ALTOONA - Talk about turning the tables.
Mifflin County was stunned by Altoona Friday night in the Babe Ruth 13-year-old state tournament, losing the first meeting by an 11-run margin.
It was a game in which Mifflin County manager Fred Zook said his players weren't ready to play.
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Sentinel photo by NICK?WAGNER
Mifflin County’s Isaac Maclay, left, scores a run while Altoona catcher Jake Linder awaits a throw Monday.
Zook must have got in the heads of his bunch. The locals lit up the scoreboard in the first round of the state bracket Monday in response to the pool play loss at the hands of Altoona, pounding out 13 hits en route to matching Altoona's earlier offensive output, winning 12-8 Monday.
That leaves Mifflin County with a semifinal date against Pottsville today at 8 p.m.
Friday was a night Mifflin County never wants to look back on. But the locals flipped the script with an offensive surge and timely defense that would make any coach happy.
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* Mifflin County plays Pottsville today at 8 p.m. in Altoona
"The kids were totally into it tonight," Zook said. "They wanted some serious revenge on that team and they got it."
Mifflin County's Cade Attick picked up the win on the bump. But Attick certainly set up the work of Ty Bodtorf to close out the game. Bodtorf pitched the last three innings, giving up just a pair of hits and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth to keep the lead for Mifflin County.
Altoona's Bailey Davis took the loss. The host team brought in Luke Eberhart in the fourth to try and slow the bats of Mifflin County. On Friday, Eberhart pitched a gem against Mifflin Coutny in a win. But Mifflin County scored four runs off of him over the final three innings to secure the win.
Mifflin County's win was really a product of one inning. After the visitors clawed their way to three runs in the second inning with the help of Jonah Kile's sacrifice fly and Justin Rodkey's single, the winners put up a six-spot in the fourth inning, all with two outs.
Ross Underhill started the rally by reaching on an error from Altoona's third baseman. Trent Hidlay then drew a walk. Back-to-back doubles from Bodtorf and Jordan Marshall, each rolling to the fence in left field, plated the next three runs. Isaac Maclay then drove in Marshall and Damon Jasper's double chased Marshall home.
"They were a little more relaxed and wanted to go get it," Zook said of his kids at the plate. "And they went after it early."
Altoona, after scoring three runs in the third to make it 4-3 in favor of the host team, was able to stay alive with a four-run fourth inning. At that point, Mifflin County had the edge, 9-8, heading into the final third of the game.
But after the fourth, it was all Bodtorf on the mound. Altoona was able to get to Attick, scoring eight runs over the first four innings. Altoona's hitters were finding the gaps, making it difficult for his fielders to make plays.
"Cade pitched well for us," Zook said. "We didn't make every play when he was in there but he really hung in there."
Bodtorf's first inning, the fifth, was his toughest. A walk and back-to-back singles left the bases chalked full. But calm, cool and collected, Bodtorf got Cody Storm, the Altoona No. 3 hitter, to go down on strikes to end the threat.
Altoona only had one base runner after the fifth inning. The final out came when Bodtorf snagged a come-backer and vaulted Mifflin County into its next game.
"He was lights out tonight," Zook said. "He did a great job. He hung in there and got the job done."
Bodtorf finished the game with a pair of hits while driving in three runs to go with his late-game pitching performance. Seven different Mifflin County players had RBIs - eight collecting hits.
"(Bodtorf) said he isn't going to lose this game," Zook said.
And it showed.
