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13-year-olds open states with close loss

Sentinel photo by TARA PAIGE
A Westmoreland base runner is caught between Mifflin County catcher Matthew Weimer and third baseman Preston Arbogast during a Babe Ruth state tournament pool game in McCandless Wednesday.

MCCANDLESS — It was an up and down game for the Mifflin Couny Babe Ruth 13-year-old all-stars on Wednesday morning against Westmoreland.

In the end it was down.

Mifflin County scored three runs in the seventh inning, but it wasn’t enough as it lost, 9-8, in a state tournament pool game. At one point in the game, Mifflin County held a 5-0 lead.

“They hit the ball when they had to,” said Andy Arnold, the Mifflin County manager. “And we didn’t hit when we had to. This loss is on me. I didn’t put us in the right position to win the game.

“We made a nice comeback in the seventh. I thought Easton Erb pitched really good in relief. We gave up too many runs in the last inning.”

At first, it looked like it was going to be all Mifflin County as it jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The first three batters walked and then Kaden Mitchell got an RBI single. Jesse Herman followed with another RBI base hit and Jaron Yoder then ripped a two run single giving Mifflin County a 4-0 margin.

In the second, Mifflin County added another run as Preston Arbogast got his first hit of the tournament trail as he tripled. Josh Bryson then doubled him home.

Westmoreland got back in the game with two runs in the third and three in the fourth. Griffen Paige saw his first action on the mound, but ran out of pitches (pitch count) in the fourth.

Erb came in an allowed only one run over the next 2 1/3 innings. Mifflin County trailed by just one run going into the seventh, but Westmoreland scored three runs off of Mifflin County’s third pitcher, Garrett Davis. Finally, Jesse Herman came in and got the final two outs. In fact, both of those outs came on the base paths as Matthew Weimer, the Mifflin County catcher, threw a runner out at second and a Westmoreland runner was caught trying to go home on a base hit.

Mifflin County made its comeback try in the seventh as Arbogast walked and Bryson got him home with a single. Mitchell walked and Logan Parks was sent in to pinch run and later scored on an overthrow from the Westmoreland catcher. Herman and Paige followed with bunts, adding more pressure to the rally. Yoder knocked in the eighth run with a ground out. Weimer walked to keep the bases loaded, but when Isaac Wilson popped up deep to the second baseman, the game was over.

Bryson had three of the Mifflin County’s nine hits, including two doubles. Herman also finished with two hits.

Mifflin County plays Lock Haven today at noon.

Notes: This is the second time that Mifflin County has played a team from the western district losing to Ingomar in a 14-year-old game in Milroy in 2014. … Mifflin County now has a 46-32 record in one-run games for 13-year-olds and an overall record of 108-77. … Westmoreland’s Max Koller had three hits and was the winning pitcher in relief.

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