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June 10, 2024

Baseball

Saegertown faces Eden for chance at state finals

By Trevor Teubner

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

Saegertown’s baseball team will face Eden Christian today at Slippery Rock University at 3 p.m in the PIAA semifinals.

Saegertown (19-3) is the second seed from District 10. Eden Christian (17-6) is the second seed from District 7.

The Panthers have a tough task ahead of them if they want to advance to the championship game. But, the task at hand is all Saegertown is thinking about, not the result.

“We are preparing for this game the same way we’ve prepared for the last 23 games,” said Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie. “It’s just another game. Practice has been energetic and crisp. The boys are having fun and playing free.”

Saegertown will turn to Blake Burchill, DeMarcus Manning and Levi Gardner to lead its offense. Burchill leads the team in several stats, including batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. Burchill recorded a .559 average, a .882 slugging percentage and a 1.482 OPS. Manning has been hot as of late, coming off of a four-RBI game against Bishop Carroll when Manning hit his second home run of the year.

“Our guys are prepared and have a good plan,” Leslie said. “But, all it takes is one player on the mound to have a great day and that can shut down the offense. There’s no tomorrow in the state playoffs, so we are going to use everything we can in our bag of tricks today to scratch out as many runs as we can.”

Gardner has stolen 15 bases this year, and recorded a .444 average.

William Shaffer has been the workhorse for Saegertown this year, pitching the most innings with 38. Shaffer is 5-0 this season, recording an ERA of 1.64. Wyatt Burchill and Blake Burchill have also seen a lot of time on the mound, a testament to the Panthers’ depth at the position. Blake Burchill started the game versus the Huskies on Thursday, pitching five shutout innings.

With all of the pitching depth Saegertown has, Eden most likely won’t know who will be starting until first pitch.

“There’s a slight advantage there,” Leslie said. “Eden’s in the same boat. They’ve got two lefties, (Luca) Natale and (Noah) Emswiler and a righty (Brady) Hull. It can be hard to game plan for three different pitchers going into a game.”

The winner of this game will move on to the Class 1A state championship game, where they will face the winner of Bishop McCort and Faith Christian. Bishop McCort is the first seed from District 6. Faith Christian is the first seed from District 1. The championship game will be held at Medlar Field at Penn State University on Friday.

June 7, 2024

Baseball

Bats power Saegertown to semifinals

By Trevor Teubner

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

HARMONY — Saegertown’s baseball team advanced to the semifinals of the PIAA Class 1A state tournament with an 11-0 rout of Bishop Carroll on Thursday at Seneca Valley High School. Saegertown won in five innings via mercy rule. The Panthers played a complete team game and it showed in each inning as the bats and pitching drove Saegertown over the edge.

Blake Burchill got the start for Saegertown on the mound and made life difficult for the Huskies at the plate. Burchill pitched all five innings, allowing two hits and striking out four while walking none.

“We had a really good game last time so that brought the momentum over,” said Burchill. “They got a leadoff hit in the first and I thought it was going to be a long game. But I settled in and we got through the inning.”

Saegertown came out swinging in the first, making good contact on the ball. Unfortunately, the ball just didn’t go where the Panthers wanted it. That changed in the second when DeMarcus Manning took a ball for a ride to left field for a solo home run, the spark Saegertown needed to ignite the offense.

“He (Manning) has been locked in lately,” said Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie. “It’s fantastic to see. That sparked us on offense and I think we needed that early on. That first inning their pitcher was changing his speeds and we had some bad swings. Manning went up there and set the tone.”

The rest of the offense followed up Manning’s example, scoring three runs in the third and five in the fourth, as Manning hit a double to score three more runs.

“I was just thinking cut the ball in half, look for the fastball and hunt it. Put a good swing on it,” said Manning.

Manning, Luke Young and Wyatt Burchill led the Saegertown offense. Manning went 3-for-4 at the plate, driving in four runs. Young went 2-for-2, driving in three RBIs. Wyatt Burchill went 1-for-3 at the plate, driving in two. Blake Burchill and Blake Leslie drove in one run apiece.

“We really hit the ball today,” said Leslie. “We hit the ball with guys on as well and that makes life pretty easy. We played well, we came out and we executed the game plan.”

With how the Panthers were hitting, Blake Burchill’s only job was to not give up multiple runs. But, he went beyond that giving up two hits.

“We got good pitching,” said Leslie. “He’s (Blake) done a great job all year. This freshman class, they have a very high baseball IQ and aptitude for the game. Blake is probably at the top of that class right now, but they’ve all done a fantastic job this year. We’ve leaned on them and they have risen to the occasion.”

The Panthers’ defense flashed some leather as well, making several great plays to keep runners off the bases, not allowing baserunners to disrupt Blake Burchill’s rhythm. Bishop Carroll had some opportunities to score runs, including getting a runner on third base in the first inning. But, a good throw from Levi Gardner in right field kept the runner from tagging up to score. That play allowed Saegertown to take the lead in the second.

Now 20-3 on the season, Saegertown advanced to the semifinal round of states where they will face Eden Christian on Monday.

“I had an opportunity at the WPIAL finals to watch Bishop Canevin and Eden play. Eden is going to be formidable,” said Leslie. “Their pitching staff is very good, they’ve got some arms. They’re athletic, and they will be a big challenge for us.”

With tough games ahead, Saegertown need to stay prepared.

“We have a team motto,” said Manning. “Keep that baggage on the bus. I think that motto helped us out today and will in the future.”

SAEGERTOWN VS. BISHOP CARROLL

Saegertown (11) (AB-R-H-BI) L. Gardner 4-2-2-0, Young 2-1-2-3, B. Burchill 3-2-1-1, W. Burchill 3-1-1-2, Leslie 2-1-1-1, Manning 4-1-3-4, Shaffer 3-0-1-0, Jordan 3-1-1-0, E. Gardner 1-2-1-0. Totals 25-11-13-11.

Bishop Carroll (0) (AB-R-H-BI) Repko 2-0-1-0, Gillin 2-0-0-0, Casses 2-0-0-0, Myers 2-0-0-0, Mento 2-0-0-0, Sekerak 2-0-1-0, Oravec 2-0-0-0, Gregg 2-0-0-0, Becquet 1-0-0-0. Totals 17-0-2-0.

Saegertown 013 52x x — 11 13 1 

Bishop Carroll 000 00x x — 0 2 1 

BATTING

2B: S — B. Burchill, Manning, L. Gardner. HR: S — Manning.

PITCHING (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) S — B. Burchill WP 5-2-0-0-4-0; BC — Mento LP 3.2-9-7-7-0-1, Repko 1-4-4-4-1-3, Gillin .1-0-0-0-0-0.

June 6, 2024

Baseball

The next challenge

Saegertown to lean on quality pitching in state quarterfinals

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

The Saegertown baseball team will play Bishop Carroll in the PIAA Class 1A quarterfinal round today at Seneca Valley High School at noon.

Bishop Carroll (11-13) played a regular season schedule full of teams in higher classifications and the experience paid off in the playoffs. After losing the District 6 championship game to Bishop McCort, the Huskies defeated defending state champion Clarion 9-3 on Monday.

Mark Mento and Jacob Gregg each have more than 40 innings pitched this season. Mento has an ERA of 2.53 with 40 strikeouts, 2 walks and 16 earned runs. Gregg has an ERA of 4.57 with 35 strikeouts, 23 walks and 27 earned runs. Mento threw 73 pitches in Monday’s game and is available to pitch today.

Offensively, three players are over 20 hits this season led by Luke Repko. Cullen Myers and Preston Gillin each have 22.

Saegertown (19-3) is the District 10 runner- up and defeated WPIAL champion Bishop Canevin 8-0 on Monday.

The Panthers have a deep pitching staff with five pitchers clocking at least 10 innings on the mound this season. William Shaffer delivered a complete game effort on Monday and allowed two hits. Shaffer is unavailable today, but Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie could hand the ball to four other capable starters.

“The very first thing is we need quality pitching. We have some pitchers left. Blake Burchill, the freshman, has done a nice job for us this year,” Leslie said. “Levi Gardner, DeMarcus Manning and Wyatt Burchill are all available. I foresee all of them are probably gonna throw at some point today.”

Blake Burchill has three earned runs in 27 innings on the bump with 22 strikeouts and four walks. Wyatt Burchill has 10 earned runs in 26.2 innings with 26 strikeouts and 14 walks. Gardner and Manning have pitched the least with 11.2 and 10 innings, respectively. They’ve combined for six earned runs.

Blake Burchill leads the attack with 36 hits, 31 runs and 30 RBIs. Mannings has 28 hits with 10 doubles and Wyatt Burchill has 22 hits with four triples. Also above 17 hits on the year are Levi Gardner (20), Luke Young (19), Shaffer (18), Blake Leslie (18) and Everett Garnder (17).

The winner of today’s game will move on to the semifinals and play either Eden Christian or Avella

June 4, 2024

Baseball

Saegertown blanks Bishop Canevin 8-0

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

PLUM — Saegertown sophomore William Shaffer tossed a complete game shutout and led the Panthers to an 8-0 win against Bishop Canevin on Monday in the first round of the PIAA tournament.

Shaffer struck out five, walked three and allowed two hits across seven innings. His performance came one year after his older brother, Henry, delivered a no-hitter against Bishop Canevin in the first round of the 2023 PIAA playoffs.

“He did everything he needed to do on the mound. He executed pitches, pitched ahead in counts and made guys feel uncomfortable,” Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie said. “I think really if you look at it, Henry was a fantastic player for us and had a fantastic career. I think William made that step forward this year and this was kind of a statement game for him on the mound. He gets out of the shadow of his brother.”

Offensively, Wyatt Burchill and DeMarcus Manning each had two hits. Manning delivered a tworun homer in the third inning, and Burchill had a double in the fifth. Manning finished with three RBIs and Blake Leslie added two.

“It’s what we’ve been doing all year. We got quality pitching today. We played real tight defense and made all the routine plays,” Leslie said. “Offensively, we created chaos. We got guys on, we ran, we bunted, we got big hits and got pressure on their pitcher.”

Saegertown defeated the WPIAL champion in the PIAA Class 1A first round and will advance to the state quarterfinals on Thursday where they will play Bishop Carroll, which beat Clarion 9-3 on Monday. Clarion defeated Saegertown last season in the quarterfinals and went on to win the state championship.

SAEGERTOWN - BISHOP CANEVIN

Saegertown (8) (AB-R-H-BI) L. Gardner 2-2-0-0, Young 3-0-0-0, B. Burchill 4-1-1-1, W. Burchill 3-2-2-0, Leslie 2-1-1-2, Manning 3-1-2-3, Shaffer 3-0-0-1, Mosbacher 3-0-00, E. Gardner 2-1-1-0. Totals 25-8-7-7. 

Bishop Canevin (0) (AB-R-H-BI) Varley 3-0-0-0, Olszewski 2-0-0-0, Maddix 3-0-0-0, Glover 2-0-0-0, White 2-0-1-0, Andruscik 2-0-1-0, Maddix 3-0-0-0, Golembiewski 3-0-0-0, Didon 2-0-0-0. Totals 22-0-2-0. 

Saegertown 105 020 0 — 8 7 1 

Bishop Canevin 000 000 0 — 0 2 0 

BATTING 2B: S — W. Burchill. HR: S — Manning.

PITCHING (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) S — Shaffer 7-2-0-0-5-3; BC — Maddix 5-7-8-8-6-4, Olszewski 2-0-0-0-0-0.

June 3, 2024

Baseball

Saegertown set for a state playoff rematch

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

The Saegertown baseball team is in a familiar position.

Saegertown (18-3) is set to play Bishop Canevin (16-4) in the first round of PIAA playoffs today at Plum High School at 2 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s first round game. Last year, Saegertown defeated the Crusaders 6-0 off of Henry Shaffer’s no-hitter.

This year, head coach Nick Leslie is hoping his team can repeat last year’s success by playing how they’ve played all season.

“Hopefully by getting back to our brand of baseball, pitchers throwing quality strikes, defense making the routine plays and our offense applying pressure every inning,” Leslie said. “We went away from that in the D10 finals. Bishop Canevin is a good team. For us to have a good outcome, we need to get back to those core values.”

Saegertown has three pitchers with at least 26 innings pitched. Freshman Blake Burchill has a .78 ERA, William Shaffer has a 2.01 ERA and Wyatt Burchill is at 2.62.

Offensively, Blake Burchill (.603), DeMarcus Manning (.456) and Levi Gardner (.435) lead the way. Blake Burchill has the most hits with 35. Manning has 26 with Wyatt Burchill and Gardner each at 20.

“Playoff baseball is unpredictable. The best team doesn’t always win. Our confidence has be grounded in our preparation and how we’ve played most of the year,” Leslie said. “We use former Chicago Cubs manager, Joe Maddon’s quote, ‘Try not to suck’, before games. The boys have fun with it. Having fun might be the biggest key to our success.”

Bishop Canevin’s Tyler Maddix and Jackson Maddix each have more than 60 strike outs on the season in 41.2 and 32 innings pitched, respectively. Jackson Maddix boasts a 1.53 ERA with Tyler Maddix at 2.69.

At the plate, Dom Varley leads with 26 hits and 29 runs with a .542 average. Tyler Maddix has a .532 average with 27 RBIs and 25 hits.

The winner of today’s game will play Eden Christian or Conemaugh Township in the state quarterfinals on Thursday.

May 28, 2024

Baseball

Self-inflicted wounds doom Panthers in title loss

By Jim Hunter

SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

Saegertown shot itself one too many times in the foot.

Issuing two consecutive two-out walks and committing three crucial errors, the Panthers’ hopes of a District 10 Class 1A championship fizzled as West Middlesex capitalized on those costly miscues for a 7-4 victory on Monday afternoon at Allegheny College’s Garby Field.

“We didn’t deserve to win this game,” said straight-shooting Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie. “We gave them too many freebies and made costly defensive and mental mistakes. We also didn’t come up with the big hit when needed.”

The D-10 championship game got off to a great start for Leslie and Co., though, as they jumped on West Middlesex ace left-handed pitcher Kyle Gilson for two runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Sophomore Luke Young legged out an infield single and hustled to second on a throwing error. Freshman Blake Burchill followed with a line-drive single to center field to score Young. After junior Wyatt Burchill was hit by a pitch and his cousin, Blake, moved to third on a wild pitch, Leslie called for a double-steal and it worked to perfection as the Big Reds committed a throwing error on the play, allowing Blake Burchill to score.

Gilson then found his stuff — allowing only one earned run the rest of the game — while scattering nine hits, and striking out 10 and issuing only one walk.

“Gilson pitched an excellent game,” said Leslie. “He was beating us with his fastball, and that was surprising.”

Saegertown’s 2-0 lead was short-lived.

After yielding a lead-off single to Logan Kent, the Panthers’ starting pitcher Wyatt Burchill got nasty and struck out the next two Big Reds’ batters and appeared to have found his groove.

West Middlesex’s No. 9 and lead-off batters, Kameron Miles and Roman Golub, thought otherwise as they worked Burchill for eight- and seven-pitch walks to load the bases.

Leslie then came out of the dugout, replacing Burchill with the other Burchill, Blake.

On Blake Burchill’s second offering, WM’s Bowen Briggs lined a single to center field to score Kent and pinch-runner David Lakatos, and Gilson followed with a bloop single to right field — falling a few inches short from the diving Panthers’ right-fielder Levi Gardner’s glove — to score Golub, and Briggs scored a wild pitch a few pitches later to give the Big Reds a 4-2 lead.

West Middlesex increased its lead to 6-2 in the third inning — the unearned way.

WM’s Caleb Koncar reached on an error to start the inning but was forced out on Kent’s grounder. After Aiden Puskar belted a single, Lakatos — who came off the bench — delivered in the clutch with a two-out, seeing-eye single to center field.

One more unearned run for the Big Reds: Koncar reached on an error to start the fifth inning and later scored on another miscue by the Panthers.

Going with a different approach at the plate, Saegertown started hitting Gilson’s first pitch and found success as Blake Burchill, Wyatt Burchill and Blake Leslie stroked consecutive singles for one run in the fifth inning and added another run in the sixth when William Shaffer reached on an error and scored on another error by the Big Reds.

Gilson then got filthy. After yielding a lead-off single to Blake Burchill in the seventh inning, Gilson amped up his fastball by striking out the next two Panthers and retiring DeMarcus Manning on a groundout to give the Big Reds the D-10 championship for the second consecutive year.

Blake Burchill — who drew praise from Leslie for his strong relief pitching, “He did a great job as he kept us in the game,” — also swung a lethal bat as he was 3-for-4, the only multi-hit performer for the Panthers.

SAEGERTOWN - W. MIDDLESEX

WEST MIDDLESEX (7) Golub (3b) 3-1-0-0, Briggs (1b) 4-1-2-2, Gilson (p) 3-0-2-1, Blanton (ss) 4-0-0-0, Koncar (3b) 3-1-0-0, Kent (cf) 3-2-2-0, Puskar (rf), Zec (2b) 4-0-1-0, Miles (dp) 0-0-0-0, Lakotas (rf) 2-1-1-2. Totals 31-7-9-5. 

SAEGERTOWN (4) Gardner (lf-rf) 4-0-1-0, Young (cf-lf) 4-1-1-0, B. Burchill (3b-p) 4-2-3-1, W. Burchill (p-cf) 2-0-1-0, Leslie (ss) 4-0-1-1, Manning (1b) 4-0-0-0, Shaffer (3b-rf) 3-1-1-0, Jordan (dp) 2-0-1-0, Wilkinson(C) 0-0-0-0, Gardner (2b) 3-0-0-0. Totals 30-4-9-2. 

West Middlesex 042 010 0 — 7-9-4 

Saegertown 200 011 0 — 4-9-3 

Pitching West Middlesex: Gilson (W) 7-9-4-2-1-10 Saegertown: W. Burchill (L) 1.2-3-4-4-2-3, B. Burchill (4.2-6-4-1-2-2), Gardner .2-0-0-0-0-.

May 27, 2024

Baseball

Saegertown takes on West Middlesex for Class 1A title

By Trevor Teubner

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

Saegertown, the top seed in Class 1A baseball, will face West Middlesex in the final at Allegheny College, today at noon. Saegertown lost to West Middlesex in last year's championship. The Panthers will attempt to write a different ending this year.

“If you asked most of these guys they wanted to play them again the day after we lost last year,” said Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie. “It’s great that the finals worked out this way, but really we are focused on the preparation.”

Saegertown will look toward freshman Blake Burchill, Levi Gardner and Blake Leslie at the plate. Burchill led the team in hits, RBIs and batting average in the regular season. Burchill holds a batting average of .579, has batted in 30 runs and has 33 hits. Gardner averaged .477 at the plate in the regular season. Leslie tallied 26 RBIs.

On the mound, the Panthers will look for performances from Wyatt Burchill and William Shaffer. Shaffer led the team in appearances and went 5-0 in the regular season with 40 strikeouts. Wyatt Burchill struck out 26, and had an ERA of 1.63.

“It’s more about the how and why we play, as opposed to the who we play,” said Leslie. So the last year has been good for us and I suspect that we will have good energy going into Monday.”

The Panthers advanced to the finals after taking down Cambridge Springs 11-1, as the offense of Saegertown overwhelmed the Blue Devils pitching staff. Saegertown hopes to keep that offense going against West Middlesex.

West Middlesex defeated Youngsville on Thursday 6-3. Cochranton lost West Middlesex in the quarterfinals 15-0.

Saegertown will likely face Kyle Gilson on the mound. Gilson recorded a team-leading 0.55 ERA and recorded 77 strikeouts in 50 innings in the regular season. Gilson started both postseason games for the Big Reds.

“We’ve had a District 10 title in our sights since day one of this year. It’ll provide a huge sense of accomplishment for this group,” said Leslie. “We’re excited. It’ll be a great game in a great ballpark.”

The winner of this game will face the third seed from District 7 on June 3. The loser will face the first seed from District 7.

“This team has worked incredibly hard this year, and it started with being in the weight room since June,” said Leslie. “We have a group that is committed to excellence and hopefully that translates to a D10 title.”

May 24, 2024

Baseball

Eyes on the title

Saegertown handles business vs. rival Cambridge Springs, advances to finals

By Trevor Teubner

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

Allegheny College was the site of the District 10 Class 1A baseball semifinals between Saegertown and Cambridge Springs on Thursday. The Panthers offense lit up the scoreboard, winning 11-1 and advancing to the finals for a rematch with West Middlesex.

Saegertown got its scoring started early, bringing three runs home in the first inning. Saegertown scored at least one run in all five innings. The Saegertown pitching staff limited Cambridge Springs’ offense, allowing one hit and one run. The Panthers defense played well behind their pitching, getting outs when they needed to.

“We put together a decent effort,” said Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie. “Pitching was a little rocky at times tonight. We did a really nice job of situational baseball, situational offense.”

Wyatt Burchill and Levi Gardner led the Saegertown offense. Burchill went 2-for-2 at the plate, batting in three runs and scoring one. Gardner went 2-for-4 at the plate, scoring two runs and knocking in two. Blake Burchill, Blake Leslie, DeMarcus Manning and Torre Mosbacher all tallied RBIs for the Panthers.

Despite giving up one hit, Cambridge Springs had opportunities to score more runs on the Saegertown pitching staff. But, the pitching held strong despite situations with multiple baserunners to prevent Cambridge Springs from closing the lead.

“All season they’ve done a really good job with runners on,” said Leslie. “The defense becomes more aware with runners on and they were able to make some plays behind them.”

The Cambridge Springs offense was led by Preston Gorton. Gorton went 1-for-2 at the plate. Josh Gorton walked twice as well. The Blue Devils offense struggled to score runs, but getting runners on base wasn’t the problem.

“Anytime you have a rivalry game it brings a lot of emotions,” said Cambridge Springs head coach Eugene Pabon. “Our team came out right in the beginning ready to fight.”

And fight they did. The Blue Devils started with a bang, after a first pitch swing from Preston Gorton gave Cambridge Springs a man on and a lot of momentum.

“We got Brett Kania back on the mound for tonight’s game,” said Pabon. “He’s dealt with some health issues this season, but to get him back for a playoff game was exciting and that helped the morale of the team.”

Kania pitched just under four innings, allowing five hits and six earned runs.

Cambridge Springs finishes the season with a 9-10 record. The Blue Devils are senior-heavy this year, but that doesn’t mean the future isn’t bright.

“We have eight seniors that have really paved the road for these underclassman,” said Pabon. “They showed them what hard work is and what it means to come back next year and be ready to play.”

For Cambridge Springs, the season ends. But for Saegertown, a familiar opponent faces them in the finals: West Middlesex. In last years class 1A final, Saegertown lost 2-0. This time, the Panthers are ready to set a new story on the path toward a title.

“We lost last year,” said freshman Blake Burchill. “We have to get them back. I’m confident that we can win, we’ve been close together playing ball since we were little.”

The finals will take place on Monday, with a time and location to be announced.

“It’s a rematch of last year,” said Leslie. “We’re a different team now than we were last year so I think the message is just to come out and play our game.”

SAEGERTOWN - CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS

Cambridge Springs (1) (AB-R-H-BI) P. Gorton 2-0-1-0, J. Gorton 1-0-0-0, Kania 2-0-0-0, Riley 2-0-0-0, Ross 2-0-0-0, Doubet 2-0-0-0, Mazzadra 1-1-0-0, Simmerman 2-0-0-0, Smith 1-0-0-0. Totals 15-1-1-0. 

Saegertown (11) (AB-R-H-BI) L. Gardner 4-2-2-2, Young 1-3-0-0, B. Burchill 2-2-1-2, W. Burchill 2-1-2-3, Leslie 1-0-0-1, Manning 2-1-2-2, Shaffer 3-0-1-0, Jordan 1-1-0-0, Mosbacher 1-1-1-1, E. Gardner 3-0-0-0. Totals 20-11-9-11. 

Cambridge Springs 000 01x x — 1 1 1 

Saegertown 311 24x x — 11 9 4 

BATTING

2B: S — Manning, L. Gardner, W. Burchill.

3B: S — B. Burchill, L. Gardner, W. Burchill.

PITCHING (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) CS — Kania LP 3.2-5-7-6-1-5, Simmerman 1-4-4-4-0-0; S — Shaffer WP 3-1-0-0-2-3, W. Burchill 2-0-1-0-2-1.

May 16, 2024

Baseball

Saegertown pounces on Knights

RUSSELL — Saegertown’s baseball team defeated Eisenhower 9-2 in Wednesday’s Region 3 game. The game was shortened to four innings.

William Shaffer and Wyatt Burchill led the Saegertown offense. Shaffer went 1-for-3 at the plate, scoring one run and batting in one as well. Burchill led the team in hits, going 2-for-3 at the plate and scoring two runs.

Saegertown finishes the regular season with a region record of 15-1 and an overall record 17-2.

SAEGERTOWN VS. EISENHOWER

Saegertown (9) (AB-R-H-BI) Burchill 3-2-2-0, Gardner 0-2-0-0, Manning 2-1-0-1, Shaffer 3-1-1-1, Mosbacher 1-1-0-0, Wilkinson 2-0-0-0, Crawford 2-0-0-0, Shaw 2-0-0-0, Grundy 0-2-0-0. Totals 15-9-3-2.

Eisenhower (2) (AB-R-H-BI) Palmieri 2-1-1-0, Nichols 2-1-1-0, kellogg 2-0-0-0, Childs 1-0-0-0, Pascuzzi 2-0-0-0, Jakubczak 3-0-1-2, Darr Jr. 1-0-0-0, Casey 1-0-1-0, Williams 1-0-1-0. Totals 15-2-5-2.

Saegertown 206 1 — 9 3 1 

Eisenhower 200 0 — 2 5 2 

BATTING 3B: S — Burchill.

PITCHING (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) — Burchill WP 3-4-2-2-3-1, Gardner .1-1-0-0-0-0; E — Eisenhower LP 3-3-8-6-2-2, Palmieri 1-0-1-1-0-0.

May 14, 2024

Baseball

Panthers take down Iroquois

ERIE — Saegertown’s baseball team defeated Iroquois 13-2 in Monday’s Region 3 matchup. Saegertown gave up two hits in five innings.

William Shaffer and Blake Burchill led the Saegertown offense. Shaffer went 2-for-3 at the plate, knocking in two. Burchill went 1-for-3, scoring two runs and knocking in two as well.

Saegertown is 15-1 in region play and 17-2 overall. The Panthers are scheduled to play Eisenhower on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

SAEGERTOWN VS. IROQUOIS

Saegertown (13) (AB-R-H-BI) L. Gardner 4-2-2-1, Young 1-3-0-0, B. Burchill 3-2-1-2, Mosbacher 0-1-0-0, W. Burchill 2-1-0-0, Leslie 3-0-0-2, Manning 3-2-1-0, Crawford 0-1-0-0, E. Gardner 2-1-1-1, Jordan 2-0-0-0, Wilkinson 1-0-1-1, Shaffer 3-0-2-2. Totals 24-13-8-9.

Iroquois (2) (AB-R-H-BI) E. Alderson 3-1-0-0, Brown 3-0-1-1, H. Alderson 2-0-0-0, Bennett 2-0-0-0, Hadlock 1-1-0-0, Theisss 2-0-0-0, Lewis 2-0-1-0, Lingenfelter 1-0-0-0, Capenter 1-0-0-0, Moffett 1-0-0-0. Totals 18-2-2-1.

Saegertown 204 52x x — 13 8 2 

Iroquois 100 10x x — 2 2 4 

BATTING

2B: S — B. Burchill; I — Brown. 

PITCHING (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) S — Shaffer WP 3-2-1-0-3-1, Manning 1-0-1-0-0-1, L. Gardner 1-0-0-0-3-0; I — Alderson LP 3.1-4-10-3-3-6, Brown 2-2-1-1-0-1, Evan 1-2-2-2-0-1.

May 7, 2024

Baseball

One-sided affair

Blake Burchill powers Saegertown in win versus Maplewood

By Trevor Teubner

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

GUYS MILLS — Saegertown’s baseball team defeated Maplewood 12-2 in Monday night’s Region 3 matchup. The Panthers scored five runs in the fifth inning to trigger the mercy rule.

Saegertown jumped out to an early lead after scoring two runs in the first, and expanded its lead in the third to 5-0. Saegertown consistently had runners on base, making things difficult for Maplewood’s defense. Saegertown stole six bases in five innings.

“I think we played well,” said Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie. “I think we’re feeding off of the game over the weekend against Harbor Creek. We’re starting to put at-bats together with guys hitting as a group.”

Blake Burchill led the Saegertown offense going 3-for-4 at the plate and driving in three runs. Burchill hit two homers, a solo shot and a two-run shot in back to back at-bats.

“We got a couple of big hits today,” said Leslie. “Blake Burchill did a real nice job putting a few good swings on the ball.”

Levi Gardner and Blake Leslie led the offense as well, with Gardner going 3-for-4 at the plate batting in three, and Leslie going 2-for-3, totaling two RBIs and scoring one run.

Saegertown benefited from pitching and defense too. William Shaffer got the start on the mound for the Panthers, throwing four innings. Shaffer allowed one hit, one run and struck out six. Gardner took over in the fifth to get the last three outs.

“We had some good pitching tonight,” said Leslie. “When everything’s put together like that, it’s a pretty easy recipe to win a ball game.”

Saegertown gave up one error in five innings behind their pitching.

Landyn Reynolds and Kyle Jordan led the Maplewood offense. Reynolds went 1-for-3 as the team’s leadoff man, scoring one run. Jordan also went 1-for-3 with one run scored.

“We were trying to put the ball in play more today,” said Maplewood head coach Ken Smock. “They had good pitching. We had some opportunities early, but just didn’t get it done today.”

The Tigers had some hits early in the game that gave them an opportunity to close the Saegertown lead, but weren’t able to capitalize. Maplewood heated up as the game went on, loading the bases in the fourth. However, the Tigers only scored one run off of that.

“I think we just started seeing the ball better,” said Smock. “We’ll wash it off. We’ll get ready for Iroquois on Wednesday.”

Saegertown is 13-1 in region and 14-2 overall, maintaining first place in Region 3. Maplewood is in third with a record of 9-4 in region and 9-7 overall. Saegertown is scheduled to host Youngsville on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Maplewood is scheduled to host Iroquois on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.

May 6, 2024

Baseball

Saegertown defeats Harbor Creek

SAEGERTOWN — The Saegertown baseball team defeated Harbor Creek 11-7 on Saturday in a non-region matchup. Saegertown scored five runs in the sixth to seal the win.

Luke Young, Blake Burchill and Wyatt Burchill led the Saegertown offense. Young went 3-for-3 at the plate, scoring one run and knocking in two. Blake Burchill went 2-for-4 at the plate, also scoring run and batting in two. Wyatt Burchill led the team in runs with three while going 2-for-3 at the plate with one walk.

Saegertown is 14-2 overall and 11-1 in the region, good for first place in Region 3. The Panthers are scheduled to travel to Maplewood today at 4:30 p.m.

May 2, 2024

Baseball

Defense is king

Panthers top Cards 6-0 in dominant pitching showcase

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — Saegertown’s pitching and defense was dominant in a 6-0 shutout win against rival Cochranton on Wednesday at Ed Acker American Legion Field.

It was a different result than the first time the Region 3 teams met, when the Cards won 3-2.

“We played better defense, that was certainly one of the recipes for today,” Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie said. “Our pitching staff I thought did a nice job for the most part. We kept our defense engaged. The pitchers threw strikes. That was good.”

Despite the shutout, Cochranton started hot. Sophomore Walker Carroll doubled in the first at bat of the game. Ben Field singled and the Cardinals got runners on second and third with one out. Saegertown ace Blake Burchill delivered a strikeout and forced the Cards into a hard line-out to close the inning with no damage.

Saegertown’s defense took care of business the rest of the way and let its offense get on the board. Burchill drilled a hard RBI single to center field, which scored Luke Young from second base and pushed the Panthers into the lead.

The Panthers scored four runs in the third inning for a healthy lead. Wyatt Burchill reached first base on an error that also scored Blake Burchill. An RBI single from Blake Leslie brought Levi Gardner and Wyatt Burchill home and an RBI double from DeMarcus Manning plated Leslie.

Saegertown added another run in the fifth inning when Leslie grounded out to score Levi Gardner from third base.

The Panthers out-hit Cochranton 10-3. Levi Gardner, Blake Burchill and Manning each had multiple hits.

“Offensively, I don’t think we’ve hit our stride. We’re still kind of struggling. Some guys are hitting and some aren’t. We left a lot of base runners out there,” Leslie said. “We squandered some runs and got some guys thrown out. It was kind of a ho-hum type of a game.”

Defensively, the Panthers had a pair of highlight-reel double plays. In the top of the fourth inning, Leslie caught a ground ball on the run, tagged second and fired a rocket to first base to close the inning. In the sixth, second baseman Everett Gardner caught a liner at second and made the heads-up play to throw out a runner at third base who didn’t tag up.

On the mound, Blake Burchill fanned five batters and allowed three hits in five innings. In relief, William Shaffer struck out three in two innings with no hits allowed.

“We have to give Saegertown a lot of credit. They really threw strikes and swung the bats today. To be honest, a couple weeks ago we were playing better baseball. Right now we’re beating ourselves and we’re making a lot of mistakes,” Cochranton head coach Jarod Morrison said. “We have to figure out a way to get over the hump and stop beating ourselves.”

Cochranton got hits from Carroll, Field and Brayden Burnette. On the bump, Isiah Long struck out two and had one earned run in four innings.

The Cardinals fell to 5-7 overall and in region play. They’ve lost three straight and four of the past five games. Cochranton is scheduled to host Youngsville today.

“There are a lot of games left, but the biggest takeaway is we need to keep competing and getting better each day and try to figure something out,” Morrison said. “We’re booting routine plays and making mistakes we weren’t making earlier in the season. We have guys that need to step up and we need to find someone that will lead us and put us in the right direction.”

Saegertown leads Region 3 at 12-1 in region play. The Panthers have won nine straight region games and are set to host Harbor Creek on Saturday for a non-region test.

April 30, 2024

Baseball

Saegertown tops Cambridge Springs 9-1

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — Saegertown beat Cambridge Springs 9-1 in a Region 3 matchup at Ed Acker American Legion Field on Monday.

The Panthers out-hit Cambridge 9-3. Blake Burchill and Levi Gardner each had two hits for Saegertown. Cambridge’s Josh Gorton, Brett Kania and Dale Smith each had one hit.

On the bump for the home team, Wyatt Burchill fanned four batters in five innings. Levi Gardner struck out three in one inning of relief.

Saegertown is 11-2 overall and 10-1 in the region. The Panthers are scheduled to host Cochranton on Wednesday.

Cambridge Springs is scheduled to host Iroquois on Wednesday. The Blue Devils are 5-7 in the region and 5-7 overall.

April 27, 2024

Baseball

Panthers fall to Bobcats

WATTSBURG — The Saegertown baseball team lost a non-region contest 8-6 to Seneca on Friday.

Luke Young and Blake Burchill paced the offense with three hits each. William Shaffer struck out seven batters in four innings.

Saegertown is 10-2 and is scheduled to host Cambridge Springs on Monday for a Region 3 battle.

April 25, 2024

Baseball

Team of the Week: Saegertown baseball

The Saegertown baseball team was 4-0 over the last week to advance to 9-1 on the season with a six-game win streak. The Panthers beat Union City 12-2, Cambridge Springs 12-1, Eisenhower 15-5 and Iroquois 13-0.

Freshman Blake Burchill fanned 10 batters across nine innings with no earned runs. Wyatt Burchill, De-Marcus Manning, Levi Gardner and Everett Gardner split the remaining 12 innings. Wyatt Burchill had six strikeouts, Manning four, Levi Gardner four and Everett Gardner one. The group had four earned runs.

At the dish, Blake Burchill led the offense with eight hits and three doubles. Manning had three doubles and seven hits. Wyatt Burchill added a triple and two doubles. Manning and Blake Burchill each stole four bases.

April 25, 2024

Baseball

Boys athlete of the week: Blake Burchill, Saegertown baseball

Saegertown freshman Blake Burchill pitched nine innings over the past week with no earned runs. He struck out 10 batters and walked none. At the plate, he had eight hits, three doubles, six RBIs and seven runs.

April 25, 2024

Baseball

Panthers defeat Rocky Grove

FRANKLIN — The Saegertown baseball team defeated Rocky Grove 10-0 on Wednesday afternoon in a Region 3 matchup.

The Panthers recorded 11 hits, with Wyatt Burchill and Blake Leslie leading the offense. Both went 3-for-3 at the plate, with Burchill batting in one run, and Leslie batting in two. Blake Burchill, Luke Young and DeMarcus Manning each batted in runs as well.

W. Burchill got the start for the Panthers recording three strikeouts and giving up one hit in five innings of work.

The Panthers are now 9-1 on the season and continue their seven-game win streak. They are scheduled to travel to Hickory today at 4 p.m.

SAEGERTOWN VS. ROCKY GROVE

Saegertown 10 E. Gardner 3-2-0-0, W. Burchill 3-2-3-1, B. Burchill 3-2-1-2, Mosbacher 1-0-0-0, Shaffer 3-0-0-0, Shaw 1-0-0-0, Leslie 3-1-3-2, Young 3-1-1-2, Manning 3-0-0-1, Jordan 2-0-1-0, L. Gardner 2-2-2-0, Wilkinson 1-0-0-0. Totals 28-10-11-8.

Rocky Grove 0 Jones 2-0-0-0, Hamilton 2-0-0-0, A. Wetjen 3-0-0-0, Wilson 2-0-1-0, Goltare 1-0-0-0, Rice 1-0-0-0, Stone 1-0-0-0, Dalmaso 1-0-0-0, Bevier 1-0-0-0 Legoullon 1-0-0-0. Totals 15-0-1-0.

Saegertown 222 40 x — 10 11 5 

Rocky Grove 000 00x x — 0 1 5 BATTING

2B: Saegertown — L. Gardner, W. Burchill.

3B: Saegertown — W. Burchill.

PITCHING Saegertown — W. Burchill WP 5-1-0-0-3-2; Rocky Grove — Wetjen LP 3-9-9-4-0-0, Rice 2-2-1-1-1-2.

April 23, 2024

Baseball

Saegertown dominates

UNION CITY — Saegertown’s baseball team (91) defeated Union City (5-3) 12-2 on Monday afternoon in a Region 3 matchup.

The Panthers were down 1-0 after the first inning but exploded for 12 runs in the next four innings.

Blake Burchill led the way for Saegertown on both sides of the ball, pitching all five innings while giving up four hits. B. Burchill led the offense as well, going 2-for-3 at the plate while scoring two runs and knocking in three.

William Shaffer, Levi Gardner, and Wyatt Burchill also led the Saegertown offense. Shaffer and Gardner each knocked in two runs, while W. Burchill scored two runs and knocked in one.

Saegertown is scheduled to travel to Rocky Grove on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

SAEGERTOWN VS. UNION CITY

Saegertown 12 E. Gardner 4-2-3-0, W. Burchill 3-2-2-1, B. Burchill 3-2-3-3, Shaffer 4-1-2-2, Leslie 2-1-0-1, Young 3-0-1-2, Manning 4-1-2-0, Mosbacher 3-2-1-0, L. Gardner 2-1-1-2. Totals 28-12-15-11.

Union City Kent 2-0-0-0, Williams 1-0-0-0, Doutt 3-0-0-0, Wright 3-2-2-0, Shuman 2-0-1-1, Kinney 2-0-0-1, Capela 2-0-0-0, Klakamp 1-0-1-0, Turner 2-0-0-0, Racop 1-0-0-0, Magee 2-0-0-0. Totals 21-2-4-2.

Saegertown 031 44x x — 12 15 2 

Union City 101 00x x — 2 4 4 

BATTING

2B: Saegertown — B. Burchill 2, L. Gardner W. Burchill; Union City — Wright.

PITCHING Saegertown — B. Burchill WP 5-4-2-0-4-0; Union City — Kent LP 1.2-5-3-3-0-1, Racop 1.1-4-4-4-2-2, Shuman 1.2-6-5-4-0-0, Zahner .1-0-0-0-1-0.

April 22, 2024

Baseball

Saegertown beats Spa

SAEGERTOWN — Saegertown beat Cambridge Springs 12-1 in a Region 3 baseball game on Saturday.

Wyatt Burchill and Levi Gardner combined for 10 strikeouts on the hill. At the plate, DeMarcus Manning, William Shaffer and Blake Burchill each had two hits.

Cambridge’s Josh Gorton was 3-for-3. The Blue Devils are 3-5 overall and in the region. They’re scheduled to play at Cranberry today.

Saegertown is 8-1 overall and 7-1 in the region. The Panthers lead Region 3 and are set to play at Union City today.

April 20, 2024

Baseball

Panthers defend home

SAEGERTOWN — Saegertown beat Eisenhower 15-5 in five innings in a Region 3 baseball game on Friday.

The Panthers out-hit Ike 155. DeMarcus Manning, Blake Leslie and Wyatt Burchill each had multiple hits, with Burchill hitting a double and a triple.

Saegertown is 7-1 overall and 6-1 in region action. The Panthers are scheduled to play at Cambridge Springs today at 1 p.m.

SAEGERTOWN - EISENHOWER

Eisenhower (5) (AB-R-H-BI) Palmieri 3-0-0-0, Dengan 2-1-0-0, Childs 3-0-1-0, Kellog 3-0-0-0, Jakubczak 2-2-2-0, Nichols 0-0-0-0, Stiteler 3-0-0-0, Williams 1-2-1-0, Jakubczak 1-0-1-1, Pascuzzi 2-0-0-1. Totals 20-5-5-3.

Saegertown (15) (AB-R-H-BI) Grundy 2-0-0-0, L. Gardner 1-1-1-2, Shaw 2-1-1-0, Young 0-1-0-1, Mosbacher 4-1-1-2, W. Burchill 3-1-2-2, Jordan 0-1-0-0, Manning 4-3-3-1, Shaffer 3-2-1-2, E. Gardner 1-2-0-0, Leslie 3-1-2-3, B. Burchill 2-1-0-1. Totals 25-15-11-14.

Eisenhower 020 21x x — 5 5 3 

Saegertown 100 (12)2x x — 15 11 1 

BATTING

2B: E — Jakubczak; S — Manning, W. Burchill.

3B: S — W. Burchill.

PITCHING (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB) E — Jakunczak 3.1-9-9-8-0-2, Williams 0.2-2-6-4-0-2; S — Manning 3-2-2-1-2-2, E. Gardner 2-3-3-2-1-1.

April 18, 2024

Baseball

Balanced Panthers demolish Braves 13-0

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

SAEGERTOWN — With a balanced blend of good pitching, solid defense and opportunistic base running, the Saegertown Panthers defeated Iroquois 13-0 on Wednesday.

Panthers ace Blake Burchill set the tone early. He retired three straight batters and gave his team momentum heading to the plate in the Region 3 battle at Ed Acker American Legion Baseball Field.

An RBI single from Burchill scored Everett Gardner with no outs to give Saegertown a 1-0 advantage. Wyatt Burchill and Blake Burchill added runs in the inning for a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Saegertown went to work. The Panthers, powered by two singles, a hit by pitch, a walk and an error, led 6-0 before the first out of the inning. The out came from a Jon Grundy sacrifice fly that brought Blake Leslie home.

“We kinda went back to school after the Cochranton game. We didn’t play very well there and had pretty bad approaches,” Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie said. “We changed that and leading into last week and this week I thought our approaches at the plate were really good. We worked on hitting the ball the other way, waiting for pitches and we were aggressive on the bases. We took care of business.”

Saegertown was aggressive on the base paths with eight stolen bases on the day. Between the steals and five Iroquois errors, the Panthers were able to pad their lead. When the inning was all said and done, the Panthers led 13-0.

In the top of the fifth needing three outs to clinch a mercy-rule victory, DeMarcus Manning entered as the pitcher for Saegertown. He struck out three of four batters to send the Braves home.

Blake Burchill fanned six batters across four innings. Each pitcher allowed one hit on the day.

When Iroquois did connect with a ball, Saegertown’s defense cleaned it up. Shortstop Blake Leslie and second baseman Gardner made the routine plays and kept the Braves off the base paths.

“The pitching has been really good all year. It’s been our key to success. Defensively, we’ve been up and down,” Leslie said. “We’ve lived with some freshmen moments. The shortstop is a freshman, the second baseman is a sophomore. So there are some ups and downs we’ve had, but we’re starting to clean it up a little bit and hopefully we can move this toward the tail end of this season.”

Offensively, Blake Burchill and Luke Young each had two hits. Blake Burchill scored three runs while Wyatt Burchill, William Shaffer and Leslie each scored two. Shaffer and Leslie each added two RBIs.

The win brought Saegertown to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in region action. The Panthers are scheduled to host Eisenhower on Friday for senior night and play PENNCREST rival Cambridge Springs on Saegertown. The Panthers sit a half of a game back from the region lead, not that Leslie is looking ahead.

“We take one day at a time. We look at trying to get better each day by just one percent,” Leslie said. “We talk about it all the time. We’re not looking at the end of the year. We’re looking at the next games. We’ll take it one pitch at a time.”

April 16, 2024

Baseball

Panthers pounce on Eagles, win 15-3

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

YOUNGSVILLE — The Saegertown baseball team (4-1) defeated Youngsville 15-3 in a Region 3 matchup at Youngsville High School on Monday.

The Panthers played a complete game, as both offense and defense had great showings. The Panthers had 15 hits, scoring three or more runs in every inning but one.

The Panthers offense was led by Luke Young, De-Marcus Manning and Blake Burchill. Young went 3-for-4 at the plate, scoring two runs and batting in a team-leading four. Manning also went 3-for-4 at the plate, driving in three runs. Burchill went 1-for-2, scoring two runs and batting in two.

William Shaffer had a strong start for the Panthers, pitching in all five innings. He finished with six strikeouts and one walk.

Saegertown is scheduled to face Iroquois at home on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.

April 11, 2024

Baseball

Saegertown chops down Maplewood 11-1

SAEGERTOWN — Saegertown’s baseball team (4-1) defeated Maplewood (3-4) 11-1 on Wednesday night.

Saegertown quickly took the lead by scoring three runs in the first, and never looked back, scoring four more in the third, three more in the fourth and the final run in the fifth to complete the mercy rule victory.

The Saegertown offense was led by Torre Mosbacher, Everett Gardner, and Garrett Crawford. Mosbacher knocked in three runs while going 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk. Gardner went 1-for-2 at the plate while scoring two. Crawford went 1-for-3 and scored two runs on his one hit.

Maplewood’s offense was led by Paul Hirosky, who went 1-for-2 at the plate with a walk. Hirosky also scored the only RBI on the team for the night.

Maplewood is scheduled to travel to Iroquois on Monday, while Saegertown is scheduled to travel to Cambridge Springs on Friday.

SAEGERTOWN - MAPLEWOOD

Maplewood 1 Reynolds 2-0-0-0, Proper 2-0-0-0, Woge 1-0-0-0, Willison 2-0-0-0, Koelle 0-1-0-0, Hirosky 2-0-1-1, Jordan 2-0-0-0, Beuchat 2-0-0-0, Potosky 2-0-0-0. Totals 15-1-1-1. 

Saegertown 11 Gardner 2-1-1-2, Young 3-1-1-0, Burchill 1-2-0-0, Shaffer 2-1-1-1, Manning 0-2-0-0, Mosbacher 2-1-2-3, Crawford 3-1-0-2, Grundy 2-2-1-0.     Totals 15-11-6-8 

Maplewood 000 10x x — 1 1 4 

Saegertown 304 31x x — 11 6 1 

BATTING

2B: Saegertown — Shaffer.

PITCHING Maplewood — Willison LP 2.2-4-7-7-2-5, Jordan 1.1-2-3-2-0-2, Proper 0.0-0-1-0-0-2; Saegertown — Burchill WP 5.0-1-1-0-3-2.

April 10, 2024

Baseball

​​Region 3 battle

Cards on top 3-2 in pitching duel vs. Panthers

By Trevor Teubner

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

COCHRANTON — The Cochranton baseball team defeated Saegertown by a score of 3-2 at Cochranton High School on Tuesday. Cochranton fell behind twice (1-0 and 2-1) but still managed to come back and win.

The pitching from both teams was stellar all seven innings, limiting runs scored. The Cardinals were able to come out on top by getting key hits when they needed them and capitalizing on errors from Saegertown.

Isaiah Long led the offense for the Cardinals. Long went 2-for-3 at the plate, and scored one run. Long scored the winning run after a ground ball from Brayden Burnette caused an error that would allow him to score in the bottom of the sixth.

“I think it speaks a lot,” said Cochranton head coach Jarod Morrison. “We have a fairly young team, we only have two seniors. We found a way to win and in a situation where we were down a couple of times. We kept fighting and kept taking it one play at a time, and found a way back.”

Cochranton’s offense was backed by a strong outing from Walker Carroll, who pitched all seven innings. He gave up only three hits and two runs while striking out eight.

“Walker battled,” said Morrison. “He didn’t have his best stuff, he had some innings where he struggled a little bit, but he found it and came through for us.”

The Saegertown offense had a rough time against Carroll, but the Panthers squeezed just enough offense to stay competitive for the entire game.

“Walker did a great job,” said Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie. “He was around the zone and we just couldn’t get the big hit when we needed to.”

Blake Burchill and Luke Young led the Panthers offense, with Burchill going 1-for-4 at the plate and scoring a run. Young was 1-for-3, while knocking in a run off of a fielders choice in the top of the fifth.

With Carroll dealing for Cochranton, William Shaffer had to step up and put up a similar performance in order to keep Saegertown in the game. Shaffer didn’t disappoint, pitching for nearly five innings and only giving up two hits and no earned runs while striking out six.

Burchill would pitch the rest of the game for the Panthers, giving up only one hit and no earned runs while striking out one.

“He (Shaffer) did an excellent job,” said Leslie. “He limited baserunners and got ground balls, everything we asked for. We just didn’t make the plays behind him.”

The Saegertown defense struggled most of the game as all three runs for Cochranton scored on errors. The Panthers tallied a total of six errors for the game, which allowed Cochranton to score despite a great performance from the pitching staff.

Cochranton will face Cambridge Springs today at 4 p.m. in Cambridge Springs, who stand in the Cardinals way of winning two in a row. The Panthers will look to shake off this loss against Maplewood today as well, at 4:30 p.m. at home.

COCHRANTON - SAEGERTOWN

Saegertown 2 (AB-R-H-BI) L. Gardner 4-0-0-0, B. Burchill 4-1-1-0, Manning 2-0-0-0, W. Burchill 1-0-0-0, Young 3-0-1-1, Shaffer 3-0-0-0, Mosbacher 1-0-0-0, Leslie 1-0-0-0, Jordan 1-0-0-0, Wilkinson 1-0-0-0, E. Gardner 2-1-1-0. Totals 23-2-3-1. 

Cochranton 3 Foulk 3-0-0-0, Carroll 3-0-0-0, Long 3-1-2-0, Burnette 2-1-0-0, Field 3-0-0-0, Mattocks 1-0-0-0, Deeter 2-0-0-0, Hoban 2-0-0-0, Moore 2-0-0-0, Albert 1-0-0-0, Goodge 1-1-1-0, Haskins 1-0-0-0, Schmitt 1-0-0-0. Totals 25-3-3-0. 

Saegertown 010 010 0 — 2 3 6 

Cochranton 001 011 x — 3 3 1 

PITCHING Saegertown — Burchill LP 1.1-1-1-0-1-0, Shaffer 4.2-2-2-0-6-1; Cochranton — Carroll WP 7-3-2-2-8-6.

March 29, 2024

Baseball

Panthers mercy-rule Orioles

SAEGERTOWN — Saegertown mercy- ruled Rocky Grove 13-3 in a Region 3 win at home on Thursday.

Wyatt Burchill and Blake Burchill each had multiple hits for the Panthers. B. Burchill delivered a triple and a double.

On the mound, W. Burchill and De-Marcus Manning struck out seven batters in five innings.

Saegertown is 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the region. The Panthers are scheduled to play at Cambridge Springs next Friday.

March 28, 2024

Baseball

Back on the field

Strong lineups, talented hitters return to dugouts

By Alex Topor

MEADVILLE TRIBUNE

Spring is here. With it comes 70 degree days mixed with 40 degrees and a pouring rain for days at a time. Add in a dash of snow and that means it’s baseball season in northwest Pennsylvania.

All six baseball programs in Crawford County this year return after a postseason appearance in 2023. Two teams feature new leaders in the dugout, but strong rosters and returning all-region players should allow all six teams to see success.

All in all, the county returns 10 all-region selections from a year ago.

Meadville

Meadville head coach Tony Tartaglione is entering his fourth year and the team has had an upward trajectory each year.

In 2021, the team finished 7-11 with a first-round playoff exit. The ‘Dogs finished 2022 11-9, won a playoff game and lost to eventual district champ Cathedral Prep in the District 10 Class 4A semifinals. Last season, Meadville played with Prep for 5½ innings in the D-10 title game, but lost 9-2.

Gone from last year’s squad that finished 15-7 are several starters and key players including Brady Walker, Mason Walker, Gavin Beck, Owen Garvey, Jordan Young and Andre Jefferson. The Walker twins combined to go 12-2 on the mound.

“We did graduate a lot of impact players, but with that being said we’re returning a lot of impact players. Some of my freshmen and sophomores are stepping up. We had two scrimmages and I was pleasantly surprised with the younger kids,” Tartaglione said. “Then our senior core, the returning players with a couple juniors, I think we’re right where we need to be.

“Hitting wise, we have to do a little more than what I’ve seen. But defensively and pitching, I think we’re right there again.”

Returning is sophomore pitcher AJ Feleppa. Feleppa pitched 31 innings as a freshman and fanned 42 batters. Rocco Tartaglione saw limited time on the mound, but posted 13 strikeouts and gave up 11 earned runs.

“We threw AJ to the wolves last year and he pitched really well. We’ll lean on him and Rocco. Rocco

is throwing hardest right now and is locating pitches. The thing is, we don’t wanna take him out of the middle infield, but he and AJ will log a lot of innings on the mound for us,” Tartaglione said. “Ryan Reichel, a senior, he will get his chance on the mound this year. He is gonna have to step up. He’s been pitching a long time for me, since all stars when the kids were 11 and 12.”

Sophomore lefty Rocco Woodrow could also see some time on the mound.

At the plate, senior shortstop Rocco Tartaglione returns after leading the Bulldogs with 24 hits last season.

He added three homers, three triples and had a .343 average. He and center fielder Brighton Anderson, were both second-team all-region selections.

Anderson tallied 19 hits, 18 runs and seven RBIs. Feleppa and fellow sophomore Jacoby Thompson had a .250 average. Anderson and Thompson will man the outfield. Bradyn Miller will start at catcher and freshman brother Ian Miller will start at second base. Cam Arpin, a senior, will start at first base.

Meadville plays in Region 5 with Mc-Dowell, Erie, Cathedral Prep, Corry, Warren, General McLane and Fort LeBoeuf. The Bulldogs opened the season on Monday against Conneaut and won 10-5. The ‘Dogs will play non-region games against Sharon, North East and Mercyhurst Prep.

Conneaut

The Conneaut Eagles are entering year two under head coach Adam Bronson and the team is eying postseason success.

Last season, Conneaut finished 10-8 and made the postseason as the No. 4 seed in the Class 3A bracket. The Eagles lost to Mercyhurst Prep in extra innings, but it was a step forward.

Conneaut’s 2022 season was canceled shortly after its spring break trip. Before that, the Eagles hadn’t finished with a winning record since 2016. Bronson is pleased with the direction of the program, but still wants more.

“We’re very pleased and proud of the direction that the program is heading in. However, we need to cultivate more of an offensive prowess at the plate. Last year, we only had two players hit over .300,” Bronson said. “That level of production is not sustainable when the end goal is hosting a trophy.”

Gone from last year’s team is firstteam all-region pitcher and co-pitcher of the year, Dawson Thomas, now playing for Allegheny College. Returning from the second-team all-region team is shortstop Gavin White.

The No. 1 on the mound is expected to be senior Wyatt Kornman, who was 5-3 with a 3.14 ERA last year. He struck out 40 batters in about 42 innings. White and sophomore Alex Wilpula will also see time on the mound.

“Wyatt will be our workhorse and No. 1 arm this season. Gavin and Alex will be our other plus-velocity arm, alternating between starting and long relief appearances,” Bronson said. “Wyatt, Gavin and Alex will essentially serve as our 1-A, 1-B and 1-C pitchers, respectively. Offensively, the heart of our order will consist of Gavin, Greg (Klink), Ashton Headley and Alex.”

White led the team with 28 hits with Headley and Klink adding 17 and 12, respectively. White also led the team in batting average (.500), RBIs (17) and doubles (7).

Underclassmen Bronson expects to contribute are sophomore Lucas Aldrich, freshman Caiden Loucks, sophomore Chase Stewart and sophomore Logan Nottingham.

“Lucas has impressed the coaching staff this preseason and we’ll lean on him to lock down third base and solidify the top of our order. Caiden will be a key player in the OF and provide much needed speed on the base paths,” Bronson said. “Chase will be a key, reliable defensive presence at 1B and Logan will likely serve as our DH and provide an offensive spark.”

Conneaut opened the season with a non-region loss to Meadville at home Monday. The Eagles will compete in Region 2 with Oil City, Titusville, Franklin, Hickory, Sharon, Grove City and Slippery Rock.

“We’re hungry for a postseason ‘W’, but we’re starving for a championship,” Bronson said. “That’s our mindset this year and will continue to be our mindset every year.”

Saegertown

Saegertown graduated all-region standout Henry Shaffer from last season’s state playoff team, but the Panthers return a bevy of talent and are poised for another run at a D-10 crown.

Last year, Saegertown fell in the D-10 finals, but upset the WPIAL champion in the opening round of the state playoffs. They then lost to eventual state champion Clarion.

“The state playoffs are an awesome experience for any team. But the last two years we have lost to the team who won the state title, DuBois Central Catholic in ‘22 and Clarion last year. I think that sets the bar to what we need to do to really compete at the state level,” Saegertown head coach Nick Leslie said. “A lot of our team is made up of guys who played in or were apart of both those games. The leadership and how we have been preparing this year is reflected by that.”

On the mound, Leslie will have a stable of pitchers. Wyatt Burchill was 3-1 as a starter last season with 27 strikeouts and 22 earned runs. Also expected to pitch are William Shaffer and DeMarcus Manning.

“I think Wyatt Burchill took a major step forward last year,” Leslie said. “We’re going to lean on him this year to help anchor our lineup and log innings on the mound. Half our roster can pitch, so we are going to have seven guys getting innings this year.”

At the plate, Burchill is the top returning hitter with 31 hits. Manning and Luke Young added 22 and 20 hits, respectively.

“The lineup will probably change quite a bit over the course the season. We have a lot of competition this year for starting roles. Our seniors Torre Mosbacher, Jon Grundy and Connor Shaw are working hard everyday and are in the mix,” Leslie said. “I think guys like Gabe Jordan, Reese Wilkinson, Garrett Crawford and Everett Gardner will contribute.

“Pair that up with three freshman, who have a very high baseball aptitude, and playing time is going to be tough.”

Saegertown opened the season with a spring trip. The team’s region schedule began on Monday at home against Union City, which the Panthers won in a mercy rule.

The Panthers have played in the last two D-10 title games. Are they aiming to get back there?

“We never set expectations,” Leslie said. “We are only looking to get 1 percent better every time we are together.”

Cambridge Springs

The Cambridge Springs will feature a new leader in the dugout, but it’s a familiar face.

Eugene Pabon was an assistant baseball coach last season, has been an assistant coach for the boys basketball team for five seasons and have been involved in Cambridge sports for more than a decade.

“I’m a 2004 graduate of Cambridge Springs High School and I’ve dedicated my time coaching from the youth to varsity level over the past 12 years,” Pabon said. “Many of these seniors are among my first group when I started coaching and I couldn’t picture not taking this role to coach them as they finish out their high school sports career.”

The Blue Devils graduated a couple all-region standouts, but return eight seniors. Leading the charge is returning all-region catcher Tristen Mazzadra and all-region second baseman Preston Gorton.

“Tristen and Preston are well deserved of their all-region selections last season and will be great leaders to their teammates,” Pabon said. “They are respected on the field by their teammates and will play their roles at a high level. There are many other competitors on our team which will help lead to our success as well.”

Pabon expects the pitching staff to be led by sophomore Brett Kania. As a freshman, Kania was 6-1 with a 1.99 ERA. He had 47 strikeouts with 11 earned runs.

Also expected to see time are Mazzadra, Owen Riley, Alex Doubet, Trent Dailey and Matthew Ross. Mazzadra and Riley struck out 30 and 21 batters last season, respectively.

“Brett had much success last season and expect the same to continue this season. We are excited to see what first year freshman Matthew Ross can bring to this talented group. Matthew’s knowledge of the game and experience through travel ball puts him in a great position to make a contribution this season,” Pabon said. “He has established a presence with our experienced group and expect him to have a great season.”

Offensively, Kania is the top returner with a .362 average. Mazzadra and Gorton each boasted a .353 and .345 average, respectively. Kania had 21 hits with 11 RBIs while Gorton had 19 hits with nine RBIs.

Cambridge competes with Saegertown, Cochranton, Maplewood, Iroquois, Union City, Rocky Grove and Youngsville in Region 3.

What are the goals for year one of the Pabon era? According to him, all of the players are on the same page.

“Success follows success and many of our players have been a part of the success of being District 10 football champions, Region 3 champs/district runner up in basketball this school year. The first day of practice I had each player write down three personal goals and three team goals,” Pabon said. “The similarity in goals were region champs, district champs, state champs. I commend their aspirational goals.”

Cochranton

The Cochranton Cardinals will have a new general in the dugout this spring. Jarod Morrison, whose been with the program as an assistant coach for three years, will replace Scott Barzak. Morrison, who was a punter for the Gannon football team and a pitcher for the baseball team, has coached both teams at Cochranton as an assistant.

“The overall goals and expectations for the team this year are to work hard each day and try to be the best players we possibly can be. I expect us to compete and get better as the season progresses,” Morrison said. “As a team we want to be aggressive at the plate, on the bases and attack the strike zone on the mound. I want our players to compete, play with an edge and play the game the right way. Like any team sport, you want your team to play together and start clicking at the right time of the year.”

Last season, Cochranton finished 9-13. The Cardinals had a District 10 quarterfinal win against Cambridge Springs before falling to Saegertown in the semifinals. Instrumental in the Cards’ success was Walker Carroll.

Carroll, now a sophomore, delivered 102 strikeouts as a freshman with 20 earned runs. At bat, he led the team in batting average in .524, hits (33), runs (23), doubles (10) and triples (2).

“Walker is a great competitor and I expect him to take another step forward and build upon the success that he had last season. Walker has high expectations for himself and understands the skills he still needs to develop. He is a tremendous athlete, and as a sophomore I think he has the potential to be a special player,” Morrison said. “It will be a collective team effort on the mound, but Walker will certainly be a big part of it. It is still early in the season, and I expect a variety of guys such as Andrew Albert, Brayden Burnette, Isaiah Long, Tim Deeter and Ben Field to step up this season and throw some innings for us.”

Last season, Albert tossed 31 strikeouts in 26 innings. Burnette added 10 strikeouts.

At bat, Ben Field and Blake Foulk had a .452 and a .434 batting average, respectively.

“Again, the season is just beginning, and our coaching staff constantly evaluates our players on a daily basis. Offensively, we have some experienced guys returning such as Walker, Blake Foulk, Isaiah Long, Brayden Burnette, Ben Field and Trent Hoban who have been contributors for us in the past,” Morrison said. “I expect those guys to lead the way offensively for us. Our younger players are developing and beginning to hit their stride as we get ready for the season. We are striving for consistency at the plate this year and it is going to be a group effort for us to be successful.”

Cochranton has non-region games against Lakeview, Conneaut, West Middlesex and Shenango. The Cardinals finished 8-8 in region action last year competing with Saegertown, Youngsville, Cambridge Springs, Maplewood, Iroquois, Union City, Rocky Grove and Eisenhower.

“We have a relatively young team this year. We have a majority of underclassmen on the roster. Blake and Isaiah are our only seniors, so young players are going to be major contributors for us this season,” Morrison said. “I believe we have a freshman this year in Colten Mattocks that has the opportunity to earn a starting spot in the lineup right away. I believe every player on our roster is going to contribute for our team this season. We are working hard as a team and are focusing on getting better each day.”

Maplewood

Maplewood is coming off back-toback 9-9 seasons with a first-round playoff exit last year. What needs to happen to take a step forward this season? According to Maplewood head coach Ken Smock, they need to put it all together.

”What needs to happen is what we’ve been telling this squad the past two years. They need to work together as a total unit with pitching, offense and defense all at the same time,” Smock said. “We’ve been seeing improvement in the first few weeks. The team this year, with what they went through the last two years, they’re feeling more confident in themselves. I’m hoping for some much better things this year.”

The Tigers featured a young lineup last year. The top six batting averages are returning this year, including Andrew Proper, who led the team with 24 hits. Sophomore Elijah Hochstetler had two home runs last season and a .360 average.

On the mound, two juniors in Landyn Reynolds and Levi Willison return. They contributed 35 and 30 strikeouts last year, respectively.

”Those two have been pitching well for several years,” Smock said. “Between Levi and Landyn I expect some big things. AJ Proper has been coming on well pitching as well as Elijah Hochstetler.”

Two freshman that will see time on the mound are Kyle Jordan and Chase Koelle. They could also contribute offensively for the Tigers.

The team is fresh off a trip to North Carolina to get some games in. Unfortunately, Hochstetler suffered a hip flexor injury and is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks, according to Smock.

”We’ve been hovering around .500 for a couple years so hopefully they break the glass this year and break through,” Smock said.

Maplewood competes in Region 3 with Saegertown, Cochranton, Cambridge Springs, Iroquois, Union City, Rocky Grove and Youngsville, but the Tigers are in Class 2A.

The Tigers home-opener was Monday against Rocky Grove, which the Tigers won.

Schedules: