FRACKVILLE - Frackville Red's Major Jordan couldn't remember the last time he experienced an inning quite like the one he was a part of Sunday afternoon.
"It was a great experience," he said of Frackville Red's nine-run third. "The whole week we've been practicing hitting. We were really pumped coming out today."
It showed and Jordan certainly played major role in the outburst, hitting a three-run homer in the inning as Frackville Red went on to a 14-0, five-inning rout of Schuylkill Haven in the winners' bracket final of the Schuylkill County Teener League Senior Division Tournament at Memorial Park.
Sunday's victory moves top-seeded Frackville Red (20-1) to the championship game Tuesday. No. 2 Schuylkill Haven (18-3) hosts No. 4 Pine Grove (17-5) in the losers' bracket final at 5:30 tonight. Pine Grove eliminated No. 6 Branch with a 9-2 victory Sunday.
Sunday's game started 15 minutes early to beat the storms that were headed in from the west. Frackville Red made sure the weather never became an issue.
Frackville Red led 2-0 when Jordan came to the plate against Danny Blugis with Jordan Marlow at third and Scott Grigas, a courtesy runner for Chris Burke, at second. Jordan sent a 1-0 Blugis' offering deep to left, hitting the netting that protects the cars and houses on West Pine Street. It is 300 feet up the hill to the left-field fence, and Frackville Red manager John Chuma figures Jordan's home run went about 340 feet.
The blast was Jordan's first of the season and the first homer hit at Memorial Park this year.
"I really didn't think it was gone until I heard Coach Chuma say 'Get out' and that's when I saw it go out," said Jordan, who was mobbed by his teammates after he touched home plate.
Frackville Red sent 14 hitters to the plate in the inning and collected eight hits. Marlow, Joe Nahas and Nick Paul added RBI singles in the inning, while another run scored on an error. Bobby Grigas topped it off with a two-run, inside-the-park homer that rolled to the goal post in right-center field.
"Many years ago," said Chuma on the last time he went through an inning like Sunday's third. "When (Jordan) hit the home run, that was the key to our offense. It seemed like that was a spark plug. When he hit that, our offense came alive. I hadn't seen that all year long."
Bobby Grigas and Ryan Hillbish had three hits apiece for Frackville Red as Grigas and Marlow both knocked in three runs. Nahas added two hits and two RBIs.
Frackville Red averaged a little more than nine runs per game during the regular season, but Chuma was a little concerned about his offense down the stretch. In the days leading up to the tournament, Frackville Red put extra hitting time in and beat Hope's Collision 9-3 in its playoff opener July 3 and came from behind to beat Pine Grove 4-3 on Saturday.
When Frackville Red faced Blugis during the regular season June 17, Blugis held them to four hits during a 2-0 Frackville Red victory.
This time, Frackville Red collected eight hits off Blugis, who pitched a four-hitter during Schuylkill Haven's 2-0 tournament-opening victory over Shenandoah on July 3.
"We just felt like we had to sit back more," Jordan said. "I think the last time we played them we were more excited. We were just way ahead. Today we just calmed down and played baseball."
Frackville Red added four more runs in the fourth off Riley White.
Lost in the offensive outburst was the performance of Frackville Red starter Tevin Murray.
Murray, who got the win against Hope's Collision, labored over the first two innings but finished with a one-hitter. He struck out eight and walked one as he got both his fastball and curveball over the plate for strikes.
"Murray pitched the best game all year," Chuma said. "He's been improving every game. We were mixing it up on the first four batters because there are some good batters there. His fastball and curveball, he had control over them and that is the difference with him."
Frackville Red's defense also turned in two big plays in the top of the first.
Zavier Webb walked to lead off. After Mike Ulsh struck out, Blugis sent a shot to the right-center gap. Bobby Gregis sprinted to his left, stretched out and made the catch.
The speedy Webb was then gunned down trying to steal second by Burke with Noah Saul at the plate for the final out of the inning.
"That first inning, that was big defensively," Chuma said. "I thought we were in trouble. It was great to see. It was great to sit back and watch this. I am just hoping it just carries over."
Pine Grove 9 Branch 2
PINE GROVE - For the second consecutive day, Pine Grove turned it on in the late innings, eliminating Branch in a losers' bracket contest at Stump Stadium.
Pine Grove trailed 4-3 against Shenandoah on Saturday but scored nine runs in the bottom of the sixth to win 12-4. Pine Grove led 4-2 on Sunday before putting across five runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull away for the victory.
Logan Levan had two hits and three RBIs for Pine Grove, while Mark Weinus, Austin Fick and Dylan Brown added two hits apiece.
Weinus and Fick combined on a four-hitter, with Weinus pitching the first four innings and Fick the final three.
Dave Pedron had two hits for Branch.
Game Summary