DuBois Central Catholic eliminates Saegertown 7-1

By Alex McGinley

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SLIPPERY ROCK — Heading into Thursday’s matchup with DuBois Central Catholic, Saegertown head coach Scott Walters expected it to be a tough matchup.

Walters’ prediction turned out to be correct as DuBois Central Catholic defeated Saegertown 7-1 in the 1A quarterfinals at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park, ending the Panthers’ season. “I think against a very good team, we performed to the best of our ability,” Walter said. “Probably could’ve had a little bit more, but we ran into a pretty good pitcher. When you get to this level, the competition is gonna be top peak. We challenged them to just compete until the last inning, just compete, compete and they competed. We got beat by a better team (Thursday), so nothing to hang our head about.”

After two scoreless innings, the Cardinals turned things on with a four-run top of third. After Panthers pitcher Zach Balog walked Aiden Snowberger and allowed Carter Hickman to single, Brayden Fox sent both runners home on a two-out double. Kaden Brezenski subsequently singled home Fox and then Cole Sansom tripled to score Brezenski

to round out the inning.

“I think once they got through, they’d seen Zach one time and they started changing their approach at the plate and they started getting a few hits in there,” Walters said. “I mean it’s easy with momentum to roll and they did. They scored four runs. We weren’t panicking yet but it makes it easier when they have a good arm on the hill.”

In the top of the fourth, pitcher Braidin Anderson led off with a single and then was switched out for courtesy runner Nick Colbey. After Colbey was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice by Blake Pisarcik, Balog was switched to first base and replaced by Landon Caldwell on the mound. Following a sacrifice bunt by Matt Pyne, Pisarcik moved over to second. Pisarcik was stranded there after Caldwell earned a strikeout to end the inning.

After throwing 73 pitches, Balog allowed five hits, four runs and two walks to go along with a pair of strikeouts.

“Zach came out and competed,” Walters said. “All we asked him was ‘hey, go out there and compete. Give me at least three innings.’ He’s not a long stretch-inning pitcher. He went out there and competed. I mean his freshman year and sophomore year, he didn’t even want to pitch, so for him to get to a high school level playing a state playoff game and compete against a very good team, he played beyond expectations.”

In the next half inning, the Panthers got on the board. With one out, Caldwell singled for the Panthers’ first baserunner of the game. A fielder’s choice by Henry Shaffer moved Caldwell over to second and then Dylan Flinchbaugh drove him home on single for the Panthers’ only run of the game. Flinchbaugh earned two of the Panthers’ four hits in the contest.

Despite only scoring one run, the Panthers had an opportunity to put more runs on the board. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Balog walked to open the inning and was replaced by courtesy runner Gabriel Jordan. While Jordan was attempting to steal second, Dustin Nearhoof singled on a grounder to left field.

Nearhoof and Jordan advanced to second and third on the throw, respectively. Wyatt Burchill then drew a walk to load the bases, but a ground out ended the inning.

Thursday’s game was only the second time this year that the Panthers’ offense was held under three runs. Walters admitted that Anderson was primarily the reason why his offense struggled. Anderson, a Division I Youngstown State recruit, tossed a complete game while only allowing four hits, one run and three walks on five strikeouts.

“He’s legit,” Walters said. “I mean he’s going to YSU, so he’s nothing to shake your head about, but we did put the ball in play and that’s all we ask. We had some fly balls right at outfielders and some ground balls. Like I said, all we wanna do is make contact, make good things happen. Today just wasn’t our day. We got beat by a better team.” Before the bottom of the fifth, the Cardinals tacked on another three runs. After a leadoff double by Hickman, Fox earned a double himself to bring home Hickman. Brezenski also hit a double that scored Fox. Brezenski then moved over to third on a fielder’s choice and subsequently scored on a ground out by Ben Gritzer.

Hickman, Fox, Brezenski and Anderson each finished with two hits. Fox and Brezenski each earned a pair of RBIs.

With the win, the Cardinals will take on Southern Fulton in the semifinals on Monday.

While the Cardinals will advance, the Panthers end their season with a 19-3 record.

“Way beyond our expectations,” Walters said about the season. “In the beginning of the year, D-10’s our goal. Let’s get to D-10. We win D-10, you know what, after that let’s roll with it. We won another state playoff game, ‘wow, ok this is fun’. It’s gonna get harder when you get through. You’re top eight in the state, so nothing to hang your head about. That’s what I told them, never hang your head.”

With the season now over, eight Panther seniors played in their final game with the program. Balog, Nearhoof, Flinchbaugh, Caldwell, Anthony Hernandez, Garrett Young, Max Giles and Hunter Wright are set to graduate.

“They’ve been a giant asset as far as leaders on the team, even the non-starting seniors,” Walters said. “I mean we just talked to them about leaving a legacy here to help build a program up. To see the younger kids in the stands chanting and watching the seniors play and they’re like ‘yeah, I want to be out there too’, that’ll help the program. They’ve been a great group of guys. I wouldn’t change anything for the world.”

Panthers vie for semifinal spot against DuBois Central Catholic

By Alex McGinley

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

After a dominant first round first win, the Saegertown baseball team will take on DuBois Central Catholic in the 1A state quarterfinals today at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park at noon.

It will be a matchup of district champions as the Panthers won the District 10 title while the Cardinals won the District 9 championship.

“We’re gonna have a tough game, obviously,” said Saegertown head coach Scott Walters. “We’re moving on, being one of the top eights, you’re gonna play some better teams. DuBois Central Catholic’s obviously a very good team.”

After beating Eden Christian in the first round on Monday, the Panthers come into today’s game with a 19-2 record on the season.

In today’s game, the Panthers will put Zach Balog on the mound. Balog has a 7-0 record with a 1.62 ERA in 10 appearances on the hill. “He’s been our No. 2 all year,” Walters said. “We wouldn’t be in this position without him throwing, so we have total confidence that he’s gonna pound the strike zone and they hit, we’re gonna field it. We’re gonna make the

plays in the field like we have all year.”

The Panthers’ offense has been reliable this season as well, averaging 10.3 runs per game.

Leading the offense is Henry Shaffer, who has a .609 batting average, 27 RBIs, 11 doubles, four triples and two home runs. Balog, Garrett Young, Landon Caldwell and Dylan Flinchbaugh can also deliver offensively as each player has driven in at least 20 RBIs this season.

DuBois Central Catholic boasts a record of 19-4 after besting Rochester in its first round game on Monday.

On the mound, the Cardinals are led by Carter Hickman, who has a 10-0 record, two no-hitters and a 1.47 ERA in 11 games this season. Aiden Snowberger can also contribute with his arm as he has a 4-1 record with a 2.01 ERA in 11 appearances. Brayden Fox has recorded a 2-1 record with a 2.62 ERA in 13 games.

Fox can also heat up with his bat as he’s recorded a .474 batting average and 32 RBIs. Snowberger has contributed a .419 average with 22 RBIs, eight doubles and a home

run. Hickman, Cole Sansom and Braden Brazenski are also some names to watch out for as each player is hitting above .350 and has driven in at least 15 runs this season.

“They’ve got some good arms,” Walters said. “They’re young, but they got some good talent. I did a little scouting on them and they’re here for a reason. I don’t know who we’ll see, but I have a feeling who we’ll see, so we’re just trying to prepare for them and see what we can do.”

The winner of today’s game will take on either

Clarion- Limestone or Southern Fulton in the semifinals on Monday.

Saegertown dominates diamond

Panthers get hot early in PIAA first round matchup

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SLIPPERY ROCK — The Saegertown Panthers were dialed in from the start and according to pitcher Henry Shaffer, the team was ready long before the first pitch.

Saegertown dominated Eden Christian Academy in a 9-2 win in a PIAA Class 1A first round matchup on Monday. Shaffer said the team was feeling the excitement on the bus ride to Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park. “We knew coming in here how much significance this game had. We knew we had to win this game and do what we can to win,” Shaffer said. “We were all fired up on the bus ride down here. I think we won the game from the get go. Hitting in the cage before the game we were all focused, focused, all of us were focused.”

Eden Christian opened the game with a single from Jared Bees, but senior catcher Dylan Flinchbaugh threw him out on a steal attempt to get the first out. A ground out and pop out put Saegertown up to bat.

Singles from Wyatt Burchill and Landon Caldwell put two on base for Shaffer to drill a two-RBI triple to the center field wall. Gabriel Jordan scored on a passed ball and Saegertown led 3-0 after the first inning.

Saegertown’s bats stayed hot in the bottom of the third. Caldwell pounded an RBI triple of his own before Shaffer hit an RBI double.

“We practiced a little sidearm action and velocity because we thought we’d see Bees there (as starting pitcher). They started who I call their No. 2 but he’s a very good pitcher also,” Saegertown head coach Scott Walters said. “We just came out swinging. We had runners running and we were making plays and putting pressure on them. When you’re up you can put pressure on them and it worked out in our favor, fortunately.”

The Panthers added runs on a single, an error and two passed balls in what was a sixrun third inning. Saegertown led 9-0 after three innings. Eden Christian Academy’s head coach Joe Dougherty made a switch to put Bees on the mound midway through the third. The change kept Saegertown from adding more runs, but the Panthers’ defense handled business the rest of the way.

The Warriors scored two runs in the sixth inning, but Shaffer mostly kept the WPIAL runner-up off the base paths.

“Hank is an anchor. He’s our go-to guy. When he gets out there he’s gonna throw strikes. Around the fifth inning we were just counting outs. Pitch to contact and the defense will make the plays,” Walters said. “To his effort, he came back from a 3-0 count to get a K and our defense did make a lot of plays behind him, a lot of big plays that can change the game in a heartbeat.”

In the top of the seventh, the Warriors opened with a single and Shaffer worked himself into a 3-0 count against the second batter. Shaffer struck the batter out and followed with two strikeouts to win the game.

Shaffer ended with nine strikeouts, zero walks and five hits allowed. He threw 93 pitches in seven innings of work.

At the plate, Caldwell was 2-2 with two runs and Shaffer was 3-4 with three RBIs.

With the win, Saegertown will advance to the state quarterfinal round and play DuBois Central Catholic on Thursday at a time and location to be announced.

The state playoff push was years in the making, according to Walters.

“A few years ago we said we’re playing for two years out with this big group of kids that have been playing together since they were 7 years old, and we’re there. These guys have the baseball experience and like I said now it’s bonus baseball,” Walters said. “We’re having fun. Whatever we are, a top eight team we’re gonna be. We’re gonna play the next game and hopefully we’re relaxed. We came in relaxed today. I hope they stay with that approach.”

Saegertown ‘feeling relaxed’ in playoff opener

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

The Saegertown baseball team will play in its first-round state playoff game today against Eden Christian at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park at 2 p.m.

The District 10 1A champions boast a record of 18-2 on the season with their only two losses coming against Jackson City (Ky.) and Rocky Grove.

The Panthers feature four pitchers with ERAs below 2.00. Henry Shaffer leads the pitchers with a 6-1 record, 71 strikeouts and a 0.34 ERA in eight appearances. Zach Balog has a 7-1 record and a 1.91 ERA in 11 appearances while Landon Caldwell owns a 5-0 record and a 0.51 ERA in 11 games. Chandler Davison boasts a 0.78 ERA in six games.

Shaffer can also heat up with his bat. Shaffer is batting .588 with 24 RBIs, 10 doubles, three triples and a pair of home runs. Balog, Caldwell, Dylan Flinchbaugh and Garrett Young can also contribute offensively. Each player is hitting above .250 and has at least 20 RBIs on the season.

“We’re healthy all the way through. Hank (Shaffer) will probably be on the mound since he had a whole week off to rest,” Saegertown head coach Scott Walters said. “Mentally I think they’re relaxed. We went into the year with the goal to win D-10 and we did that so everything else is bonus baseball.”

Eden Christian comes into today’s matchup with a 17-1 record with their only loss of the season coming against Union in the WPIAL championship.

On offense, the Warriors are led by Brian Feldman, who is batting .400 with 22 RBIs, three doubles, three triples and two home runs. Caleb Emswiler, Ray Stierer, Jared Bees, Eli Szenyeri, Roberto Farfan and Malachi Manges are also names to watch out for. Each player is batting above .300 and has at least driven in 12 runs.

Bees has also contributed on the mound with an 8-1 record, 88 strikeouts and a 1.09 ERA in 11 games. Emswiler is 4-0 with a 0.90 ERA in eight games. Christian Cropper has also lent his arm with a 3-0 record and a 2.57 ERA.

“We’re gonna hopefully keep it close and score more runs and commit less errors than them,” Walters said. “I think if we keep it close we stand a good chance to win.”

The winner of today’s game will take on either DuBois Central Catholic or Rochester in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Panthers down Kennedy Catholic in five innings

By Dan Hiner

CNHI NEWS SERVICE

SLIPPERY ROCK — With one swing of the bat, Dylan Flinchbaugh sent the crowd to its feet at Slippery Rock’s Jack Critchfield Park. His single to right field plated Henry Shaffer as Saegertown baseball closed an 11-1 win in the fifth inning of the Class 1A District 10 championship.

Afterward, the whole team lined up along the first-base line to receive their medals.

It was a bit of redemption for the Panthers. They lost to Rocky Grove in the D-10 semifinals last season. The goal for this year’s team was to make it to the title game.

“It was a goal last year and we fell short,” Shaffer said. “Just wasn’t on our side, I guess. But we came back this year stronger. We lost a few key seniors last year, but we had majority of our team back.

They accomplished that goal and more. Saegertown (17-2) had a fondness for the odd-numbered innings. The Panthers scored four runs in the first, three in the third and four more to force the mercy rule in the fifth.

The Panthers took advantage of a pair of errors by the Golden Eagles in the first inning.

Shaffer got things going with an RBI triple to drive in Landon Caldwell. Shaffer came around to score when Kennedy Catholic (7-14) dropped a popup from Flinchbaugh. The Saegertown catcher also scored on a error when Zach Balog hit a flyball to right. Joe Grundy capped the inning with an RBI single to center, scoring Balog.

After a double by Shaffer to lead off the third, Garrett Young hit a one-out RBI single down the left-field line. A two-run double by Anthony Hernandez scored Young and Balog to make it a 7-1 game.

The Panthers put the game away with a four-run fifth. Grundy started the inning with a walk and eventually scored on an RBI single from Wyatt Burchill. Caldwell walked in the next at-bat, but Shaffer drove in the pair with a double to center. That’s when Flinchbaugh ended the game with his line drive to right.

“My batting order, from the top down, has just been tremendous,” Saegertown head coach Scott Walters said. “Big two-out hits from the bottom of the order.”

The battery of Shaffer and Flinchbaugh kept the Golden Eagles in check for most of the game. Kennedy Catholic scored their only run in the first inning on an RBI single to left by Remington Hart.

Shaffer, who as 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs, allowed one run on four hits and a walk. He struck out eight in the five-inning complete game.

“I found the fastball and just kept on grooving,” Shaffer said.

In the rare instances where a KC runner reached base, they then had to deal with Flinchbaugh behind the dish. He threw out two of three potential base stealers to keep the running game in check.

Walters wanted to limit Kennedy Catholic’s movements on the bases. He was aware that the Golden Eagles like to get their runners in motion. Flinchbaugh’s play behind the plate forced KC to adjust their approach.

“I didn’t hit the best the first two atbats, so I mean my presence on the defensive end,” Flinchbaugh said. “The bat finally came around in the end. I was happy with the performance.”

Panthers look to beat upstart Golden Eagles in 1A title game

By Alex McGinley

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

The Saegertown baseball team is seeking a spot in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament, but first it will have to get by Kennedy Catholic in today’s District 10 1A championship game at 11 a.m. at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.

“We have high expectations,” said Saegertown head coach Scott Walters. “We’re playing good baseball right no, so I look forward to it being a pretty decent game. Hoping to come out on top.”

The Panthers enter today’s game with a 17-2 record on the season. After earning a bye in the quarterfinals, the No.1 seed Panthers defeated No. 4 seed Maplewood 7-0 in the semifinals on Friday.

The Panthers will bring out Henry Shaffer on the mound for today’s game. Shaffer boasts a 5-1 record with a 0.39 ERA and 63 strikeouts in seven appearances.

“I feel pretty confident,” Walters said. “The team feels confident with him on the mound. Defense has his back if anything gets put in play, but Hank’s excited. He’s excited for it.”

Shaffer can also contribute with his bat. Shaffer also recorded a .578 batting average with eight doubles, 21 RBIs and a pair of home runs and triples. Other names to watch out for on offense include Zach Balog, Landon Caldwell, Garrett Young and Dylan Flinchbaugh, who have recorded 20 RBIs or more this season.

“I think if we jump out early, get some runs early

in the game, I think that’ll set a tone for us,” Walters said. “It’ll help Hank out as far as on the mound and with what pitches he can throw.”

The Golden Eagles enter today’s game with a losing record at 8-13. However, they have made back-to-back upsets in the district tournament to get to the Panthers. As the No. 6 seed, the Golden Eagles blanked No. 3 seed Cochranton 11-0 on Wednesday. The Golden Eagles then knocked off No. 2 seed Rocky Grove 6-5 on a walk-ff single by Dominick Ratkovich.

On offense, the Golden Eagles feature Dom Rapp, Riley Mastowski, Remington Hart and Davey Cochenour, who all have recorded 10 or more RBIs while maintaining a batting average of .240 or higher. As for pitching, Stargell Fuhr has a 3-3 record with a 5.39 ERA in 10 appearances. Cochenour has also contributed with his arm as he has a 3-1 record with a 2.33 ERA in nine games.

“They got some kids that put the ball in play decent,”

Walter said. “We’ve watched them a few times. I’ve only watched them a couple times since they were down there and they got some decent players that are gonna put the ball in play, but I trust my defense. We’ve been playing good defense all year.”

The winner of today’s game will take on the District 7 runner up in the first round of the PIAA tournament next Monday.

Panthers blank Tigers 7-0, advance to 1A championship

By Alex McGinley

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SLIPPERY ROCK — The Saegertown baseball team defeated PENNCREST rival Maplewood 7-0 in the District 10 1A semifinals on Friday at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park to move on to the championship game on Monday.

With the win, the Panthers have completed the season sweep of the Tigers after beating them twice in the regular season.

“It’s definitely a big win, getting into the D-10 championship,” said Saegertown head coach Scott Walters. “Last year, we fell a game short getting in. We did one better than we did last year and that was what we were looking for, so we’ll go into Monday’s game and do what we can do.”

The Panthers’ offense started to cook right away. In the top of the first inning, three consecutive hits by Wyatt Burchill, Landon Caldwell and Henry Shaffer loaded the bases. Garrett Young was able to bring home Burchill following a fielder’s choice to third base.

The Panthers added three more runs in the top of the second. Singles by Joe Grundy and Anthony Hernandez put runners at the corners for Dustin Nearhoof. Nearhoof subsequently grounded out to second to score Grundy and advance Hernandez to third. Burchill also grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Hernandez. After Caldwell earned a triple, Shaffer singled him home to give the Panthers a 4-0 lead.

The Panthers tacked on another run in the fifth. Burchill and Caldwell drew backto- back walks, which allowed Shaffer to bring home Burchill on a sacrifice fly.

The Panthers added their final two runs in the seventh. The inning started with consecutive walks from Shaffer and Flinchbaugh. After both runners stole a base, Shaffer scored on a passed ball while Flinchbaugh advanced to third. Flinchbaugh subsequently scored on a sacrifice fly by Young.

Shaffer, Burchill and Caldwell each recorded two hits. Shaffer also drove in two runs along with Young.

“We scored runs,” Walters said. “We had some productive at-bats. We scored enough runs. I’m not saying it was our best offensive performance, but we played good enough. We hadn’t played in over a week, so that was the first live pitching we’ve seen.”

While the Panthers scored seven runs, it was a different story for the Tigers’ offense. The Tigers only earned one hit, a single by Jacob Woge in the second inning. The Tigers had the bases loaded twice, but couldn’t drive any runners home.

“We had opportunities early,” said Maplewood head coach Ken Smock. “Bases loaded twice, just couldn’t get a key hit.”

Zach Balog earned the shutout on the mound after going all seven innings and striking out seven batters. Balog only allowed one hit and two walks.

“Zach pitched well,” Walter said. “He pounded the strike-zone. He had a lot of weak contact and we couldn’t ask for any more from him as far as coming in and pitching in a big game.”

For Maplewood, Landyn Reynolds went the first five innings and allowed seven hits, five runs and four walks. Levi Willison pitched the final two innings and allowed one hit, two runs (one earned) and two walks.

“I had two freshmen pitchers,” Smock said. “Landyn Reynolds, he started the game, did real well. Held them in check, like I said, we just couldn’t get some key hits. Later on, Levi Willison came in as another freshman, so having two freshmen pitch in a semifinal game, that’s pretty good. That’s a learning experience for them. They’ve been there done that now, so that helps the program.”

With the win, the Panthers will take on Kennedy Catholic for the 1A title game on Monday at 11 a.m. at Jack Critchfield Park. The Golden Eagles upset Rocky Grove 6-5 in eight innings in the other semifinal game on Friday. Walters confirmed that Shaffer will be on the hill for the Panthers.

“I think my team will perform well with him on the mound,” Walters said. “Kennedy hasn’t really seen him throw. I don’t know who they’re gonna throw, but I don’t know, I think it’ll be a decent game. I think the boys will be ready.”

While the Panthers will move on, the Tigers’ season is over after finishing 9-9 this year. Before losing to the Panthers, the Tigers had won six consecutive games.

With Friday’s loss, eight Tigers players have ended their time with the program.

“The seniors have been a great bunch,” Smock said. “Can’t ask more from them. They played their hearts out.”

Panthers, Tigers seek spot in 1A title game

By Alex McGinley

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

Two PENNCREST rivals will battle for a spot in the District 10 1A championship in today’s semifinal match between Saegertown and Maplewood at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park at 2 p.m.

While the Panthers received a bye as the No. 1 seed, the No. 4 seed Tigers defeated No. 5 seed Youngsville 9-7 in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday.

The Panthers blanked the Tigers in both of their matchups this season, winning 14-0 on April 5 and 10-0 on April 29.

“We played them twice during the year,” said Saegertown head coach Scott Walters. “They’re a competitive team. I think they’re a little young, but I have confidence in my team that they’ll come out. Hopefully, they’re still hungry. We gotta put some runs up and keep them to a few runs.”

The Panthers placed first in Region 3 with a 16-2 record overall and a 15-1 mark in region play.

The Panthers are led by four pitchers who all have ERAs of under 3.00. Leading the pitchers is Henry Shaffer, who boasts a 6-1 record and a 0.39 ERA in seven appearances. Landon Caldwell has a 5-0 record and a 0.51 ERA in 11 appearances. Zach Balog earned a 6-1 record and a 2.27 ERA in 10 appearances while Chandler Davison has a 0.78 ERA while pitching in six games.

The Panthers also have many options on offense. Shaffer has been just as dominant with his bat this year as he’s recorded a .565 batting average, 19 RBIs, eight doubles and a pair of home runs and triples each. Balog and Caldwell can also cause problems with their bats as both players have hit above .300 and recorded at least 20 RBIs this year. Garrett Young and Dylan Flinchbaugh are another two names to watch out for as they have recorded 19 and 21 RBIs this year, respectively.

“Keys are for my pitcher to throw strikes and keep the walks to a minimum,” Walters said. “I don’t like those freebies and if we keep hitting like we have been. We’ve been hitting pretty good, putting runs up, playing good defensive baseball. If we keep everything in tact the way we have been, we should be fine.” The Tigers come into today’s game with a 9-8 record on the season.

On offense, Jacob Woge has a .400 batting average and six RBIs on the year. Stuart Hochstetler boasts a .306 average and eight RBIs. Noah Burk leads with team with 12 RBIs while Elliott Beuchat and Andrew Proper have compiled 11 RBIs each.

As for pitching, Hochstetler has a 4-3 record and a 3.00 ERA in 11 appearances. Landyn Reynolds owns a 1-1 record and a 3.55 ERA in nine games.

“Our expectation is to compete, have a full game and obviously try to win,” said Maplewood head coach Ken Smock.

The winner will play either Rocky Grove or Kennedy Catholic in the championship game on Monday at Jack Critchfield Park at 11 a.m.

Panthers win 15-0 in four innings

YOUNGSVILLE — The Saegertown baseball team beat Youngsville 15-0 in four innings due to a mercy rule in a Region 3 game on Wednesday. On the mound, Zach Balog got the win. He delivered six strikeouts in four innings with three hits.

At the plate, Garrett Young was 2-4 with four RBIs. Henry Shaffer was 2-2 with three runs scored. Also scoring multiple runs as Wyatt Burchill, Landon Caldwell, Joe Grundy, Anthony Hernandez and Gabriel Jordan.

Saegertown is 16-2 overall and 15-1 in region action. The Panthers’ regular season is over.

Shaffer leads Panthers to win

FRANKLIN — Saegertown’s Henry Shaffer struck out nine batters and went 3-4 at the plate in a 5-1 win against Rocky Grove on Tuesday.

The win avenged a 9-5 home loss on April 25 and clinched a share of the Region 3 title.

Zach Balog and Dustin Nearhoof each registered multiple hits in the win.

Saegertown is 15-2 overall and 14-1 in region action. The Panthers will play its regular season finale today at Youngsville.

Panthers handle Bears

SAEGERTOWN — The Saegertown baseball team defeated Region 3 foe Union City 9-2 on Friday. With the win, the Panthers improve to 14-3 on the season.

The Panthers were down 1-0 in the bottom of fourth inning when three runs came across the plate. The Panthers added four and two runs in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.

Garrett Young finished 3-4 with five RBIs while Henry Shaffer went 2-3 with a triple and a home run.

Three pitchers contributed for the Panthers. Zach Balog pitched the first five innings and only allowed two hits, one run and four walks while earning nine strikeouts. Chandler Davison earned the next two outs while allowing one run and three walks. Dylan Flinchbaugh got the final four outs while only allowing one hit.

Next, Saegertown will go to take on another region foe in Rocky Grove on Monday at 4 p.m. Rocky Grove and Saegertown hold the top two spots in Region 3.

Panthers mercy-rule Eagles

SAEGERTOWN — The Saegertown baseball team used an 11-run fourth inning to defeat Youngsville 15-5 in four innings in a Region 2 game on Wednesday.

With the game knotted at 4s, the Panthers rattled off 11 runs in the fourth inning to put the game away.

Landon Caldwell went 2-3 at the plate with six RBIs and three runs. Zach Balog was 2-3 with three RBIs and Anthony Hernandez had two RBIs as well.

On the mound, Caldwell earned the win with five strikeouts in 2.1 innings.

Saegertown is now 13-2 overall and 12-1 in the region. The Panthers will host Union City on Friday.

Caldwell no hits Braves in win

ERIE — The Saegertown baseball defeated Region 3 opponent Iroquois 15-0 on Tuesday behind Landon Caldwell’s no-hitter. Caldwell went all five innings and surrendered only two walks while earning seven strikeouts.

The Panthers’ also got it done with their bats. After only scoring four runs during the first four innings, the Panthers’ offense exploded for 11 runs in the fifth.

Henry Shaffer went 2-4 with a home run and five RBIs. Garrett Young finished 2-3 with a pair of RBIs. Caldwell and Wyatt Burchill also collected multiple hits.

With the win, the Panthers improve to 12-3. The Panthers are scheduled to hit the road and take on Northwestern on Thursday at 4 p.m. for a non-region tilt.

Going the distance

Panthers blank Blue Devils behind Shaffer’s complete game

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS — The Saegertown baseball team defeated PENNCREST rival Cambridge Springs 5-0 on Monday. With the win, the Panthers have swept the season series and improve to 11-3. The Blue Devils now fall to 4-6.

The Panthers earned the shutout behind a complete game effort from Henry Shaffer. Shaffer surrendered three hits and four walks while earning 10 strikeouts. Shaffer also went 2-4 at the plate.

The Panthers jumped on the Blue Devils early after scoring three runs during the top of the first. The Panthers got on the board after Shaffer reached first via an error and scored Wyatt Burchill. A fielder’s choice by Dylan Flinchbaugh and an RBI single by Garrett Young scored the next two runs in the inning.

The Panthers added another run in the second after a Burchill single scored Dustin Nearhoof. Young brought home another run in the fifth inning after his single scored Shaffer. Young and Burchill also finished with a pair of hits each.

On the other hand, Blue Devils’ offense only generated three hits, two of which came from Brock Cunningham. The other was a double by Nathan Held.

Alex Dubet pitched six innings for the Blue Devils. Dubet allowed seven hits, five runs and two walks while striking out a pair. Owen Riley pitched the final inning and only allowed one hit.

Next, Saegertown is scheduled to go to Region 3 foe Iroquois today at 4 p.m. Cambridge Springs is also scheduled to play Iroquois next on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at home.

Dominant pitching

Panthers blank Cards 6-0 to complete season sweep

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

COCHRANTON — The Saegertown baseball team blanked Crawford County rival Cochranton 6-0 on Monday. With the win, the Panthers improve their record to 9-3 and complete the season sweep over the Cardinals. The Panthers won 9-0 on April 6. The Cardinals’ record is now 6-4 overall.

The first two innings were scoreless until the Panthers scored three runs during the top of the third. Henry Shaffer’s RBI single brought home Wyatt Burchill and put the Panthers on the board. Next, Dylan Flinchbaugh hit a two-run double that scored Landon Caldwell and Shaffer.

After the Panthers added another run in the fifth on an RBI double from Zach Balog, the Panthers tacked on another two runs in the seventh. Shaffer’s RBI triple brought home Caldwell to make it 5-0. Flinchbaugh then grounded into a fielder’s choice that brought home Shaffer to make it a six-run game.

It was a different story for the Cardinals’ offense as they only mustered three hits during Monday’s contest. Wyatt Barzak, Isaiah Long and Blake Foulk each recorded a hit.

Shaffer also gave the Cardinals trouble on the mound as he pitched six innings and fanned 16 batters and only allowed three hits and one walk. After Shaffer threw 98 pitches, Caldwell pitched the final inning and retired all three batters with no issue.

For the Cardinals, Barzak went five innings and allowed six hits and four runs while striking out seven. Jack Rynd pitched the last two innings and allowed one hit, two runs and one walk.

Both teams will be back in action on Wednesday Saegertown will host Region 3 opponent Eisenhower at 4:30 p.m. while Cochranton will go to Union City for a region tilt at 4 p.m.

Saegertown blanks Maplewood 10-0 at home

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — The Saegertown baseball team shut out PENNCREST rival Maplewood 10-0 on Friday.

With the win, the Panthers improve to 8-3 while the Tigers fall to 2-5 on the season.

Henry Shaffer finished 2-3 with an RBI and four runs. Zach Balog went 2-2 with an RBI. Landon Caldwell and Joe Grundy also drove in a run each.

Caldwell also pitched five innings for the Panthers. Caldwell only allowed three hits and three walks while striking out a pair of batters.

The Tigers only mustered three hits as team. Connor Burns, Elliott Beuchat and Jesse McFadden each earned a hit.

In total, the Tigers committed four errors.

Next, Maplewood is scheduled to host Region 3 opponent Rocky Grove today at 11 a.m while Saegertown will go to play Crawford County rival Cochranton on Monday at 4 p.m.

Panthers pull away, defeat Blue Devils 13-3

By Alex McGinley

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — The Saegertown baseball team pulled away from PENNCREST rival Cambridge Springs 13-3 Thursday at Ed Acker American Legion Field.

The game ended after the top of the fifth inning due to the mercy rule. The Panthers improve their record to 7-3 while the Blue Devils fall to 3-3.

The Blue Devils got things started with three runs during the top of the first inning. After a leadoff single by Bryce Kania, Brock Cunningham drove him home on a double. A Brady Jardina single moved Cunningham to third. Cunningham subsequently scored on a wild pitch by Zach Balog to make it 2-0. Three batters later, Jardina scored on a passed ball to make it a three-run game. Those were the only three runs the Blue Devils scored in the game.

“We came out in the first inning, hit the ball well, scored a couple runs,” said Cambridge Springs head coach Brad Wheeler. “Saegertown had to think about us a little bit there, but Saegertown’s a good team. We can’t have as many errors as we did and expect to even compete with them.”

The Panthers responded by scoring three runs themselves in the bottom of the second. The inning started with Balog reaching second base thanks to an error by Kania. Gabriel Jordan subsequently came in as a courtesy runner for Balog. After reaching third base, Jordan stole home to give the Panthers their first run of the game. Following a walk to Anthony Hernandez, pitcher Nathan Held was taken out of the game and Jardina came in relief. Jardina then gave up a two-run single to Dustin Nearhoof, which scored Hernandez and Joe Grundy, to tie the game at 3-3.

The Panthers added two more runs in the third inning. Henry Shaffer started the inning by drawing a walk. After stealing second, Shaffer was brought home thanks to a single from Dylan Flinchbaugh as the Panthers earned a 4-3 lead. Balog then singled and advanced to second following a sacrifice bunt by Garrett Young. Joe Grundy grounded into a fielder’s choice to advance Balog to third. Balog was taken out again for Jordan, who scored following a balk by Jardina.

The Panthers gave themselves some breathing room after pouring on eight runs in the bottom of the fourth. Landon Caldwell got things started after his single brought home Nearhoof. Two batters later, Flinchbaugh hit a tworun double that scored Caldwell and Shaffer. Balog then reached second following an error by Jardina. Young then came to the plate and hit a two-run single that scored Flinchbaugh and Jordan. Three batters later, Nearhoof singled to bring home Young. Following Nearhoof’s hit, Wyatt Burchill hit a two-run triple that scored Hernandez and Nearhoof.

Nearhoof and Flinchbaugh finished with three RBIs each with Nearhoof going a perfect 3-3 at the plate. Young and Burchill each had a pair of RBIs. “We executed very well,” said Saegertown head coach Scott Walters. “We executed our sac bunts. We executed our two-strike approach as far as moving runners, getting runners in scoring position and clutch hits. Dustin Nearhoof, our nine hitter, is rolling the order over. He did a great job tonight. He’s been doing a wonderful job for us all year.” The Panthers also executed on the mound. Balog went all five innings and allowed five hits and three runs while striking out six.

“Zach threw well,” Walters said. “Like I said, once he settled in, when he was younger a little bit, he’d get a little frustrated. Obviously pitching’s a mental game, but he’s really matured and doing well for us.” The Blue Devils used three different pitchers. Held started the game and went 1.1 innings. Held allowed one hit, three runs and two walks and struck out two. Jardina then pitched the next innings and allowed five hits, four runs and one walk. Owen Riley came in to pitch the the last two outs and allowed five hits, six runs (one earned) and one walk.

“My pitchers threw a lot of strikes,” Wheeler said. “I mean we didn’t walk many. I think if we didn’t have six or seven or eight errors in one inning, I don’t know man. But Owen pitched good strikes. Nate came in and pitched well. The pitching was there, it was our defense that let us down.”

Saegertown is scheduled to host another PENNCREST team in Maplewood today at 4 p.m. Cambridge Springs is slated to host Crawford County rival Cochranton Saturday at 11 a.m.

Early season test

Errors pile up for Saegertown in loss

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — The Saegertown Panthers got out to a hot start against Rocky Grove but fizzled down the stretch in a 9-5 loss at Ed Acker American Legion Field on Monday.

The Panthers opened the game with starting pitcher Zach Balog tossing two ground outs and a pop out. Then, Balog drove in two runs off a single to center field.

Rocky Grove evened the game in the second inning but the Panthers responded in the third.

Dylan Flinchbaugh drilled an RBI-double that scored Landon Caldwell from second base. Wyatt Burchill followed with an RBI-double of his own to score Flinchbaugh. To close the inning, Dylan Nearhoof hit a pop fly and reached first base on an error. On the same error, Burchill scored and another Panther runner nearly scored but was thrown out at home plate.

Saegertown was up 5-2 and looked to be in control of the game. After a short rain delay, a nightmarish fourth inning for Saegertown gave Rocky Grove a huge lead.

The Orioles loaded the bases with zero outs before Henry Shaffer earned a strikeout. On the next batter, a fielding error allowed two Orioles’ runners to score.

Another Panthers’ error loaded the bases again before another error allowed a run to score. Rocky Grove’s Travis Knupp then hit an RBI-single and was brought in by Reece Henderson who sent a home run over the left field wall.

Saegertown trailed 9-5 after the damage was done.

“Putting the ball in the play, I was fine with that. We kind of slumped after we scored five. Defensively, obviously the big inning for them switched the momentum their way,” Saegertown head coach Scott Walters said. “We’ve gotta focus more on defense. If we make a few plays the game is still in our hands at that point.

“I don’t know if that (the rain delay) was it or it was some hectic confusion and trying to make plays before we had the ball and it gets to you. We need to focus up more and we stress that a lot but we lost focus.”

The next three innings turned into a pitcher’s duel as a steady rain settled on Ed Acker field. Rocky Grove held on for a 9-5 win. Rocky Grove kept its region record undefeated at 7-0. The Orioles are 7-1 overall.

With the loss, Saegertown is 5-1 in Region 3 and 6-2 overall.

“To be honest, we needed one of these. We lost a scrimmage and a game to two very good teams down south. We competed down there and we knew we’d need to compete here,” Walters said. “Moreland is a very good pitcher and we want to face their best. I’m happy where we’re at. We’re playing for the end of May, beginning of June, so we talked about how will you guys respond to this? They just smacked us in the mouth on our field so lets go down there and see what we can do then.”

In the first round of last year’s playoffs, Rocky Grove rallied to beat Saegertown at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park. With Monday’s loss, Saegertown has lost two straight against its region rival. Will the Panthers respond with some added energy the next time these two Region 3 foes take the field?

“I would hope so. Last year we had a lead down there, I made a move that I took responsibly for, and they scored a bunch of runs. We battled back in that game, I think we only lost by a couple runs,” Walters said. “I think they’ll respond by the time we get to play them again at the end of the month.”

Saegertown is scheduled to play at Rocky Grove on May 16, which will likely be both team regular season finale. The teams may also face each other in the playoffs again.

The Panthers are scheduled to play again on Wednesday at Iroquois.

Panthers crush Bears 10-2

UNION CITY — The Saegertown baseball team made easy work of Region 3 opponent Union City after winning 10-2 on Friday. With the win, the Panthers are now 6-0 in the region and 7-2 overall.

Henry Shaffer was the only Panthers with multiple hits as he went 3-5 while crossing the plate three times. Zach Balog, Wyatt Burchill, Garrett Young and Anthony Hernandez each recorded an RBI.

Three Panthers contributed on the mound. Balog started the game and went three innings and allowed

no hits and just one walk. Landon Caldwell pitched the next two innings and allowed three hits, two runs and one walk while striking out four. Shaffer finished the last two innings and only allowed one hit while striking out a pair of batters.

The Bears committed a total of six errors during the contest.

Saegertown will next host region foe Rocky Grove on Monday at 4:30 p.m.

Panthers complete Myrtle Beach trip

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The Saegertown baseball team completed its trip to the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

After losing to Jackson City, Ky., on Friday, the Panthers came back to defeat fellow Crawford County team Conneaut 16-1 on Saturday. The game was called after four innings due to the mercy rule.

Dylan Flinchbaugh led the way offensively after going 2-3 with four RBIs. Henry Shaffer and Zach Balog recorded a pair of RBIs each. Shaffer also hit two doubles.

Shaffer pitched all four innings and allowed just one hit, one run and three walks while striking out six.

The Eagles only recorded one hit, an RBI-single from Dawson Thomas. As a team, the Eagles committed five errors.

Jordan Kullen pitched two innings and allowed five hits, eight runs and three walks for the Eagles. Greg Klink came in relief and pitched 1.2 innings. Klink permitted six hits, eight runs and four walks.

Fairport 11, Saegertown 0

Sunday’s game was a completely

different story as the

Panthers were shutout 11-0 against Fairport (NY). Fairport was up 6-0 before putting up five runs during the bottom of the fifth. The game ended after the inning because of the mercy rule.

The Panthers committed three errors while accounting for one hit, a single by Dustin Nearhoof.

Landon Caldwell was on the mound for the Panthers

and pitched four innings while allowing seven hits, eight runs and two walks and striking out three.

Saegertown will return to Region 3 play at Union City on Friday at 4 p.m.

Panthers lose for first time

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The Saegertown baseball team lost for the first time this season against Jackson City (KY) 5-2 on Friday at the Ripken Experience at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Panthers are now 5-1 on the season.

The Panthers were only down one run until the top of the fifth inning when the Tigers added two more runs. The Panthers only recorded three hits on Friday with Henry Shaffer, Landon Caldwell and Zach Balog each earning a hit.

Balog went five innings on the mound for the Panthers as he scattered five hits, five runs and two walks while striking out four. Caldwell pitched the last two innings and only allowed a hit and a walk.

Saegertown will continue playing at Myrtle Beach today at noon against fellow Crawford County team Conneaut.

Saegertown Panthers takes down Iroquois 11-1

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — The Saegertown baseball team defeated Region 3 rival Iroquois 11-1 on Tuesday. The game ended during the fifth inning due to the mercy rule.

Zach Balog led the Panthers with three RBI’s while Landon Caldwell and Joe Grundy added two RBI’s each. Henry Shaffer and Garrett Young each recorded a pair of hits.

On the mound, Balog pitched for four innings while only allowing three hits and a walk and striking out nine batters.

The Panthers are now 5-0 while only allowing five runs to start the season.

Saegertown will return to the mound today to go on the road to take on PENNCREST rival Cambridge Springs at 4 p.m.

Saegertown stays unbeaten

SAEGERTOWN — The Saegertown baseball team defeated Youngsville 9-4 in four innings on Monday in a Region 3 matchup.

Saegertown broke open a 4-4 tie in the fourth inning with five runs to grab the lead before the game was called off due to the weather.

Landon Caldwell went 2-2 with two runs and three RBIs to pace the Panthers. Caldwell also pitched 1.2 innings in relief and struck out two batters.

Zach Balog hit a double and had two RBIs at the plate.

Saegertown is 4-0 and is scheduled to host Iroquois today.

Saegertown baseball blows out Eisenhower 16-0

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

RUSSELL — The Saegertown baseball team used a 12-run sixth inning to blow out Region 3 opponent Eisenhower 16-0 on Friday.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and led 4-0 after five innings. Saegertown exploded for 12 runs in the sixth inning to bury the Knights and stay undefeated on the season at 3-0.

Senior Landon Caldwell earned the win on the mound with five scoreless innings of work. He pitched six strikeouts and walked one batter.

Chandler Davison pitched the final inning and allowed one hit while striking out two batters and walking two.

Henry Shaffer led the Panthers by going 3-4 at the plate with three runs and three RBIs. Dustin Nearhoof went 2-3 with two runs and two RBIs while Dylan Flinchbaugh recorded three RBIs.

Eisenhower was plagued by seven errors that resulted in 10 runs for the Panthers.

Saegertown is scheduled to host Iroquois today.

Panthers no-hit Cards en-route to 9-0 win

By Alex McGinley

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — The Saegertown baseball team shut out Crawford County rival Cochranton 9-0 on Wednesday afternoon at Ed Acker American Legion Field.

Through two games, the Panthers are 2-0 and have allowed no runs to cross the plate after beating Maplewood 14-0 on Tuesday.

The Cardinals didn’t earn a single hit and only got two runners on base via walks during Wednesday’s contest. As a team, the Cardinals struck out 17 times. This comes after the Cardinals compiled eight runs on 17 hits in their win Tuesday over Cambridge Springs.

“We ran into a good pitcher,” said Cochranton head coach Scott Barzak. “We’re not hitting, so we need to work on it.”

Through the first three innings, only one run was scored between the two teams. The Panthers got on the board in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly from Dylan Flinchbaugh.

The Panthers opened the game up during the next inning when five runners crossed the plate to make it a 6-0 game. Following a Dustin Nearhoof bunt single that scored the second run, Henry Shaffer hit a two-run double that grew the Panthers’ lead to four.

Landon Caldwell and Zach Balog drove in the final two runs of the inning on groundouts.

“That was a strong inning for us,” said Saegertown head coach Scott Walters. “We figured it would come sooner or later. We were squaring a lot of balls up.”

The Panthers added another two runs in the fifth. Anthony Hernandez reached first base on an error, which allowed the Panthers to take a seven-run lead. Three batters later, Caldwell earned a sacrifice fly to make it 8-0.

The Panthers added their final run of the outing on an RBI-single from Garrett Young.

“Our pitching did good,” Barzak said. “At first, we had a lot of errors. Errors and balls that should’ve been fielded that weren’t. We get a couple of those outs and we’re probably going into the fifth inning with no score. We didn’t make a couple plays we had to. Our pitching did well. Defensively, we were a little off.”

As the starting pitcher, Shaffer went 6.1 innings while striking out 15 batters and allowing just one walk. During the top of the seventh inning, Shaffer passed the torch to Caldwell for the last two outs. Caldwell had little issue completing the shutout for the Panthers as he struck out two batters after allowing a walk. By the time he came out of the game, Shaffer had thrown 78 pitches, which is why Walters took him out.

“Hank pitched a great game,” Walters said. “He was spot on. It makes it a little easy on our defense whenever you don’t have to field too many, but he did a great job.”

“We don’t want any injuries,” Walters continued. “We’re up 9-0. I trust my bullpen and Landon came in and did a great job.”

For the Cardinals, Isaiah Long pitched the first four innings and allowed eight hits, four earned runs and a walk while striking out four batters. Andrew Albert came in relief of Long and pitched for an inning. Albert allowed two hits, one earned run and a walk. Doran Hill came into pitch the bottom of the sixth and allowed a hit and a run.

At the plate, Young went 3-4 with an RBI and a pair of stolen bases for the Panthers. Shaffer contributed to his own cause after going 2-3 with a pair of RBI’s and a stolen base. As a team, the Panthers stole nine bases with Balog and Hernandez stealing a pair as well.

“We stress quality at bats and we had a lot of quality at bats as far as two strikes, putting it in play, moving a runner, scoring a runner and I think we did that well today,” Walters said.

Both team are scheduled to play Region 3 opponents on Friday at 4 p.m. Cochranton is set to host Union City while Saegertown will go to Eisenhower.

Panthers beat Tigers 14-0

RANDOLPH TOWNSHIP — The Saegertown Panthers spoiled Maplewood’s home opener in a 14-0 win on Tuesday at Jake Boyle Field.

Senior Landon Caldwell drove in six runs for Saegertown and was a perfect 3-3 at the plate. Henry Shaffer went 2-3 and scored three runs.

On the mound, Zach Balog and Chandler Davison combined to allow one hit and struck out eight batters.

For Maplewood, the team’s lone hit came from Jesse McFadden.

Saegertown is 1-0 and is scheduled to host Cochranton today. Maplewood is 0-2 and is scheduled to