HEGINS — What started as a pitchers’ duel turned into a wild final two innings.
Now, Frackville Red and Hegins get to do it again tonight.
Austin Dietz and Brandon Rockwell scored the go-ahead runs on an error in the top of the seventh that started a five-run inning, while Scott Grigas finally shut the door on Hegins as Frackville Red held on for an 8-4 victory in the championship round of the Schuylkill County Teener League Senior Division Tournament on Monday at Hegins Park.
The win by Frackville Red (20-3) forced a deciding game for the championship at 5:30 tonight at Frackville’s Memorial Park. Hegins (18-3) beat Frackville Red 8-6 in the winners’ bracket semifinals July 7.
The first five innings Monday belonged to Frackville Red starter Alex Norris and Hegins starter Jake Masser, as Frackville Red held a 1-0 lead through five. Then the wildness started.
Frackville Red went up 3-0 after a two-run
top of the sixth. Hegins tied it with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
“We were upset, but we weren’t down all the way,” Grigas said after Hegins tied the game in the sixth. “Then that big inning happened and it just turned everyone around.”
Frackville Red took the lead for good thanks to small ball and speed.
The sixth-inning error started on a Mitch Wagner grounder to short with the bases loaded. The throw home was high and Dietz scored, with Rockwell following right behind, making it 5-3.
Frackville Red tacked on three more runs. Nick Kowalishen came home on a Grigas bunt single that appeared to have a chance to bound into foul territory but was touched by the catcher in fair territory. Then with Bobby Wagner at the plate, Mitch Wagner and Grigas both scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-3.
“All year long we’ve been taking advantage of our first three batters (Mitch Wagner, Grigas, Bobby Wagner),” Frackville manager John Chuma said. “The way we got all those runs was all on speed. That last inning, that speed just makes people nervous and makes things happen. It’s been like that all year long for us.”
Hegins (18-3) made it 8-4 when a bases-loaded, one-out walk to Jake Masser forced in Matt Barr. But Grigas, who relieved Reggie Crawford earlier in the inning, got the next hitter to hit a sharp grounder up the middle to shortstop Bobby Wagner.
He turned it into a game-ending, 6-3 double play, touching second for the second out while Crawford, who moved to first on the pitching change, made the scoop at first for the final out.
“I am pretty excited,” Grigas said of the win. “Bobby Wagner helped us out at the end. I thought it was going right up the middle and that they were going to score two.”
The victory was the fourth consecutive for Frackville Red in the losers’ bracket after its loss to Hegins a week ago. Frackville Red beat Branch 2-1 on Friday, DeAngelo’s Crimson 9-1 on Saturday and Pine Grove Red 14-2 in five innings Sunday.
Mitch Wagner and Bobby Wagner were both 2-for-4 for Frackville Red on Monday. Bobby Wagner had an RBI triple in the sixth, while Max Nolter followed with a RBI double to make it 3-1.
Hegins tied it in the bottom of the inning. A bases-loaded walk to Logan Yoder made it 3-1, while Masser and pinch runner Ashton Buchanan came home on an error by the second baseman.
It appeared Hegins had taken the lead later in the inning on a wild pitch. But the runner failed to touch home as he leaped into the arms of his teammates to celebrate the run. Frackville Red appealed the play and the runner was called out.
“We didn’t hit the ball again (six hits) and we made way too many mistakes,” Hegins manager Shawn Masser said. “We can’t do that against a good team like that.”
All of the coaches on Frackville Red’s bench saw the runner miss home and called for the appeal.
“Thank God it didn’t end up a one-run game because then it would have really meant something,” Chuma said. “I am glad it ended the way it did. You don’t want to win that way, but he did miss it. We all saw it.”
Both starting pitchers turned in solid outings.
Norris went 5.1 innings, allowing five hits and striking out five. Only one of the three runs he allowed were earned.
He eventually tired in the sixth and Chuma turned to Crawford, who went two-thirds of an inning and got credit for the win. Crawford pitched to two hitters in the seventh, hitting a batter, and after a 2-0 count on Willy Kimmel was replaced by Grigas. Kimmel eventually walked.
Jake Masser went the distance for Hegins and took the loss. He allowed eight hits, as five of the eight runs he gave up were earned.
Despite the tough loss, Jake Masser’s complete game might have given Hegins a slight pitching advantage in tonight’s deciding contest. Hegins should have plenty of fresh arms remaining, while Frackville Red might have to use a committee approach.
“I told them you have to learn from tonight, know what you did, know what you didn’t do and now we know what we have to do,” Shawn Masser said. “We still have a shot. It is one game for everything. (Frackville Red) didn’t win the title tonight, they still have to beat us tomorrow night. They are a good group. They will be ready to go tomorrow.”
Game Summary
Schuylkill County Teener League
Senior Division Championship
FRACKVILLE RED (8) — M. Wagner lf 4 2 2 0, S. Grigas ss-p 4 2 1 1, B. Wagner cf-ss 4 1 2 2, Nolter 3b 3 0 1 1, D. Grigas pr 0 0 0 0, Neary c 3 0 0 0, Dietz 2b 3 1 1 0, Schally dh 2 0 0 0, Norris p 0 0 0 0, Crawford p-1b 0 0 0 0, Rockwell 1b-rf 3 1 1 0, Kowalishen rf-cf 3 1 0 0. Totals 29 8 8 4.
HEGINS (4) — Kimmel ss 3 0 1 0, Harner 2b 3 0 1 0, Schwalm 3b 4 1 1 0, Masser p 3 1 1 1, Love rf 2 0 1 0, Buchanan pr 0 1 0 0, Yoder 1b 2 0 0 1, Boltz cf 3 0 0 0, Polietti c 3 0 0 0, Barr lf 2 1 1 0. Totals 25 4 6 2.
Frack. Red (20-3) 100 002 5 — 8
Hegins (18-3) 000 003 1 — 4
E — Frackville Red 1, Hegins 3. DP — Frackville Red 1. LOB — Frackville Red 2, Hegins 7. 2B — Nolter, Rockwell. 3B — B. Wagner. SB — M. Wagner 2, B. Wagner, Kimmel, Schwalm. CS — Yoder. S — Crawford.
Frack. Red IP H R ER BB K
Norris 5.1 5 3 1 1 5
Crawford W .2 0 1 1 1 0
Grigas 1 1 0 0 0 0
Hegins IP H R ER BB K
Masser L 7 8 8 5 0 3
Crawford pitched to 2 hitters in 7th
HBP — By Norris (Love), by Crawford (Barr). WP — Norris, Crawford, Masser.