SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Branch couldn’t come up with a clutch hit during the first five innings Wednesday against Schuylkill Haven.
That wasn’t a problem in the sixth.
Matt Leiby was 3-for-3, including a run-producing double in a four-run sixth inning, as Branch rallied for a come-from-behind, 4-3 victory over Schuylkill Haven in a Schuylkill County Teener League Senior Division losers’ bracket contest at Schuylkill Haven High School.
No. 5-seeded Branch (13-6) stranded four runners at third base during the first five innings and trailed 3-0 heading into the sixth. Against Schuylkill Haven reliever Riley White, Branch scored four runs on two hits and took advantage of two critical Schuylkill Haven errors to take a 4-3 advantage.
Steele Fekette did the rest, retiring six of the final seven hitters he faced, including a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, to finish it out.
Branch stayed alive with the victory and travels to No. 2 seed Frackville Red tonight in an elimination game.
Nolan Hoffman and Lucas Rinaldo were both 2-for-3 for Branch. Leiby, Hoffman and Rinaldo combined for all of Branch’s seven hits.
The loss eliminated Schuylkill Haven (16-3), the defending league champs and tournament’s No. 1 seed.
“We wanted to stay alive and not go home,” Leiby said. “We played our game. It worked and we won.”
No. 7 Cressona (12-7) eliminated No. 6 DeAngelo’s Black with a 12-3 win in Wednesday’s other losers’ bracket game. Cressona hosts No. 8 DeAngelo’s Crimson (11-8) today in an elimination game.
The winners’ bracket contest is also this evening as No. 4 Pine Grove Red (14-5) travels to No. 3 Hegins (17-2). All of today’s games start at 5:30 p.m.
Branch stranded seven runners through the first five innings against Schuylkill Haven starer Dillon Dress on Wednesday, including three in the second.
White, who pitched a complete game in Schuylkill Haven’s 4-3 loss to DeAngelo’s Crimson in the tournament opener Sunday, walked Conner Andruchek to begin the sixth.
With one out, Hoffman doubled to right, moving Andruchek to third. Fekette reached on error, as Andruchek crossed home for Branch’s first run of the game. Hoffman ended up at third.
Leiby followed with a double to center, driving in Hoffman to make it 3-2, while Fekette went to third. Josh Halye tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center, knocking in Fekette.
Gehirg Hossler then grounded a ball to third, but the throw was bounced to first, got past the first baseman and Leiby came in with the go-ahead run.
Fekette felt Branch’s hitters had a little more aggressive approach against the harder-throwing White than they did during the first five innings facing Dress.
“Don’t wait for your pitch,” Fekette said of Branch’s plate approach in the sixth. “(If) he throws one in your zone, swing at the first pitch, don’t be afraid of it.”
Fekette threw 3.1 innings of relief and took the loss in Branch’s 7-6, eight-inning opening-round defeat to Pine Grove Red on Sunday, and was surprised he got the call to start Wednesday.
Fekette struggled through the first three innings, as Schuylkill Haven scored two runs in the second on a Josh Kalyan RBI single and error. Schuylkill Haven added another run in the third when White doubled home Dawson Evitts, who walked and stole second.
But after throwing 73 pitcher through the first three innings, Fekette shut out Schuylkill Haven the rest of way. Haven had a runner reach third in the fourth and sixth innings, but didn’t score.
Haven’s best chance to pull even came in the bottom of the sixth when Jake Luckenbill singled and eventually got to third on two stolen bases.
But Luckenbill was stranded at third as Fekette got a foul out, strike out and fly out to left to end the inning.
“I didn’t think I was going to start because I pitched a pretty bad game against Pine Grove,” Fekette said. “I just came in, just tried to do my best and that is all I could do.”
Fekette ended up throwing 125 pitches, including 71 for strikes. He walked four and struck out eight. Andruchek, Branch’s catcher, also threw out Schuylkill Haven’s Kobe Brish trying to steal to end both the second and fourth innings.
Fekette felt his cutter and fastball were his two best pitches Wednesday.
“I wasn’t trying to over do it. I was just trying to throw strikes because I know my defense can make plays,” he said.
Wednesday was the second late-inning loss for Schuylkill Haven during the playoffs. It was up 3-1 heading into the sixth Sunday against No. 8 DeAngelo’s Crimson, but DeAngelo’s Crimson scored three times in the sixth and won 4-3.
Cressona 12
DeAngelo’s Black 3
CRESSONA — Hunter Luckenbill and Brett Caulfield had three hits apiece, while Eric Freeman and Nate Nabholz both doubled and singled for No. 7 Cressona during its losers’ bracket victory over No. 6 DeAngelo’s Black.
Joey Carretta added two hits for Cressona, which was the away team for the game after the location was switched from Pottsville.
Ryan Kondrack doubled and singled and John Gusick singled twice for DeAngelo’s Black.
Ben Norris picked up the win for Cressona, going 6.2 innings and striking out four. Freeman came on in relief to close the game out.
Game Summary
Schuylkill County Teener League
Senior Division Playoffs
BRANCH (4) — Hendricks cf 2 0 0 0, Kuehn 3b 3 0 0 0, Karmazin ph 1 0 0 0, Andruchek c 3 1 0 0, Mahalchick rf 2 0 0 0, Hoffman 1b 3 1 2 0, Fekette p 2 1 0 0, Leiby lf 3 1 3 1, Woodford eh 1 0 0 0, Halye ph-eh 1 0 0 1, Hossler 2b 3 0 0 0, Rinaldo 3b 3 0 2 0. Totals 27 4 7 2.
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN (3) — Brish cf 4 0 1 0, Evitts ss 3 1 0 0, White 3b-p 1 0 1 1, Davis 1b 2 0 0 0, Luckenbill c 3 0 1 0, A. Clauser lf-3b 3 1 1 0, Dress p-3b 3 0 1 0, Moyer cr 0 0 0 0, Buehler lf 0 0 0 0, Reichert rf 3 0 0 0, Kalyan 2b 3 1 1 1. Totals 25 3 6 2.
Branch (13-6) 000 004 0 — 4
Sch Haven (16-3) 021 000 0 — 3
E — Branch 1, Schuylkill Haven 2. DP — Branch 1, Schuylkill Haven 1. LOB — Branch 8, Schuylkill Haven 5. 2B — Hoffman, Leiby, White. SB — Evitts, Luckenbill 2, A. Clauser, Reichert. CS — Brish 2. S — Hendricks. SF — Hayle.
Branch IP H R ER BB K
Fekette, W 7 6 3 2 4 8
Sch. Haven IP H R ER BB K
Dress 5 5 0 0 2 0
White, L 2 2 4 2 1 0
HBP — By Dress (Mahalchick). WP — Fekette 2.