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WILLIAMSPORT -- After three innings on Friday night, things didn't look too good for the Mifflin County Babe Ruth 15-16-year-old All-Stars.
The game was tied 1-1 and Atlantic Shore (Southern New Jersey) was out-hitting Mifflin County, 7-3. It was the second game of pool play in the Mid-Atlantic Regional 15-16-year-old tournament.
But over the next four innings, the Mifflin County bats came to life and came up with nine hits and eight runs as Mifflin County won going away, 9-1.
But just as big a story was the offense, so was the pitching of Noah Bunch and the defense behind him.
Bunch, a 15-year-old, pitched into the seventh. He allowed 12 hits, but only gave up one run. He walked only three batters and struck out two.
"I can't say enough about Noah Bunch, " said Denny Yetter, Mifflin County manager, "It was a gutsy performance. He's a grinder. He did his job and at times he is fearless.”
Bunch pitched into the seventh, but didn’t record an out. Maverick Smith came into the game and only faced three batters.
Two men were on and Smith walked the first batter to load the bases. Chase Wilson hit a line drive at shortstop, Jude Zook, who jumped up and caught the ball and turned it into a double play. Smith then got Brody Wilson to ground out to end the game.
In the sixth inning, Mifflin County turned a 6-4-3 double play that was started by Max Trawitz at second base to Zook and then on to Haven Bridge at first, who had a great stretch to complete the double dip.
In the second, Mifflin County made two great defensive plays to stop Atlantic Shore from scoring. Atlantic Shore picked up four hits in the inning. Dillon Kelly hit a ball to right field. Liam Shaffer hit the cut off man, Zook and he tossed Kelly out at third base.
Jack Hilger followed with a single and then the next man up, Holman Minshew also had a base hit. When Hilger tried to go third, the Mifflin County centerfielder, Kooper Walters threw him out at third to end the inning.
Another key player on defense was Mifflin County catcher Luke Shawver, who in two games has not allowed a passed ball.
"He's as good a catcher for his age that I have ever seen," said Yetter, "It's been hot and he has stuck in there for these first two games."
Mifflin County took a 2-1 lead in the fourth as Trawitz was hit by a pitch for the second time. He scored in a hurry as Smith smashed a double.
In the fifth, Mifflin County had four hits, three of them doubles and scored three times.. Zook led off with a two base hit and Walters moved him to third on an infield bunt that landed him on first. Walters stole second and then Colton Aumiller ripped a two run double.
Two outs later, Aumiller was home as Shawver doubled.
Mifflin County wrapped up its scoring in the sixth with four more runs. Cam Kauffman had an RBI single, Walters had a two run base hit and Liam Shaaffer had an RBI triple.
"They had the momentum in the early going with the score tied, 1-1 and we were being out hit.” Yetter stated, "But, we kept grinding. We put up some big numbers in the fifth and sixth."
NOTES
In the first game Luke Shawver did not have a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Mifflin County scored two runs. Aumiller knocked in one run and later scored on an error. ... This was Mifflin County’s 95th win in regionals. ... Mifflin County's record against Southern New Jersey is now 16-18. ... It was Mifflin County's 785th all-time win.