DUBOIS, Pa. – Aiden Ward and Connor Morrow helped Cranberry open the Kevin Hesson era with a 5-4 win over North Clarion at Showers Field in DuBois.
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Ward nearly single-handily created the go-ahead run in the fifth inning, and Morrow’s relief pitching shut the door on North Clarion.
With the game tied at four in the bottom of the fifth, Ward led off with a walk after falling behind in the count 0-2 then stole second, moved to third on a short wild pitch that didn’t get more than a few feet away from North Clarion catcher Hudson Irwin, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Landon Burgdorfer.
Morrow, meanwhile, came in with the game tied in the fifth and went three scoreless, hitless innings walking three and striking out six to get the win.
That coupled with a 3-for-4 day at the plate with a double and an RBI earned Morrow the Allegheny Grille of Foxburg Player of the Game.
He talked about his opening-day performance on the Cole Orthodontic Associates Postgame interview.
Morrow’s relief outing wasn’t without some drama, however.
After Cranberry took the lead in the fifth, North Clarion’s Kyle Rusiewicz drew a one-out walk in the sixth and stole second.
CJ Zacherl then laid down a perfect bunt which he beat out at first without a throw. But Rusiewicz went didn’t read the bunt and was only halfway to third when he decided to turnaround and go back to second. But Morrow saw that and threw to second baseman Blake Marchinke covering the bag to erase Rusiewicz.
Then in the seventh, Morrow gave up back-to-back walks with one out and a wild pitch had North Clarion runners at second and third.
But Morrow stuck out Hudson Irwin and Jack Buckley to preserve the win.
Cole Findlay was also 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for Cranberry.
Ruziewicz went 3-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI for North Clarion while Ethan Carll was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Hudson Irwin had a two-run double and also walked.
Hudson Galla started for Cranberry and went four innings allowing four runs, two earned, on nine hits while striking out 10.
Drake Irwin took the loss pitching four-plus innings allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits, five walks, and a hit batter while striking out six. Ethan Carll went two innings allowing one hit and a walk in relief.
PUNXSTAWNEY 11, BROOKVILLE 9
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – Punxsutawney built a 10-1 lead after four innings and then had to hold off a late Brookville rally to secure an 11-9 victory at home.
The Chucks’ offense knocked out four doubles on the day, one each from Maddox Hetrick, Nevin Day, Coy Martino, and Donnie Bender, as part of a 10-hit performance.
But after getting behind, Brookville chipped away scoring two in the fifth and two in the sixth before the first seven batters of the seventh reached base for the Raiders getting them within two.
But with the bases loaded and nobody out, Bender who came in with the score 11-8, got two strikeouts and a fielder’s choice, to save the day for Punxsutawney.
Day and Luke Miller each drove in three runs for the Chucks with Day going 2-for-4 with two runs scored Miller going 2-for-3.
Parker Stahlman added a pair of RBIs going 1-for-3while Hetrick scored three times while going 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
Ladd Blake was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI for Brookville while Pierson Ruhlman went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, and two RBIs.
Stahlman got the win going four innings allowing one earned run on three hits and a hit batter while striking out 10.
Sam Krug took the loss going 3 ⅔ innings allowing six runs, four earned, on four hits and four walks while striking out two.
CLEARFIELD 4, TYRONE 3
TYRONE, Pa. -A three-run fifth inning lifted visiting Clearfield to a 4-3 win over Tyrone.
The Bison trailed 3-1 going to the fifth but used a bases-loaded walk and two RBI groundouts, the second by Hunter Rumsky, to take the lead.
Rumsky, who started and went five innings allowing three earned runs on three hits and four walks while striking out five, and Craig Mays then made the lead standup allowing just four base runners.
Mays, who got the save, did have to work around a two-out triple in the seventh but got the final out on a grounder to shortstop. He gave up two hits while striking out one in two innings.
Matt Irvin led the Clearfield offense going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
DUBOIS 4, ST. MARYS 3
ST. MARYS, Pa. – Trey Wingard scored on a Noah Farrell sac fly in the top of the seventh inning to help DuBois top St. Marys, 4-3, at Berwind Park in St. Marys.
Wingard led off the seventh with a walk and went to second on a wild pitch before Kaden Clark walked. Wingard then went to third on another wild pitch before Farrell lofted the sac fly to left.
Samson Deeb then struck out two and got the final out on a ground out to shortstop to secure the win.
Farrell was 1-for-3 with two RBIs for DuBois, while Wingard was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Danny Dixon also went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored for the Beavers.
Deeb got the win in relief of Tycen Roy going two innings allowing two earned runs on three hits and a walk while striking out three.
Roy, who needed just 52 pitches to get through five innings, allowed one earned run on two hits while striking out four.
St. Marys had tied the game at three on back-to-back singles by Jackson Vollmer and Cameron Coudriet in the sixth.
Volmer was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs to lead the Dutch offense.
Mason Nicklas took the loss going two innings allowing three earned runs on three hits and five walks.
Ben Paul started for the Dutch and lasted four innings allowing one earned run on five hits, two walks, and a hit batter. He struck out four.
CLARION-LIMESTONE 6, UNION/A-C VALLEY 2
DUBOIS, Pa. – Using a three-run fourth inning, Clarion-Limestone beat Union/A-C Valley, 6-2, at Stern Field in DuBois.
The visiting Lions led 1-0 when Brayden Murray smashed a two-run home run in the fourth before Aiden Coulson added an RBI single to make it 4-0.
Union/A-C Valley got two runs back in the bottom of the inning, but C-L scored single runs in the fifth and sixth to set the final score.
Murray was 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, a walk, a run scored, and two RBIs for the Lions while Jake Smith went 3-for-4 with a run scored and Tommy Smith was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Coulson also had a three-hit, two-RBI day for C-L going 3-for-3 with a run scored.
Kohen Kemmer got the win in relief of Tommy Smith going three innings allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks.
Smith threw three scoreless, hitless innings walking two and striking out five. Logan Lutz pitched a 1-2-3 seventh.
Zach Cooper and Trey Fleming had singles for Union/A-C Valley.
Chase Ruth took the loss going 3 ⅔ innings allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits and a walk while striking out two.
PORT ALLEGANY 8, OTTO-ELDRED 6
PORT ALLEGANY, Pa. – Henry Troupe drove in a pair of runs to help Port Allegany to an 8-6 home win over Otto-Eldred.
Troupe was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk for the Gators.
Levi Howard scored a pair of runs for Port Allegany going 1-for-3.
Nick Wilfong got the win pitching 4 ⅓ innings giving up four runs, one earned, on five hits and three walks while striking out eight.
Andrew Schenfield was 2-for-4 with four RBIs to lead Otto-Eldred while Jaden Prince went 2-for-4, and Manning Splain scored twice while going 2-for-3 with two walks.
Zach Schuessler took the loss going two innings allowing four runs, three earned, on three hits and three walks while striking out one.
KARNS CITY 6, REDBANK VALLEY 2
BUTLER, Pa. – A strong outing from Mason Sherwin lifted Karns City to a 6-2 win over Redbank Valley at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park in Butler.
Sherwin went six innings allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out six. He needed 101 pitches.
Colton Christie came entered in the seventh and threw a scoreless inning of relief for the Gremlins.
Troy Nagel, meanwhile, led the Karns City offense going 2-for-3 with a home run, a run scored, and three RBIs. Jacob Jones was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored
Mason CLouse was 2-for-4 for Redbank Valley while Braylon Wagner went 1-for-2 with a triple, two walks, and a run scored.
Ty Carrier took the loss going four innings allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits and a walk while striking out five.
DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 9, BROCKWAY 0
BROCKWAY, Pa. – DuBois Central Catholic ran its shutout streak to 14 straight innings to start the season, as four pitchers combined to toss a three-hit shutout in a 9-0 road win over Brockway.
Carter Himes started and gave up a hit and five walks in three innings of work while striking out four.
Brayden Fox relieved and went 1 ⅔ innings to earn the win. He allowed one hit and three walks while striking out one.
Blake Pisarcik followed and pitched two scoreless innings walking one and striking out one, and Andrew Green pitched ⅓ of an inning walking one and giving up a hit.
Aiden Snowberger gave DCC all the runs it would need when he led off the game with a home run to right field on a 2-0 pitch.
Snowberger finished 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. Himes went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBIs, Pisarcik was 1-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBIs, and Green went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Chad Young went 2-for-3 for Brockway.
Dylan Bash took the loss going 5 ⅓ innings allowing six runs, three earned, on six hits, three walks, and a hit batter. He struck out five.
JOHNSONBURG 10, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 1
JOHNSONBURG, Pa. – Eric Hoffman drove in three runs to help Johnsonburg past visiting Elk County Catholic, 10-1.
Hoffman was 3-for-4 with a run scored.
Rocco Delhunty and Derek Beimel each added a pair of RBIs for the Rams with Delhunty going 1-for-3 with a double and Beimel going 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Luke Zimmerman was also 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored for Johnsonburg.
Zimmerman got the win going six innings allowing an unearned run on six hits and three walks while striking out six.
Charlie Geci was 2-for-3 while being hit by a pitch for ECC.
Geci took the loss going 2 ⅓ innings allowing three earned runs on seven hits and a walk.
COUDERSPORT 11, OSWAYO VALLEY 1, 6 INNINGS
SHINGLEHOUSE, Pa. – L.J. Myers drove in three runs and Owen Deutschlander had three hits to lead visiting Coudersport to an 11-1, six-inning win over Oswayo Valley.
Myers was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Deutschlander went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. Quinn Kratzer was also 1-for-3 while getting hit by a pitch for the Falcons., He scored once and drove in two.
Three Falcon pitches, meanwhile, combined to no-hit the Green Wave.
Gavin Ayers got the win going three innings allowing an earned run on three walks while striking out five.
Myers tossed a pair of scoreless innings walking two and striking out three, and Mason Roessner went one scoreless striking out two.
Nik Bonney took the loss going three innings allowing five runs, three earned, on two hits, five walks, and two hit batters while striking out three.
