Sentinel photo by WILLIAM WHISLER
Mifflin County’s Landen Eichhorn threw five dominant innings in relief, allowing just three baserunners on the way to a 6-5 victory over Broomall-Newtown at Lock Haven’s Taggart Field on Monday afternoon. Mifflin County wraps up pool play today against Altoona.

LOCK HAVEN — While it wasn’t the way that Mifflin County manager Bill Corbin drew it up, Corbin knows that in postseason play, grit, heart and a little luck goes a long way.

Mifflin County (3-0) fell behind in the early innings, but a never-die mentality carried the 15-year-old All-Star team to the finish line as a late comeback and a dominant performance in relief on the mound by Landen Eichhorn lifted Mifflin County to a 6-5 victory over Broomall-Newtown in eight innings in the 15-year-old Babe Ruth state tournament Monday in Lock Haven.

Mifflin County scored three in the fifth inning and two in the seventh to tie the game at 5-5 before a wild pitch by Broomall-Newtown relief pitcher Christopher Kardasis sent the Mifflin County dugout into a frenzy.

Eichhorn threw five innings in which he allowed just three baserunners and struck out four on the way to the victory. Eichhorn also contributed three hits at the plate and the defense turned a pair of double plays in the sixth and seventh innings to set the stage for the rally.

“I thought that Landen came in and did a real great job,” Corbin said. “Landen has pitched for me all year and I have a lot of confidence in him. He did a real good job. I know that he will be good at the plate and he’s going to bat. He kept us in there and gave us a shot to win it.”

Broomall-Newtown (0-3) scored three in the top of the first on a two-run double by Lucien Burger and an RBI single by John Anderson. Two more runs came across for Broomall in the top of the fourth on a Burger single and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Broomall starting pitcher Aiden Pearson.

That’s when Mifflin County dug deep.

“That’s the thing. I’m glad they kept fighting,” Corbin said. “I told them before the game started that every time, I’m in a game like last night — (Mifflin County defeated Keystone 24-0)– where we win huge, usually the next night I’m needing one of those runs. You always end up needing one of them when it’s a tight game. We have to keep fighting and battling. This thing isn’t over. We want to win the thing. We’re not here to finish second or whatever — it’s enough (to advance) but we want to win.”

Mifflin County answered in the top of the fifth as Tucker Gill laced a lead-off double hard off the left-field fence. Aiden Reed followed with an RBI single to center by Landen Eichhorn to put Mifflin County on the board.

Deakon Schaeffer reached on a bunt single before Chris Moon — who ran for Reed — scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-2, Broomall. Mifflin County scored a third run on a ground out to first base by Treavor Sheaffer.

Mifflin County tied the game in the bottom of the seventh as Eichhorn led off with a single to left before Scheaffer walked. Trevor Sheaffer sacrificed Eichhorn and Deakon Schaeffer into scoring position before a sacrifice fly by Xavier Smith scored Eichhorn and an RBI single by Ryan Kanagy scored Schaeffer to tie things at 5-5.

“I think that it was Trevor’s bunt to get those runners in scoring position that enabled us to tie it up, and he’s done that twice this tournament where we were behind, and he laid a bunt down, or we were tied and took the lead,” Corbin said. “Little things like that go unnoticed but as a coach it doesn’t. I knew if Trevor got that down we would get the runs in.”

After a 1-2-3 top half of the eighth in which Eichhorn struck out a pair of Broomall hitters, Gill got Mifflin County started with a one-out walk. A base-hit to center by Reed, followed by a single by Eichhorn loaded the bases for Schaeffer before the wild pitch ended things.

Eichhorn led Mifflin County with three hits and Reed also had multiple hits with two. Sheaffer, Smith, Kanagy and Eichhorn all had RBIs for Mifflin County.

With the victory, Mifflin County is the only undefeated team in pool play and it will face Altoona today in its final game before the state bracket is set. Mifflin County currently holds an edge in the runs department and is in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed with an unblemished record. Mifflin County will face Altoona at 11 a.m. at Taggart Field.

“We are the only undefeated team and with the runs we gave up we are still first in runs, but we’re a little bit closer to the pack now,” Corbin said. “We have a few runs to play with but not a lot. We’re looking to pitch by committee (on Tuesday) and try to set the pitching so that we can use everyone in the semis and finals and see how it goes.”