NTL BASEBALL: AREA TEAMS READY FOR THE PLAYOFFS (2023-05-19)

Northern Tier Sports Report
Baseball teams are gearing up for district playoffs, with four area squads looking to make a splash starting on Saturday.

CLASS A DISTRICT TITLE

Northeast Bradford (8-10) vs Benton (10-8)

Friday, May 26 at Bowman Field, 4 p.m.

It was a winding road for Northeast Bradford to get here, but they did enough to be in the top two in the Class A standings and punch their ticket to the district title game.

“Obviously, it feels great,” said coach Brian Salsman. “We knew last year, when we looked at the teams in Class A, we just knew if the chips fell, if we played some decent ball - which we thought we could - and things fell like they did, we had a chance to get in, so we got there.”

They won three of their last four games to get in, including a 3-0 victory against top seed Benton which proved to be the difference.

Now they’ll face off with even more on the line.

“They’ve seen us, we’ve seen them,” Salsman said. “It could go either way.”

They lost a close one to Benton last year, when they were the district champs, and won at home against them this season, so they’re familiar with how the Tigers play.

Their two main pitchers are Graydon Beishline and Emmitt Yost. Beishline has a 1.94 ERA on the year in 36 innings of action, with 54 strikeouts against 12 walks.

Yost is coming off surgery, but has thrown 13 2/3-innings of action with 23 strikeouts compared to four walks. He pitched them to the district title a year ago.

“He’s the real deal,” Salsman said about Yost, whom NEB faced last year.

They defeated Beishline in their 3-0 win, so they’re familiar with whoever.

“We’ll probably see both of those guys again,” remarked Salsman.

He thinks Benton will try to play some more small ball this time around - bunts, steals - in order to put pressure on the Panthers’ defense. Last time they played NEB was perfect from the field.

“I’ve seen playoff games decided in the little things,” said Salsman. “I’m going to really emphasize that in practice. I’d also like the guys to get a hitting stroke in the next seven days.”

Clay Wiggins shut them down the first time they played, striking out 12 for the complete game shutout.

“If Clay is 100-percent like he was before I would really like that,” Salsman remarked.

At the plate Benton has two batters hitting over .300 - Connor Kapp at .449 with 23-RBI, and Beishline at .315 with 14-RBI.

For NEB Wiggins is hitting .370 with 9-RBI while Eli Stanton (.303) and Dillon Donnelly (.302) are both above .300. Cayden McPherson leads the team with 14-RBI on the season.

CLASS AA

Wyalusing (14-6) vs Southern Columbia (8-12)

Saturday, at Wyalusing, 11 a.m.

The Rams are finally here, where they want to be - on the road to their school’s first ever district title. Luckily for them it starts at home against the Tigers.

“Class AA is as wide open as it’s ever been with multiple teams capable of winning,” said Wyalusing coach Nick Vanderpool. “If we can figure out how to score runs, and Blake (Morningstar) pitches the way he’s capable, I think we have as good a chance as anyone.”

Wyalusing comes in losing three of their last four, though they were all to playoff teams, and all of them were competitive games. Before that they had won nine games straight.

Southern Columbia comes in with a losing record, sneaking in by virtue of their tough schedule. They’ve struggled to win these last few weeks, losing six of their last eight games.

Despite a tight schedule - the semifinals are Wednesday, the finals on Saturday at Bowman Field - expect teams to see plenty of Morningstar.

In 37 innings of action he has 74 strikeouts to just five walks with a 0.568 ERA. They also have capable hurlers behind him in Hunter House (35 1/3-innings, 31 strikeouts, 2.972 ERA) and Trehnon Hugo (35 innings, 36 strikeouts, 2.200 ERA).

At the plate Hugo is hitting .452 with eight doubles, 17-RBI, and 32 runs scored, while Kenny Mapes (.379), Nick Vanderpool Jr. (.328), Hunter House (.322), and CJ Carr (.304) are all hitting over .300.

Still, they’ve struggled to score runs recently, but with their team speed at the top of the order they can put pressure on defenses with small ball, too.

The Tigers have two big innings eaters, freshman Caden Hopper and senior Conner Dunkelberger. Hopper has thrown 32 innings with 35 strikeouts and a 4.59 ERA. Dunkelberger has tossed 32 1/3-innings with 28 strikeouts and a 2.38 ERA.

At the plate they have four hitters batting over .300 with Hopper (.370) leading the way in average and RBI (17). Fellow freshman Nathan Gallagher is hitting .368, Dunkelberger is batting .345, and junior Charles Hopper is hitting .310.

“It should be fun,” said Vanderpool. “The boys have been excited for this postseason run.”

Montgomery (13-7) at Canton (13-7)

Saturday, 11 a.m. at Canton

The Warriors ended the season on a 5-game win streak, and moved from the sixth seed all the way up to the third.

While the Warriors have been an offensive team all season long, the past five games they’ve allowed just nine runs, including two shutout wins.

They have one of the best top halves of the line-up with Holden Ward, Hayden Ward, Weston Bellows, and Hudson Ward, with Holden Ward one of the top pitchers in the field.

“At practice we had the discussion that it is important to enjoy the moment we are in,” said coach Ben Rubert. “One pitch at a time, and one inning at a time.”

Montgomery went 2-2 in their final four games, ending the regular season with a 14-13 win over Towanda at home. 

“We’ve got to go at Montgomery with our best, and worry about round two when it happens,” said Rubert. “Having a home playoff game is exciting for our seniors to have one last game in Canton.”

Muncy (13-7) at Troy (12-8)

Saturday, 11 a.m. at East Troy

The Trojans used a 3-game win streak to end the season, and slide up to the fourth seed for the home playoff game.

“Getting a home game is huge for us,” said Troy coach Kevin Allen. “Playing at home, where we know how the field plays, is a big advantage for us.”

They get a Muncy team that has lost three straight to fall from the third seed to the fifth.

Stiles Eyer leads them in innings with 34 on the year, striking out 30 behind a 2.88 ERA. Ross Eyer (29 innings, 48 strikeouts, 4.34 ERA) and Kadyn Berry (27 innings, 31 strikeouts, 4.15 ERA) are other possible arms for the Indians.

They boast nine different players with averages over .300, led by Noah Confer’s .554 with 21-RBI, and six doubles. Berry is hitting .486 with 30-RBI, 11 doubles, and four home runs, as Braydon Bergey is batting .457 with seven doubles, and 16-RBI.

Ross Eyer is hitting .446 with 29-RBI, and a team leading four home runs.

For Troy Kory Schucker has thrown 52 innings this year with 62 strikeouts against 24 walks. Camden Allen has also seen quite a bit of the mound, with 35 innings, 37 strikeouts, and 17 walks.

The Trojans are a potent hitting team, too, with 11 batters sporting a .300 average or better.

Lincoln Chimics leads the way with a .433 average with 10-RBI, and 11 runs scored, while Allen is hitting .426 with 13-RBI and five doubles.

Schucker is batting .397 with 14-RBI, and a team leading seven doubles. 

The Trojans have 33 doubles on the year, showing just what kind of power and speed they have.

This will be the first time in the playoffs for this group of players, but coach Allen isn’t worried.

“Keeping the kids focused isn’t a problem,” he said. “This has been our goal since the start of the season.”