Hagerstown A gets A for winning effort

July 19, 2009|By JACK HILL III/Staff Correspondent

Hagerstown A advanced to the championship round of the PONY League Sectional Tournament at Funkhouser Park, while Hagerstown B was eliminated on Sunday.

The second game of Sunday's tripleheader matched the only two undefeated teams in the double-elimination tournament. Both were representing Hagerstown.

Hagerstown A erased a 4-0 deficit and rushed to a come-from-behind 17-10 win.

Hagerstown B went on to be eliminated in the nightcap in a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Chambersburg American. Chambersburg American had earlier won the opener by eliminating Chambersburg Suburban 14-0 in five innings.

Hagerstown A and Chambersburg American meet tonight at 6 in the championship round. If Hagerstown A wins, it will clinch the title, but if Chambersburg American wins, a final game will follow.

No matter the outcome, both teams will advance to next weekend's West Regional Tournament in Boardman, Ohio.

In the second game, Hagerstown B took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning on two wild pitches and two errors.

The A team came back behind right fielder Aaron Jones' two home runs and four RBIs.

"I was happy with my two home runs," Jones said. "The coach told me to just make contact. We produced a lot of runs. We just hit the ball and stayed focused the entire game."

Hagerstown A exploded for eight runs in the second to take an 8-4 lead. Jason Mayles started the rally with a solo homer. Hagerstown A added runs on Josh Grim's infield single, Charles Cvijanovich's fielder's choice grounder and Andrew Yacyk's single.

Mayles got his second RBI of the inning when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Tyler Byers capped the rally with a three-run double.

Hagerstown B answered with four runs in the third to tie the score at 8. Jared Brant got an RBI single followed by a two-run wild pitch on a ball that rolled into the dugout. The last run scored on an error.

Hagerstown A used a pair of wild pitches to score two runs and take a 10-8 lead in the bottom of the third.

Hagerstown A added four runs in the fourth on a solo homer by Jones, a wild pitch, a Cvijanovich RBI single and a Yacyk sacrifice fly. Jones' three-run homer in the fifth closed Hagerstown A's scoring.

Hagerstown A relief pitcher Brad Spickler gave up only one run in 3 2/3 innings to get the win.

"We needed to find out how much heart that we had," Hagerstown A manager Steve Berger said. "We got down by four runs early. Our offense is very potent. If we improve, we will do OK."

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