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WILLIAMSPORT -- The Mustangs put together a magical season resulting in the second District 4 championship in school history and the second-most wins by a Midd-West baseball team, but simply put, Monday just wasn't Midd-West's night.
The young, talented Mustangs squad ran through the Pennsylvania Heartland and ended the stranglehold on District 4 that Montoursville has held in recent seasons, but in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs, one bad inning and a few miscues in key situations ended Midd-West's stellar run at Williamsport's Bowman Field.
The Mustangs (16-6) dropped a tough 5-1 decision to Wyoming Area (12-6), as JJ Hood's gem on the mound and a three-run first for Wyoming Area lifted the Warriors past Midd-West.
Midd-West had its opportunities late, but Hood pitched masterfully to work out of danger in multiple situations as the Mustangs couldn't cash in with runners on base in the second, fifth and seventh innings. The UConn commit threw a complete game, scattering nine hits while striking out six batters on 96 pitches.
"We told them to remember how this feels," Midd-West coach Scott Wright said. "This group of guys has done something that we haven't done in 15 years with winning the district championship and getting to play in the state playoffs. Remember how this feels and let's come back next year stronger and better and go a little bit farther."
The Warriors jumped on the Mustangs early as a lead-off walk to Evan Melberger, and back-to-back one-out singles by Jake Kelleher and Hood put Midd-West in a 1-0 hole. Wyoming Area added two more in the top of the first inning and stretched Griffen Paige's pitch count early, as a sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Johnny Morgan gave the Warriors 3-0 after one.
Paige recovered masterfully after a tough first and pitched brilliantly otherwise, setting down the Warriors without too much difficulty. Paige finished his night going four innings in which he allowed just four hits -- three of which came in the first inning -- and four runs while walking three and striking out two. Jullian Krainak pitched well in relief of Paige, stranding six runners in three innings of work.
"Griffen was awesome out there tonight," Wright said. "Earlier in the season he was having some arm issues and we sat him down. Not playing is tough. We were sitting there for a week -- not making an excuse -- but you are rusty. I thought that Griffen did a great job out there tonight. Jullian has been lights out this season for us as well."
Wyoming Area added an insurance run in the fifth on an RBI single by Hunter Lawall and another run in the seventh on an RBI double by Hood to give the Warriors a 5-1 lead.
Midd-West tried to work back into the game in the second inning, using a back-to-back hits by Krainak and Preston Arbogast to start the second. Logan Rager tried to sacrifice both runners up a base but a solid play in the field by Hood got Krainak at third for the first out. Hood then escaped any damage with a flyout and a strikeout to end the inning.
In the fourth, Krainak had a one-out single to center but was stranded as Arbogast flew out to center and Easton Erb slid off the base after stealing second for the final out of the inning.
The Mustangs scored their first run of the game on an RBI single by Erb in fifth, but Erb was cut down trying to take second base on the throw to the plate for the second out. Paige flew out to center field for the third out of the inning that could've possibly scored Trey Wagner from third base to get Midd-West a second run.
Midd-West had runners on first and second in the seventh inning but couldn't draw any closer. The Mustangs stranded six baserunners in the defeat. Erb and Krainak each had multi-hit days for Midd-West.
"You have to tip your hat to Wyoming Area, they are good," Wright said. "They are a good, solid team and it just didn't go our way tonight. We out hit them, but we just couldn't get them to fall when we needed them."
Overall, it was a great way to go out for the Mustangs' senior class of Hunter Wolfley, Brayden Swineford, Camden Richard, Logan Rager and Trey Wagner, who finished out the year with the second-most victories in team history with 16 and the second District 4 title in school history joining the 2005 team.
"I wish that we could've done a little better, but those seniors stepped it up a lot this season and they carried this program," Wright said.
For a Midd-West team that took District 4 by storm after losing the 2020 season to COVID-19, the future is bright. Five of the starters in Midd-West's lineup on Monday will return next season.
"Watch out next year, that's all I can say," Wright said. "A lot of our young guys got some good experience here tonight and I hope that these guys grow off of this."
Wyoming Area 5, Midd-West 1
WA 300 010 1 -- 5 7 0
MW 000 010 0 -- 1 9 0
WP: JJ Hood. LP: Griffen Paige. SO: Hood 6 (WA); Paige 2 (MW). BB: Hood 1 (WA); Paige 3, Jullian Krainak 2 (MW). 2B: Hood (WA). MH: Jake Kelleher 2-3, JJ Hood 2-3 (WA); Easton Erb 2-4, Krainak 2-3 (MW). RBI: Hood 2, Hunter Lawall 2, Johnny Morgan (WA); Erb (MW).