PHILIPSBURG - Mifflin County took the early lead against Philipsburg on Wednesday evening in the first round of the Central Penn League playoffs. But two errors and a two-run homer from the Phils' Curtis Baugh erased the lead and gave the home team a 5-2 victory in the American Legion baseball game.
Mifflin County scored both of its runs on errors to take a one-run lead twice.
''I thought we battled,'' Mifflin County coach Larry Wolfe said. ''We could have used a two-out hit in a couple of innings, and we didn't get it. It was a good baseball game. I'm pleased with the way we played.
''Philipsburg is a decent ball club. There is no hanging our heads tonight.''
Cy Treaster led off the game with a single into center field. He moved to second when Joe Knepp put down an almost perfect bunt to the left side of the mound.
After a groundout, Heath Hidlay hit a ball to shortstop Baugh, then beat out Baugh's errant throw to score Treaster.
Philipsburg starter Parker Watson got out of the inning with a comebacker to the mound.
The Phils tied up the game in the bottom of the first, as Jake Belinda came round to score on a single by Watson.
Mifflin County scored a second run in the top of the third, once again taking advantage of another Philipsburg error.
Knepp hit a one-out single to center, before Evan Pupo flew out to right. Hidlay hit a fly ball to left, which was misplayed and rolled to the outfield fence. Knepp easily came around to score, giving the visitors a 2-1 lead.
Hidlay, who started on the mound, allowed a leadoff double to Shane Hoover to start the bottom of the frame.
Robbie Smith grounded out, bringing Baugh up to the plate. On a 2-1 pitch, Baugh lifted the ball over the left-field fence, giving the Phils a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
''It's nice to get off to a win,'' Philipsburg coach Dusty Minarchick said. ''Both teams that we may play (Clearfield or Beech Creek), we've already beaten this year. And, we didn't beat Mifflin County in the regular season, so that's a good position to be in right now.''
The Phils scored a final run in the bottom of the fourth, as Hoover knocked home Aaron Lidgett on a single.
Watson took it from there, pitching the final three innings to get the complete-game victory. He finished the game with seven strikeouts and scattered six hits, while walking none.
''We played a pretty good ballgame,'' Wolfe said. ''If we make a play or two here or there that we could've made, and it's a 3-2 ballgame. The two-run home run, was a two-run homer. He just hit the ball real hard.
''Oddly enough, we have done this before. We have lost to Philipsburg in the first game and came back to win the thing. Stranger things than that have happened. That's what it is about. You just have to come out and play the game.''
Mifflin County hosts Clearfield, an 8-7 loser to Beech Creek, on Friday at 6 p.m. Philipsburg travels to Beech Creek the same evening.
Susquehanna Valley League
West Snyder 15, Shamokin 10
SHAMOKIN - Zach Mast went 2-for-4 with a triple, drove in four runs and picked up a win on the hill as the West Snyder American Legion team kept its season alive with a 15-10 win over Shamokin Wednesday.
The victory means West Snyder, which is playing through the consolation bracket after dropping a play-in game to start the Susquehanna Valley American Legion League tournament, travels nexto to Catawissa for a game today.
Mast went five innings against Shamokin, giving up just three hits.
He had his key hit in the third, when the bases were loaded with two out, breaking open what was a 5-5 game at the time. Nick Lorenz, who had a pair of hits in the game, pushed Mast across on a base hit then scored on an error to make it 10-5.
Mast ended up with four RBIs in the game. Colton Snook hit a double for the winners.
