ALTOONA — No. 3-seed Mount Union handed a lopsided loss to top seed Portage in the District 6 Class 2A tournament Saturday, advancing to the PIAA Class 2A baseball tournament with a 12-3 victory at PNG Field.

The Trojans will face either Riverside or Burgettstown in a first-round state game June 6 at a site and time to be determined. Those schools face off for the third and final qualifying spot out of District 7 (WPIAL) Tuesday.

The Trojans went to work early opening a 4-0 lead over the Mustangs and then held off a three-run charge in the fifth inning. The Trojans responded with eight runs to lock up the Trojans 19th District 6 title.

Mount Union (21-2) handed the Mustangs their first loss of the season. Standing at 20-1, Portage still could make the state field from a subregional to be played this week with Districts 3 and 9.

The road to the District 6 title started for the Trojans with a 9-3 win at home over United and followed it up with a 7-1 win over Marion Center to get the shot at unbeaten Portage on Saturday.

“I am very happy with how the team came out and put the ball in play,” Mount Union coach Tim Hicks said. “We knew we had to keep pressure on them and could not let up. The guys responded well after we had a little adversity in the fifth inning.

“Our pitching was good and we made the decision to bring on Bryce Danish to relieve Ryan Scott,” he continued. “Scott just pitched a couple days ago and gave us a good outing again today. It is good to have two guys that you can go to. We met our goals today with solid hitting, good defense and strong pitching effort.”

Scott logged the win with eight strikeouts and no walks allowing just six hits over 4.1 innings. Danish worked the last 2.2 innings giving up two hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

The Trojans got it going in the first when Danish got on from an infield error in the lead off position. Braylon Knable drew a walk and Cainen Atherton singled to plate Danish. Dayvon Wilson came to the plate and drove in two runs on a single into left field to put the Trojans up 3-0.

Mount Union added a run in the second inning. The Trojans had two outs on them, and Cam Donaldson singled getting on base moved around and scored on a Mustang passed ball.

Portage got a runner on base in the bottom of the frame and the next batter struck out with Knable picking the runner on first base off for a double play. The next batter hit a fly ball to end the inning.

In the fourth inning the Trojans committed their only error of the day to allow a Portage runner to get on. Scott got a strikeout and the next batter singled. Scott again struck out the next batter and Knable gunned down the runner on first for his second double play of the day.

“It is great to have players like Knable that helps out his pitcher and gets outs,” Hicks said.

The Mustangs went until the fifth inning before they put up a run. After two hits and a strikeout the Trojans brought Danish in to pitch. With two on Danish walked the first batter to load the bases and Kaden Claar doubled into the outfield to clear the bases before the Trojans ended the inning.

In the top of the sixth Wilson got it going for the Trojans with a lead-off triple and Knable also tripled with a couple hits and a walk mixed in. Wilson coming back to the plate for his second triple of the inning to add a total of eight runs to the board making the final.

Danish held the Mustangs to just one hit over the next two innings.

Mount Union 12, Portage 3

Mount Union 310 008 0 — 12-14-1

Portage 000 030 0 — 3-8-2

WP: Scott. LP: Alexander. SO: Scott 8, Danish 5 (MU); Alexander 5, Claar 1 (P). BB: Danish 1 (MU); Alexander 3, Scarton 1, Claar 1 (P). 3B: Wilson 2, Knable (MU). 2B: Danish, Robinson, Plank (MU); Claar, Irvin, Kargo (P). MH: Donaldson 3-4, Knable 2-4, Wilson 3-4 (MU); Irvin 2-3 (P).