FRACKVILLE — Reggie Crawford has already pitched one team to a championship this season.
The 14-year-old lefty helped Frackville Red remain alive in its quest for a title Saturday.
Crawford pitched a one-hitter over five innings as No. 2 seed Frackville Red eliminated No. 8 DeAngelo’s Crimson 9-1 in a Schuylkill County Teener League Senior Division losers’ bracket game at Memorial Park.
With Saturday’s win, Frackville Red (18-3) will now host No. 4 Pine Grove Red (14-6) in the losers’ bracket final at 5:30 p.m. today. The winner will travel to No. 3 Hegins (18-2), the winners’ bracket champ, in the title game Monday.
The only loss for Frackville Red during the tournament was 8-6 to Hegins on July 7, which dropped it into the losers’ bracket. Frackville Red remained alive with a 2-1 win over Branch on Friday in the completion of a suspended game.
With three more wins needed for a title, Frackville Red manager John Chuma wanted to save arms for the rest of the tournament. So he turned to Crawford, who was the winning pitcher for Frackville Green in its 11-2 victory over Schuylkill Valley Maroon in the Junior Division tournament title game July 3.
Chuma was hoping to get two innings out of Crawford. He ended up getting five.
“For 14 years old, it is exciting to coach him,” Chuma said. “He threw in an ‘A’ game. He was nervous to go out there but I thought he threw great.”
Crawford, making his first appearance of the Senior Division playoffs, had some trouble finding the strike zone early, walking DeAngelo’s Crimson’s Nick Baucum on four pitches to start the game. But Crawford came back strong, striking out the side to end the inning.
“I just thought of it as any other game,” Crawford said. “I just had to adjust to the mound. I walked those first batters in the first couple of innings, but I just got it together.”
Those adjustments included digging in the mound more and slowing down his front leg. Crawford ended up striking out five and walking three. The only hit he allowed was a one-out single to Stephen Messina in the fourth.
Then with two outs, J.R. Harner grounded to short. The throw to second was wide and went into right field for Frackville Red’s only error of the game. But it led to the final out of the inning.
As Messina took off for third, right fielder Nick Kowalishen retrieved the ball and fired a strike to Max Nolter at third base to gun down Messina.
Crawford ended up throwing 60 pitches, with 33 for strikes.
“The fastball was working,” Crawford said. “I don’t usually throw a curveball, but I also threw a couple and they also worked.”
Kowalishen pitched the final two innings. He also allowed one hit as DeAngelo’s Crimson (12-9) scored an unearned run in the sixth.
The outcome of the game was all but decided at that point.
Frackville Red got out to 4-0 lead after the first inning, and added solo runs in the third, fourth and fifth. Bobby Wagner finished off the scoring with a two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth.
Mike Neary and Austin Dietz were both 2-for-3 for Frackville Red, while Bobby Wagner drove in four runs and Nolter two.
DeAngelo’s Crimson was eliminated from the tournament with the loss. It was missing five starters Saturday due to a football camp as two arrived just after the game started. It forced DeAngelo’s Crimson manager Joe Selinko to bring some junior league players up to start.
DeAngelo’s Crimson ended up committing eight errors in the game as only two of Frackville Red’s runs were earned.
“We were the eighth seed,” Selinko said. “The eighth seed is supposed to lose two and get out and we didn’t.
“It’s been a difficult year with the errors, but they didn’t quit and that’s the main thing you have to teach. I enjoyed myself this year, and I think they enjoyed themselves, too.”
Two of those errors came in the first inning.
Mitch Wagner singled to lead off the game off DeAngelo’s Crimson starter Noah Nabholz, stole second and ended up at third when the throw went into the outfield.
Mitch Wagner scored on a Bobby Wagner grounder to second, that turned into an error as Bobby Wagner ended up at second. Noltz then laced a double right, bringing home Bobby Wagner.
Dietz followed with an RBI single to right, knocking in Nolter. After Dietz went to second on a wild pitch, he came home on an Alex Norris double to right center, making it 4-0.
“It was big,” Chuma said of the early lead. “In the last couple of games we’ve been giving everybody runs and we’ve been coming from behind to win the games.
“If any team can come through the losers’ bracket and win, this team could. We have the ability and the heart to do it. We have to beat Pine Grove first. It is going to be tough.”
Game Summary
Schuylkill County Teener League
Senior Division Tournament
DEANGELO’S CRIMSON (1) — Baucum cf 2 0 0 1, Doyle c 3 0 0 0, Blum rf 1 0 0 0, Messina eh-p 2 0 1 0, Gauntlett 1b-rf 2 0 0 0, Harner ss 2 0 0 0, Zimerofsky 3b 3 0 0 0, Ryan 2b 3 0 0 0, Nabholz p-1b 2 0 0 0, Sherakas eh-rf-eh 1 0 0 0, Seddon lf 1 0 0 0, Williams lf 1 1 1 0. Totals 23 1 2 1.
FRACKVILLE RED (9) — M. Wagner lf-eh 4 1 1 0, S. Grigas ss 4 2 0 0, B. Wagner cf 4 2 1 4, Nolter 3b 4 1 1 2, Neary c 3 0 2 0, Dietz 2b 3 1 2 1, Burke cr-2b 0 1 0 0, Norris 1b 3 0 1 1, D. Grigas cr-rf 0 0 0 0, Kowalishen rf-p 3 0 1 0, Crawford p 2 0 0 0, Schally 1b 1 0 1 0, Rockwell eh-lf 3 1 0 0. Totals 34 9 10 8.
DeA. Crim. (12-9) 000 001 0 — 1
Frack. Red (18-3) 401 112 x — 9
E — DeAngelo’s Crimson 8, Frackville Red 1. DP — Frackville Red 1. LOB — DeAngelo’s Crimson 5, Frackville Red 7. 2B — Nolter, Norris. 3B — B. Wagner. SB — M. Wagner, S. Grigas.
DeA. Crimson IP H R ER BB K
Nabholz L 2 4 5 1 0 2
Messina 5 6 4 1 0 1
Frack. Red IP H R ER BB K
Crawford W 5 1 0 0 3 5
Kowalishen 2 1 1 0 1 2
WP — Nabholz, Crawford, Kowalishen. T — 1:37.