsburg head coach Don Shirley said. "I don't know what their idea behind that was. The same thing happened last year. The kid last year struck out 13 and we lost 4-2. Maybe they knew that."

Well, Solanco (8-13 in Lancaster-Lebanon II) and Girvin did know that, and a little more.

"Actually, (Argue) came on strong at the end of the season," said Girvin. "He was 4-3 with us with a couple shutouts. He moves the ball around a little more (than reliever Powl). And, yes, we did have good information from last year, but they scouted us last week in our tournament and saw Chris pitch then. So, I thought I'd go with a lefty and mix it up."

If hindsight is 20-20, Girvin and his Mules won't need glasses for a while, because the Wildcats hit the ball well and found all the right spots against Argue.

Losing the coin flip and batting first as visitors, Mechanicsburg wasted little time getting on the board.

Leadoff batter Jordan O'Keefe hit an infield single. Designated hitter Jon Kopchick bunted O'Keefe to second. With one out, Matt Trusch, who was the offensive star for the Wildcats, socked a grounder toward the hole between first and second. Mule second baseman Nate Morrison dove and get leather on the ball, but could not make a play to first.

With O'Keefe holding up at third and Trusch on first, cleanup hitter Ryan Melick hit a groundball to Morrison. Morrison flipped to shortstop Matt Solomon for the force on Trusch, but the relay to first base was late and wide, allowing O'Keefe to score easily. Melick moved up to second on the error. Jeremy Boone promptly plated Melick with a double down the right-field line and the Wildcats had an early 2-0 lead.

The lead could have been bigger, but Argue induced Gerald Gruber into a groundout with the bases loaded to end the inning.

After Kosyk mowed down the Mules 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first, the Wildcats went right back to the attack.

With one out, O'Keefe again reached on an infield single, this one down the third-base line. Kopchick singled to left. With runners on first and second, Trusch singled to center to score O'Keefe, bringing Powl into the game for Argue.

The hard-throwing right-hander got Melick on a flyball to center field. Boone then ripped an RBI single to plate Kopchick for a 4-0 lead.

Mechanicsburg's Gerald Gruber doubled to deep left leading off the third inning, and scored on O'Keefe's single. O'Keefe later scored on Trusch's double off the fence in deep left field and the Wildcats led 6-0.

All of the sudden, the Wildcat fans were asking about the mercy rule and if it was a possibility in district play.

The Mules weren't having any of that.

Nick Wolly's two-run home run over the fence in deep left-center field pulled the Mules to within 6-2, and things started to get interesting.

Kosyk benefitted from an unassisted double play from Trusch in the fourth to escape trouble, then struck out Matt Lewis with two on in the fifth inning to keep Solanco from getting any closer.

The Mules had their best chance in the sixth.

After Wolly struck out on perhaps Kosyk's best fastball of the game, Bill Solomon started a rally with a single to right field. After Powl flew out, Matt Solomon walked.

With pinchrunners Korey Jackson on second and Bill Reid on first, Zac Bauermaster singled to center field to score Jackson as Reid moved to third. With the score 6-3 and runners on the corners, Bauermaster took off for second. It proved to be a bad decision as Melick gunned him out by a mile from his catcher position, one of two caught stealing for Melick.

Solanco put a runner on base in the seventh, but the Mules didn't really threaten and Kosyk finished off the win.

"I knew the 'D' would show up today," Kosyk said. "We talked about it all week and were excited about playing this game. And, thank God for Trusch tonight."

Indeed, Trusch played well, as did the rest of the Wildcat fielders behind their ace.

"We had the hits today, and Bucky pitched well," said Shirley, "but the defense won this game."

For Kosyk, it was just a matter of retiring each hitter that keyed his success.

"If I get a lead, I don't ever want to relinquish it," Kosyk said. "I don't look at the score or the number of what hitter is up. I feel that every hitter is in the lineup for a reason. If they are here, they are good."

The Mules finish the season at 8-13, but that number doesn't tell the entire story.

"It was the story of our season," said Girvin of his team's lack of doing the little things in order to win. "We are in the playoffs on parity. We played in an even section. This is no lie, we lost seven games by one run. We were in games, and tonight we just seemed to zoom in on shortstop (Trusch), line drives, double plays. Give Mechanicsburg credit, they made all the plays. Their infield did everything they had to do."

Mechanicsburg pounded out 14 hits, but scored only six runs. Trusch went 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Gruber and O'Keefe each had three hits. Boone went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

"We left 10 or 11 runners on," said Shirley. "We did dumb things on the bases, and that usually comes back to haunt you. But, that is the kind of team this is. (The Wildcats) are tough, but we'll have to play better on Thursday."

Kosyk finished with the complete game, allowing just the three runs on seven hits. The senior struck out four and walked three.

Zack Knott led the Mules with a 2-for-2 performance. Five other Mules chipped in one hit apiece.

Mechanicsburg advances to meet South Western at 7:30 Thursday at Shippensburg's Memorial Park.

Cumberland Valley, Shippensburg and Susquenita all advanced to the quarterfinals of the District 3 softball tournament with first-round wins Tuesday. The same goes for Cumberland Valley and Mechanicsburg in the first round of the baseball playoffs Monday.

Tonight, all five of those teams, as well as Camp Hill (which had a first round bye in baseball) will try to win again and make it into the third round.

In baseball, the Class AAA bracket is loaded with five Mid-Penn teams out of the eight remaining squads.

Cumberland Valley meets Mid-Penn rival Central Dauphin at 7:30 p.m. at Hershey High School in a quarterfinals matchup. The winner of that game draws the winner of Mechanicsburg vs. South Western (a 7:30 p.m. game at Shippensburg's Memorial Park) in the semifinals next week.

Mechanicsburg second baseman Jeremy Boone makes a throw to first in the Wildcats' 9-3 win over South Western in the District 3-AAA baseball playoffs Thursday at Shippensburg. (Michael Bupp/The Sentinel)

Mid-Penn teams continued to roll through the District 3 Baseball Championships, as more than half of the 12 teams left in the three class tournaments hail from the local league.

Thursday's action whittled the 16 Class AAA entrants down to four - the Mid-Penn's top four seeds; in Class AA, Palmyra and Greencastle-Antrim advanced to the semifinals; and in Class A, Camp Hill returns to the district semifinals for the fourth straight year.

Camp Hill beat York Catholic 11-5 at Shippensburg High School Thursday, and Mechanicsburg followed with a 9-3 thumping of South Western in the nightcap.

"What's nice for the Mid-Penn (teams)," South Western coach Mike Resetar said, "is that all the teams are so strong, when they get here they're ready."

The Lions draw Newport, the Tri-Valley's No. 1 seed, at Wenger Field Tuesday. That day, the Wildcats will again dance with old rival Cumberland Valley, at Hershey High School. The Eagles dropped Central Dauphin 8-1 Thursday.

"We can't wait to play them," Wildcat leadoff batter Jordan O'Keefe said.

The Eagles beat Mechanicsburg 6-5 in the teams' most recent battle.

"It is (exciting to meet them again)," Wildcats coach Don Shirley said. "But we would have been ready for Central Dauphin, too. Now that (this matchup) is here, we'll give it our best shot."

Mechanicsburg took a few shots early against South Western, but steadied itself, and soon turned the tables.

O'Keefe set the tone early, with a lead-off double to start the game. Recently returned from a broken hand, O'Keefe led Mechanicsburg offensively with four hits in five at-bats, two runs scored and five runs batted in.

He has seven hits in his last two games.

"I've been seeing the ball well lately," O'Keefe said. "They were fooling me on a few pitches, but on 0-2 they kept groovin' 'em in there."

O'Keefe advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Ryan Melick's sacrifice fly to center field.

South Western struck back in the bottom half of the inning.

The top three batters in the order all reached, and all came around to score, giving the Mustangs a 3-1 advantage.

On the mound, Gorman was searching for his bearings.

Nerves were a "pretty big" factor, he said. It was the junior's first time pitching in district play.

"In warmups I was fine. Then when the game came, and with their team (yelling from the dugout), it was hard to concentrate."

Gorman gave up four hits, committed an error, hit a batter and threw 32 pitches in the frame.

"Every first inning I haven't done well," he said sheepishly. "I think I just have to get in there and get warmed up. I was throwing strikes, just not where I wanted. And they were hitting them."

That first inning was all it took.

The junior locked in for the Wildcats and breezed through the second inning on nine pitches, striking out two of the three batters he faced. He set down the side in order in the third, and after the first inning faced just one batter over the minimum through his five innings of work.

"Baseball is funny that way," South Western coach Mike Resetar said. "You hit the ball hard, and if it goes away from people and finds the holes, you're an all-star. If you hit it right to people, you look like schmucks.

"We had them on the ropes in the first inning, and their pitcher did a heck of a nice job settling down out there."

And with Gorman slinging strikes, the Wildcat offense blew up.

After two strikeouts to start the second inning, Gerald Gruber and Dan Amon, the No. 8 and 9 hitters for Mechanicsburg, reached.

O'Keefe lined a single to center to score them both - the first of five runs scored by the pair - and tie the game.

Patrick Gorman broke that tie in the fourth, in a 315-foot kind of way.

Gorman slugged a 2-2 offering over the (relatively) short porch in right field to put the Wildcats up 4-3, and on top for good.

Amon soon followed with the second of his three free passes on the day, and after a stolen base, O'Keefe scored him with another single to center.

O'Keefe then stole second and advanced to third on John Kopchick's single. Both runners scored on Jeremy Boone's single that hopped past the right fielder and put Boone on second.

"We knew (Mustangs pitcher Tom Bingham) had a good slider and a fastball," Kevin Gorman said. "We just wanted to get on him early."

The Wildcats scored four runs in the fourth inning, and added two more in the seventh.

With the win, Mechanicsburg finds itself in the District 3 semifinals, a place it hasn't seen in years.

"The last four years we've been here, we lost in the first round," Kevin Gorman said.

Shirley, though, doesn't get too caught up in history.

"I've coached long enough to know you can't dwell on that," he said. But he also understands that, "The kids playing for us haven't done too well (in districts), so it's a big deal to them."

Mechanicsburg's Matt Trusch and Camp Hill's Dan Alleman

Class AAA Semifinals
Tuesday

Mechanicsburg (Mid-Penn 1) vs. Cumberland Valley (Mid-Penn 4)
at Hershey High School, 7:30

Mechanicsburg Wildcats
Record: 17-5
Coach: Don Shirley
Key Players: Pitcher Bucky Kosyk (6-2 record; .444 BA); pitcher Kevin Hellam (4-1 record); shortstop Matt Trusch (.448 BA; seven extra-base hits); second baseman Jeremy Boone (.301 BA; seven extra-base hits); catcher Ryan Melick (.302 BA).
Notes: Mechanicsburg won the Keystone Division for the fourth time in five years. ... Kosyk finished the regular season tied for the Sentinel-area lead in pitching wins. ... With a 4-for-5 performance Thursday, leadoff batter Jordan O'Keefe has seven hits in his last two games. ... The Wildcats won 12 of their first 14 games; they lost three of their last four games heading into the postseason.

Mechanicsburg baseball players, who had taken their team farther than any other Wildcat squad in years, cried.

The mother of Cumberland Valley catcher Dan Funt found her son after the game, smothered him in a bear hug, and cried.

Only one team shed tears of joy, however, as the Eagles beat Mechanicsburg 4-3 in the District 3 Class AAA baseball semifinals. For CV (17-6), the win meant a trip to the district finals against Lower Dauphin (18-5) today at Wenger Field, and the team's first state playoffs appearance in six years.

"At the beginning of the season, we set goals to finish first in the league, and if we couldn't win it, to get the best playoff position possible," Eagles coach Mike Whitehead Jr. said. "We certainly don't set goals of winning state titles. But you get on a roll, get some confidence and some momentum and see what happens. We're looking pretty good right now."

For Mechanicsburg, the loss meant the end of a strong postseason run.

"This was great," said Wildcat junior Dan Amon, who cranked two home runs in the loss. "(In the past) we had one or two guys who were superstars and did everything. It wasn't like that this year. It was a different person every game."

The Wildcats (17-6) won two games in the district tournament this season after losing in the first round in their last four district appearances.

"It's always really disappointing to lose your last game, but I give our team a lot of credit for getting this far," Mechanicsburg head coach Don Shirley said. "It was a tough year for them with my medical situation - I was there, then I wasn't, then I was back again. The assistant really coaches did a great job, and we came along with some inexperienced players.

"A lot of teams would have liked to have been where we ended up. It hurts to end the season. And I think what really hurts is that we just didn't play as well as we can. It's one thing to play your best game and lose, but I don't think we did that."

The rain led to some rust, and neither Eagle Ryan Loper nor Wildcat Bucky Kosyk had their best night pitching on the mound.

"This weather has been terrible," Loper said of the teams' third try in three days to play the game. "We haven't played a game in a week, and I didn't pitch in between. We both got our pitches up."

Not that the lines were lousy. Loper allowed three runs on four hits in seven innings to secure the win. He struck out eight batters and threw 89 pitches for the complete game.

Kosyk gave up four runs in six innings on seven well-timed hits. He struck out two and threw 72 pitches.

A fluid strike zone kept hitters off balance, and the only free pass issued by either pitcher came when Mechanicsburg designated hitter Jon Kopchick was plunked in the first inning.

In the third, though, the pitches began rising.

Amon, No. 9 in the Mechanicsburg order, took a shot at the buses beyond the right-field fence when he sent a 1-0 offering over the fence and put the Wildcats up 1-0.

Jordan O'Keefe followed with an infield single, and a throwing error put him on second base. He scored three batters later on Ryan Melick's single.

Three of Mechanicsburg's four hits came in the inning. Amon led the team offensively, going 2-for-3 from the plate and reaching base all three times. He scored twice and drove in two runs.

"I was having trouble early in the year," Amon said. "My hitting was horrible, and they took me out of the lineup for a few games. I went to the batting cages with my dad, and something just clicked. I started hitting again.

"I saw the ball great today."

CV scored its first run in the bottom half of the third. Jack Wilhelm led off with a single, advanced on John Neurohr's bunt, moved to third on Shaun Baker's groundout, and scored on a Mechanicsburg error.

Wilhelm and Funt led the Eagles with two hits each. Wilhelm scored two runs and drove in another, and Funt hit a home run in the win.

Cumberland Valley took the lead in the fifth inning, on back-to-back-to-back doubles by Kyle Bobb, Wilhelm and Neurohr that scored two runs. Those three batters fill the Nos. 6, 7 and 8 spots in CV's lineup.

"When we went in, I said we're not going to win with the top of the order," Whitehead Jr. said of his pregame message to his players. "This has to be a total team effort."

CV bumped the lead to 4-2 on Funt's homer in the sixth. The senior had blasted a 360-foot flyout to deep center in the fourth inning, then aimed for the shorter right-field fence in the sixth.

"I was just trying to get a good fastball to hit," Funt said of the shot. "Just looking to put the bat on the ball."

Loper struck out Patrick Gorman to open the seventh inning, then forced a pop fly from Gerald Gruber.

Amon hit his second home run of the game with two outs in the inning, but that was the game's final score.

"(This is) awesome," Funt said after the game. "Two years ago we were close to making states, this year we finally got it done."

2003 All-Sentinel Baseball Team

Dan Bream
Senior. ... Compiled 7-0 record with one save as a pitcher. ... Threw 47 innings and six complete games. ... Finished with 0.89 ERA and 56 strike outs.

Dan Alleman
Junior. ... Finished with 11-4 pitching record. ... Threw seven complete games and struck out 78 batters. ... Had a .406 batting average and only three strike outs.

Brett Sheaffer
Senior. ... Compiled a 5-2 pitching record, with 51 strikeouts in 43 innings. ... Allowed eight earned runs and finished with a 1.30 ERA. ... Mid-Penn All-Star.

Dan Funt
Senior. ... Had 30 hits to finish with a .380 batting average. ... Scored 21 runs and drove in 19. ... Slugged .595 and had a .484 on-base percentage. ... Had 10 extra-base hits.

Bucky Kosyk
Senior. ... Compiled 7-3 pitching record, with one save and a 1.83 ERA. ... Hit .395 with five doubles and three home runs. ... Scored 14 runs and recorded 18 RBIs.

Matt Curran
Sophomore. ... Hit .437 for the season with a .508 on-base percentage. ... Scored 23 runs and stole 17 bases. ... Drove in seven runs. ... Mid-Penn All-Star.

Matt Trusch
Senior. ... Finished with .421 batting average, with four doubles, two triples and three home runs. ... Scored 17 runs and drove in 19. ... Mid-Penn All-Star.

Todd Holmes
Senior. ... Earned all three West Perry wins on the mound. ... Had a 3.71 ERA in 41 innings. ...Had 16 hits for a .327 batting average. ... Mid-Penn All-Star.

Blaine Leonard
Junior. ... Hit .509 with a .536 on-base percentage. ... Led team in steals (11) and RBIs (15). ... Earned the win in his only pitching appearance. ... Mid-Penn All-Star.

Derron Pellman
Junior. ... Compiled 24 hits in 50 at-bats, for a .417 batting average. ... Scored 19 runs and had 19 RBIs. ... Stole 18 bases. ... Mid-Penn All-Star.

Ryan Loper
Senior. ... Earned 7-3 record with seven complete games as a pitcher. ... Finished with 2.16 ERA and 85 strike outs. ... Hit .393, scored 19 runs and had 25 RBIs.