The last of five errors proved to be the difference Monday as Our Lady of the Sacred Heart dropped a 7-6 decision to Tussey Mountain in the opening round of the PIAA Class 2A baseball tournament.
The Titans rallied from a 5-2 deficit with two runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to take a 6-5 lead and then tacked on a key insurance run in the sixth inning on an infield error by OLSH, extending the lead to 7-5.
Dean Douglass homered with one out in the top of the seventh inning for the Chargers to narrow the deficit to 7-6. With two outs, Iseia Fields Schulz reached based when he was hit by a pitch and moved to second when Vann Kavals was intentionally walked.
But a strikeout ended the game and the season for OLSH, which was making its first PIAA tournament appearance since 2013. The Chargers finished the season with a record of 15-9.
OLSH coach Phil McCarren said he was proud of his team’s effort, which he characterized as “spirited.”
“The kids played hard and didn’t quit,” he said. “We had pretty good pitching and hitting – we put some runs on the board. Unfortunately, we made a couple of defensive miscues that cost us. But we also made some good defensive plays, too. There were just a couple plays we didn’t make.”
McCarren said his team’s defense, while not perfect all season, was solid and it proved to be the key to some of the Chargers’ late-season and playoff wins.
“We played excellent defense and that was the real catalyst to some of those victories,” he said. “Unfortunately today, we made a few mistakes.”
Tussey Mountain scored single runs in each of the first two innings off OLSH starter Sean Hudac, who gave up six hits and four runs – three of which were earned – in his 3 2/3 innings of work.
Aidan Lane doubled home a run in the first and an infield error plated the second Titans run.
But OLSH rallied in the third to take the lead at 3-2. Douglass singled home a pair of runs to tie the score and Chad Minton doubled to score Douglass.
OLSH added to that advantage in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs.
Singles by Ryan DeNinno, Anthony Hansen and Bruno Williams loaded the bases with one out. DeNinno came home on a wild pitch to make it 4-2 for OLSH, and Gino Williams followed with a groundball to shortstop Noah Lucko, who misplayed it, allowing the Chargers’ fifth run to score.
OLSH had a runner cut down at the plate on the next play for the second out and after a walk loaded the bases, a groundout ended the inning.
Tussey Mountain answered in the bottom of the fourth, scoring twice to cut the OLSH lead to 5-4.
With two outs and nobody on, the Titans put runners at first and second on a walk and a double and Landon Myers followed with a two-run double.
Then in the fifth, Tussey Mountain added two more runs to take the lead at 6-5, with both runs scoring on an error that followed a base hit.
OLSH’s fifth and final error of the game, which came in the sixth inning, let yet another run score, and that proved to be the difference as the Titans increased their lead to 7-5.
OLSH finished with 10 hits in the game, as Bruno Williams, Kavals and Douglass each had two.
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