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First Posted: 8/8/2014
CAMDEN, N.J. — Swoyersville’s first loss at the Mid-Atlantic National Regional Tournament turned in the bottom of the seventh Friday, when the team stranded the potential go-ahead run in scoring position.
Then Cecil County (Maryland) scored six runs in the top of the eighth to secure a 10-3 victory in a winners’ bracket semifinal at Campbell Field.
Bob Williams finished with two hits and drove in three runs for Cecil Post (30-4), which scored six runs in the eighth inning to secure its victory and advance to the winners’ bracket final against host Brooklawn (New Jersey) or Northampton (Pennsylvania) at 7:30 p.m.
Mike Leonard, Jeremy Worlinsky and Evan McCue each finished with two hits for the Red Dogs (28-3), who will take on Endicott (New York) in an elimination game at noon today.
Swoyersville manager Sean Toole called Friday’s game his team’s worst overall performance of the season after committing five errors.
Toole also described the eighth as the Red Dogs’ worst inning of the season.
Down 3-1, the Red Dogs scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
In the sixth, Worlinsky led off with a single, moved to third on McCue’s infield ground ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Labashosky.
Ryan Hogan used his legs to help them force a 3-3 tie. After his one-out single, he stole second moved to third on a groundout and scored on a throwing error.
A single by Evan McCue put runners on first and second with two outs. But Dan Richardson struck out McCue to end the inning.
“We just needed one key hit,” Toole said. “But it just didn’t happen.”
Then in the eighth, Cecil County rallied for six runs on four hits in the eighth off Red Dogs starting pitcher Billy Gregory and reliever Logan Zavada to snap a 3-3 tie.
A sacrifice fly by Bill Barton put the Maryland state champions ahead for good. Two hitters later, Dan Willert drove home another run with a bunt.
Bradley Garrant was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Williams capped the rally with a two-run single off Zavada.
Cecil County scored an unearned run the ninth inning. Barton doubled to open the inning, moved to third on a single by Nolan Boushell and scored on an outfield throwing error.
“I don’t think Cecil County is a better team than we are,” Toole said. “They just played better.”
The manager expressed confidence that the Red Dogs would respond against Endicott, which defeated Fairmont (West Virginia) 16-6 on Friday in an elimination game.
“I’m sure this team is going to show up and play ball,” Toole said. “The players are not going to quit.”
Mid-Atlantic Regionals
Cecil (Md.) 10, Swoyersville 3
Cecil County`AB`R`H`BI`2B`3B`HR
Dan Willert cf`4`0`1`1`0`0`0
John Griffitts lf`4`2`1`0`0`0`0
Brad Garrant p`4`2`1`1`0`0`0
Bob Williams 3b`5`0`2`3`0`0`0
Nate Loman 1b`4`1`2`1`0`0`0
Adam Janney ss`4`2`2`0`0`1`0
Andy Valichka 2b `5`1`1`1`0`0`0
Bill Barton rf`4`1`1`1`1`0`0
Nolan Boushell c`3`1`2`0`0`0`0
Totals`37`10`13`8`1`1`0
Swoyersville`AB`R`H`BI`2B`3B`HR
Jeremy Sabecky cf`5`0`0`0`0`0`0
Chris Lupole ss`5`0`1`0`1`0`0
Ryan Hogan c`4`2`1`0`0`0`0
Mike Leonard 2b`5`0`2`0`0`0`0
J. Worlinsky 3b`5`1`2`0`0`0`0
Evan McCue 1b`4`0`2`1`0`0`0
M. Labashosky rf`3`0`0`1`0`0`0
Mark Baran ph`1`0`0`0`0`0`0
Justin Montalvo lf`4`0`1`0`0`0`0
Bill Gregory p`0`0`0`0`0`0`0
Logan Zavada p`0`0`0`0`0`0`0
Mark Popson dh`3`0`0`0`0`0`0
Totals`39`3`9`2`1`0`0
Cecil County`210`000`061 — 10
Swoyersville`100`001`100 — 3
Cecil County`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K
Hoskins`6.1`7`3`1`0`2
Richardson (W)`1.2`1`0`0`0`3
Garrant`1.0`1`0`0`0`2
Swoyersville`IP`H`R`ER`BB`K
Gregory (L)`7.2`9`9`8`3`2
Zavada`1.1`4`1`0`1`0