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DISTRICT 4 BASEBALL: SAYRE LEAVES 13 ON BASE; FALLS TO MUNCY, 5-2, IN CLASS AA SEMIFINALS (24 PHOTOS) (2022-05-24)

By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
MANSFIELD — Sayre left 13 runners on base, and had its hopes of repeating as the District 4, Class AA baseball champs dashed by a 5-2 loss to Muncy in the semifinals here Tuesday afternoon on Shaute Field on the campus of Mansfield University.

Eight of the runners the Redskins left on base were in scoring position, and they left the bases loaded twice.

“That’s definitely not something we usually do,” said Sayre coach Jamie VanDuzer. “We just didn’t come up with the big hits early on.

“Good pitching will beat good hitting, and today it definitely did,” he noted.  “The Eyer kids — both of them — pitched real well. To hold us to five hits is something …

“It’s certainly not the way I thought it would unfold,” VanDuzer added.

After Sayre starter, senior David Northrup, retired Muncy in order in the top of the first, juniors Zach Garrity and Lucas Horton worked walks in the bottom of the first, but were left on first and second.

Muncy got its first hit — a lead-off single by Braydon Kamerer — in the top of the second. With Kamerer on third and one out, senior third baseman Mason Houseknecht snared a soft liner and tagged him out to end the inning.

Junior Jackson Hubbard led off the bottom of the second with a line-drive single up the middle, but after taking second on a passed ball, he was stranded there.

With one out, Cameron Kamerer reached on a walk, but shortstop Zach Garrity turned a 6-3 double play on a ground ball up the middle to end the inning.

The Redskins took advantage of four walks to take a 1-0 lead in the home half of the third, but Muncy ace Ross Eyer also struck out the side, and left the bases loaded.

Brandon Eyer was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the fourth, took third base on a one-out single by Ross Eyer, and scored on a passed ball to tie the game at 1-1.

Ross Eyer recorded his only 1-2-3 inning of the game in the bottom the fourth, then the bottom fell out for the Redskins in the top of the fifth.

Northrup hit the first batter of the inning, then gave up a one-out single and a walk to load the bases.

Coach (Jamie) VanDuzer visited the mound, and called on senior Kannon VanDuzer to take the ball.

Kannon VanDuzer retired the first batter he faced on an infield pop out, then induced a slow roller off the bat of Ross Eyer to second base, but an error allowed two runs to score, giving the Indians a 3-1 lead.

Moments later, Ross Eyer got caught in a rundown, and Brandon Eyer was able to scamper home to make it 4-1.

“That was the difference in the game,” said Coach VanDuzer. “(Kannon) did exactly what we needed him to do — pop up and ground ball, but we don’t make the play.

“That play usually gets made, but those things happens,” he added. “If we get three or four runs before that, it’s not that big of a deal.”

The Redskins loaded the bases again — on three more base on balls — in the bottom of the fifth, but left them loaded.

Kannon VanDuzer pitched around a pair of singles in the top of the sixth, and the Redskins got a one-out single from senior Oakley Gorman and a two-out single by senior Brayden Horton — just their second and third hits of the game, in the home half of the frame, but Brandon Eyer was able to pitch out of the jam for the second inning in a row.

Brandon Eyer reached on an error to lead off the top of the seventh inning, and scored on a one-out RBI double down the left-field line by Ross Eyer to extend the Muncy lead to 5-1.

Northrup led off the home half of the seventh with a line-drive single to left field, took second on a wild pitch, and scored on a one-out RBI single by Hubbard to trim the deficit to 5-2.

Junior Joey VanAllen then reached base on an error to bring the tying run to the plate, but Brandon Eyer retired the next two batters to close out the win.

Hubbard had two hits and two RBI to pace Sayre at the plate, while Northrup singled and scored one run, Brayden Horton and Gorman each added a single, and Garrity scored a run.

Northrop was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs — one earned — on three hits, while striking out three and walking three in 4 1/3 innings.

VanDuzer allowed one unearned run on three hits, while striking out four and walking none in 2 2/3 innings.

Ross Eyer earned the win for Muncy, allowing one run on one hit, while striking out eight and walking eight in 4 1/3 innings. Brandon Eyer recorded the save, allowing one run on four hits, with two strikeouts and one walk in 2 2/3 innings.

Ross Eyer doubled and singled, and drove in one run, and Brandon Eyer scored three runs to pace Muncy’s offense.

The Redskins finish up the season at 19-3.

“I’m gonna miss these seniors, that’s for sure. This is a great group of kids,” said Coach VanDuzer. “They’re special, I’ve been with them since they were 8 years old.

“It’s sad to think it’s over.

“They have a lot to look forward to — even the ones who aren’t going on to play baseball are going to be successful in life just because of the type of character they have,” he noted.

They were 21-2 last year and 19-3 this season. I’ll take 40 wins in two seasons any time,” added VanDuzer. “I’m sure any coach would sign up for that.”

With seven seniors graduating, VanDuzer knows there is work to done prior to the 2023 season.

“There are definitely going to be some freshmen who will have to fill some voids, but we have some kids who were on our bench that I think are promising,” he said. “It was just tough to find them innings when we had so many seniors in front of them.

“We’ll get to work with the Legion team in a couple of weeks, see where everyone fits in, and start planning for next year,” VanDuzer added.

——————

IN PHOTO 1: Sayre’s Jackson Hubbard. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.

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