State championship baseball blog

 Mike White | Friday, June 12, 9:35 a.m.

Blogging from state baseball championships at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona.

SOUTH FAYETTE VS. BRANDYWINE HEIGHTS - CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP

8:55 p.m. - FINAL SCORE !!!!!!!   Brandywine Heights wins, 4-1. South Fayette got runners to second and third in the seventh, but didn't score.

8:45 p.m. - Looks like it might be over. Brandywine Heights scored twice more and now leds, 4-1, heading into the seventh inning. South Fayette has only two hits off Kyle Stoudt.

8:28 p.m. Brandywine Heights takes the lead again. After a walk, Cory Prutzman had an infield hit. A double by Kyle Ziegler brought home the go-ahead run and South Fayette coach James Barton lifted Haviland for Zack Fettig. Caleb Erb flied out to right and SF right fielder Ryan Ross threw out the runner at home trying to score. 2-1 B. Heights after five.

8:13 p.m. - IT'S TIED!!! Moments before the start of the Penguins-Red Wings, South Fayette scored. Zack Fettig led off with a triple in the top of the fifth. After Lane Ramage grounded out to the pitcher, Matt Curl executed a perfect squeeze bunt to score Fettig and tie the score, 1-1.

8:05 p.m. - South Fayette pitcher Haviland and Brandywine Heights pitcher Kyle Stoudt have matched each other through four innings. Both have allowed only one hit and both have four strikeouts. The difference in the game is an error by South Fayette in the first inning. It led to the only run. Brandywine Heights leads, 4-0.

7:59 p.m. - South Fayette coach James Barton has said hitting has been a problem for his team this season. That problem has popped up again. South Fayette has only one hit in the first 3 1/2 innings and trails, 1-0, heading into the bottom of the fourth.

7:54 p.m. - Haviland seems to be getting into a groove. He has now retired eight in a row. But South Fayette still trails, 1-0, after three. South Fayette's Ryan Ross made an excellent catch of a fly ball in the bottom of the third.

7:41 p.m. - End of two innings, and it's still Brandywine Heights, 1-0. South Fayette's Haviland is topping out with his fastball at 87 m.p.h.

7:24 p.m. - Brandywine Heights got an unearned run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Kyle Ziegler led off, reaching on an error by South Fayette third baseman Chris Darby. He stold second and scored on Kyle Stoudt's single. South Fayette starter Dillon Haviland threw 27 pitches in the first inning. It wasn't that he struggled throwing strikes. Brandywine Heights batters fouled off a number of pitches.

7:02 p.m. - First pitch just moments away. Does anyway in South Fayette care? The Lions have about 100 fans here. Brandywine Heights might have 103. Crowds haven't been very good all day. Makes you wonder how much interest there really is in the state baseball championships.

7:00 p.m. - Bullets are good for Brandywine Heights, but not for the Pittsburgh City League. Huh? Well, yeah. Brandywine Heights' nickname is Bullets. That used to be the same nickname for Brashear, ever since the school was formed in 1977. But Brashear eventually changed its school nickname (I think about 10-15 years ago) to Bulls. The Pittsburgh Board of Education thought "Bullets" sent a bad message. What would you call Brandywine Heights anyway? The Winers?

6:55 p.m. - PIAA never lets teams in the title games take infield practice. Don't want to mess up the field. And want to keep games moving.

6:50 p.m. - Just received word Dillon Haviland will start for South Fayette. I think that means a win for South Fayette. Hey, the PG is 2-0 in picks so far today.

6:35 p.m. - Interesting in the press box. Lineups have been handed out. For South Fayette, one is for Dillon Haviland pitching. The other is for Zack Fettig.

6:30 p.m. - The big question in the pregame is South Fayette's pitcher. Will Dillon Haviland start? Or will it be Zack Fettig? Haviland has pitched two PIAA games - a no-hitter and a two-hitter. Fettig was the winner in the other one. Coach James Barton had said he would watch both pitchers warm up and make a decision.

SERRA VS. CAMP HILL - CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP

2:46 p.m. - IT'S OVER. Camp Hill wins its second consecutive championship with a 7-3 victory.

2:42 p.m. - So much for Serra's comeback. Camp Hill scored four runs in the top of the seventh. Serra brought in reliever Brandon Sandusky, but Camp Hill hit him hard also.

2:29 p.m. - Serra pitcher Oliver Girman seems to have settled down after the first few innings. Serra was three up, three down in the bottom of the sixth. 3-3 heading into the seventh.

2:24 p.m. - Ol "mo" seems to be on Serra's side. The Eagles have momentum after holding Camp Hill without a run in the top of the sixth. 3-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth.

2:18 p.m. - SERRA HAS TIED IT!!!!! Serra got three runs on five singles in the bottom of th fourth and the game is now tied, 3-3. Tyler Kugler, Alain Girman and Chris Miller all had RBI singles.

2:05 p.m. - Looking at the list of PIAA champions in the program brought back a memory. Did you know there were no PIAA baseball championships until 1977? And did you know Penn Hills was the first WPIAL team to win a baseball title in 1978? But the most interesting part of the Penn Hills story is who coached the Indians. Their coach is now a prominent coach in WPIAL football. It was none other than Neil Gordon, who has coached at Penn Hills and Shaler for 22 seasons. Just a little trivia for you.

2:03 p.m. - To the bottom of the fourth and it's still 3-0 Camp Hill.

1:45 p.m. - Certainly not the most exciting game here. But hey, there is a tiny amusement part next to Blair County Ballpark. I can wath go-carts and the ferris wheel go round.

1:44 p.m. - It's looking like the WPIAL is going to be 0-2 after the first two games. Camp Hill leads Serra, 3-0, at the end of three. Serra got its first hit in the bottom of the third - an infield single by Ryan Caldwell.

1:38 p.m. - Serra pitcher Oliver Girman has a 9-1 record. It's looking he might end up 9-2.

1:35 p.m. - Camp Hill is starting to break things open. Back-to-back RBI singles and it's 3-0 Camp Hill in the top of the third.

1:07 p.m. - Interested to see this Camp Hill team. They are defending PIAA champ and only two losses this year are to Class AAA and AAAA teams.

1:05 p.m. - Not a good start for Oliver pitcher Oliver Girman. Walked the first batter, who later scored on a single by Matt Spiegel. To the bottom of the first, Camp Hill leads, 1-0.

1:02 p.m. - First pitch.

CHARTIERS VALLEY VS. ABINGTON HEIGHTS - AAA CHAMPIONSHIP

12:03 p.m. - Abington Heights reliever Peter Doggett got a strikeout and groundout to end the game. Final: Abington Heights 3, Chartiers Valley 2.

11:58 a.m. - Char Valley has scored again. It's 3-2 with runners on first and third two outs. New pitcher for Abington Heights, Peter Doggett.

11:53 a.m. - Char Valley has scored. 3-1 with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

11:45 a.m. - Abington Heights' uniforms make the Comets the Penn State of these championships. Their jerseys are plain white with "Comets" on the front. Look almost like a T-shirt. But they will probably soon have a PIAA gold medal hanging around their necks. Bottom of the seventh and A. Heights still leads, 3-0.

11:39 a.m. - End of six. Abington Heights still leads, 3-0. Char Valley loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth, but relief pitcher Cory Spangenberg worked out of the juam, getting Luke Horew to fly out to end the inning.

11:29 a.m. - Update from colleague Colin Dunlap at the state softball championships in Shippensburg. Shaler lost to Parkland, 5-1. Shaler was the only WPIAL team in the finals. Shaler took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but it was downhill from there.

11:21a.m. - Three workers are now painting a wall in between the first and second levels on the left-field line.

11:19 a.m. - Tony Castellano hit a long home run to left-center to give Abington Heights a 3-0 lead.

11:08 a.m. - Abington Heights' Cory Spangenberg, who homered in the second inning, just drove one to deep center that Char Valley's Ken Terpack caught at the wall. End of 4 1/2. Abington Heights still ahead, 2-0.

11:03 a.m. - Another baserunning blunder costly to Char Valley. Andy McIntyre got the Colts' first hit, an infield single. Then he was picked off first base by the catcher, who threw to first and got McIntyre in a rundown. Four innings complete, Abington Heights leads, 2-0.

11:01 a.m. - Update from colleague Colin Dunlap, who is covering the PIAA Class AAAA softball championship in Shippensburg. Shaler is losing to Parkland, 3-1, after four innings.Colin also reports the town of Shippensburg has a definite manure smell to it. Funny. I reported the same thing on this blog at state track at Shippensburg.

10:47 a.m. - So what if there is a state championship baseball going on here. Doesn't mean Blair County Ballpark maintenance crew has the day off. There are actually two workers in the left field bleachers doing some work on a wall with a putty knife while the game is going on. Nice.

10:46 a.m. - Char Valley got a baserunner in the top of the third when Ryan Landy walked and stole second. But Abington Heights' Mills got a groundout to end the threat. 2-0 A. Heights, end of three, and Char Valley still doesn't have a hit.

10:40 a.m. - One swing by Abington Heights' Cory Spangenberg and it's 2-0 Comets. With one runner on, Spangenberg hit a home run to right-center over the 375 sign.

10:31 a.m. - Char Valley got a runner to second base with two outs in the bottom of the second, but Luke Horew was picked off by - get this - THE CATCHER!!!! Matt Mortell made an excellent throw to pick off Horew. End of second inning, still 0-0. Neither team has a hit yet.

10:23 a.m. - Char Valley right fielder Mike Perhosky just made a nice catch of a line drive to end the top of the second. No score.

10:18 a.m. - End of one inning, no score. Abington Heights pitcher Steve Mills is only 4-1 and has an ERA above 4.00, but he had two strikeouts in the first.

10:15 a.m. - Dangers of the job. Post-Gazette photographer Pam Panchak just came close to getting beaned with a foul ball while taking photos in the stands. By the way, fans are suupposed to give foul balls back to the PIAA in these games. Pam flipped the ball to another fan. Don't know what the fan did with it.

10:05 a.m. - Good to see the place filled up a litte. I'd estimate 500 fans here now.

9:45 a.m. - Just talked with PIAA assistant director Bob Lombardi. He said the PIAA strategic commitee has yet to meet to discuss the six classification idea for football. The idea is supposed to be voted on at the July PIAA meeting.

9:40 a.m. -  Blair County Ballpark (home of Altoona Curve) is a great place for these games. But it looks almost desserted this morning. 10 a.m. starts don't exactly draw a ton of fans.

9:25 a.m. - First game starts at 10 a.m. Chartiers Valley vs. Abington Heights. It's cloudy here, but PIAA officials say weather will be fine for the day.