EASTON — For six innings, Minersville looked poised to pull off a District 11 Class AA quarterfinal upset of Notre Dame-Green Pond.
Then the Miners’ season ended in heartbreaking fashion.
Notre Dame-Green Pond tallied a run in the seventh to tie it and a run in the eighth to win it, edging Minersville 2-1 on Wednesday.
The Crusaders advance to a semifinal date with North Schuylkill on Saturday at Steidle Field, while the Miners see their season end at 15-6.
“It’s a hard way to lose, but we had a very good season. There’s nothing to be disappointed about,” Minersville coach Del Hauck said. “The kids competed all year long and did well.”
Minersville, the No. 6 seed, scored both of its runs in the top of the first when Jon McBreen’s two-out pop-up was dropped, allowing Collin Hashin and Chris Leshko to score. Hashin and Leshko had led off the game with back-to-back walks.
NDGP (15-7) was held in check by Minersville starter Dylan Stephen for most of the game. The Crusaders tallied a run in the third, then tied it in the seventh.
In the eighth, Senior opened the inning with a single, moved up on a fielder’s choice, then scored on Davis’ single to right.
Minersville right fielder Connor Andruchek made a strong throw home, but the ball took a bad hop off the infield grass and bounced over the catcher, allowing the game-winning run to score.
“It was a strong throw home,” Hauck said. “It took a bad hop on a dry field. That’s the way it is. We go home.”
District 11 Class AA Quarterfinal
Miners (15-6) 200 000 00 — 2 5 3
NDGP (15-7) 001 000 11 — 3 7 2
Stephen and Bettinger; Luke and Dadio. W — Luke. L — Stephen (5-2).
HITS: Minersville — Hashin, Leshko, Brown 2, Levonas. Notre Dame-Green Pond — Fedrizzi, Santiago 2, Dadio, Senior, Davis 2.
2B — Fedrizzi.
Salisbury 5
Pine Grove 0
SALISBURY — C.J. Tocci had two hits, including an RBI double, to lead the Falcons to a District 11 Class AA quarterfinal victory over the Cardinals.
Salisbury had a balanced attack against Pine Grove. Chase Rogers picked up an RBI on a walk and Joey Galantini brought a run home after getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Austin Fick had a double for the Cardinals, while Kobe D’Agostino, Mark Weinus and Ryan Wolfe each added singles.
PG (12-9) 000 000 0 — 0 4 2
Sal. (13-9) 121 100 x — 5 8 2
D’Agosino, Fick (3) and T. Levan; Kulig and Rogers. W — Kulig. L — D’Agostino (3-3).
HITS: Pine Grove — D’Agostino, Weinus, Fick, Wolfe. Salisbury — Rogers, Galantini, Cooperman, Palmer, Sikora, Schware, Tocci 2.
2B — Fick, Tocci.