July 21, 2012 7:00 a.m. SENECA — The Crawford County Senior League baseball All-Stars kept the promise they made with DuBois on Wednesday. Now, they’ll attempt to win twice in one day to reach the state tournament.

Upon squandering leads of 4-0 and 7-4 during a 9-7 loss to DuBois in the Section 1 tournament-opener on Wednesday, Crawford County dropped to the losers’ bracket. The team did, however, tell DuBois after the game that a rematch would be on tap three days later.

Crawford County took care of Cranberry by a 12-2 score on Thursday. Then, Crawford eliminated Harborcreek 9-6 on Friday to create today’s 2 p.m. championship game versus DuBois. If Crawford County wins at 2 p.m., the if-necessary title tilt will immediately follow.

“It was a big loss that we want to get back in the championship for sure,” Crawford County’s Mitchell Wood said of Wednesday’s defeat. “I think we did well. We told them we’d be back, and we’re back.”

After struggling on the mound during Wednesday’s loss, Wood played a key role in Friday’s victory. Wood couldn’t retire a batter during DuBois’ game-altering five-run sixth inning on Wednesday, but he went 3-for-4 with two bunt singles, two runs and an RBI on Friday.

Wood, the No. 3 hitter, notched his only single that wasn’t of the bunt variety on Friday during Crawford County’s five-run fourth inning. Both Cole Baker and Joel Mowris scored on the play — Mowris crossed home plate on an errant throw — to bump Crawford ahead 5-3.

Wood later scored on Tyler Walters’ double, and it was 7-3 Crawford County by the time Jesse Staudt’s single plated Walters. The three hits by Wood, Walters and Staudt all came with two outs.

Those seven runs were all that was needed by Baker, Crawford County’s starting pitcher. Baker’s crafty style with a number of off-speed pitches kept Harborcreek guessing for much of five innings.

Baker allowed four runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts. But when he left the game, Crawford was ahead 7-4.

“I kind of scouted them (Thursday) night, and they were jumping on DuBois’ little harder pitcher,” Crawford County manager Scott Walters said. “So I thought I’d come with a little off-speed today, and it seemed to work and kept them off-balance.”

Though they were interesting innings in relief, Scott Sada and Luke Basko finished the deal on the mound.

Two errors led to Sada allowing two unearned runs to make it a 7-6 game in the sixth inning, but Crawford County got both runs back in the bottom half of the sixth.

After singles by Kyle Wise and Wood were followed by a pair of outs, Matt Thompson clutched-up with a two-run single off the fence in center field.

Basko recorded the save during a scoreless seventh inning. Basko loaded the bases after two singles and a walk, but he struck out Anthony Corcilla to end the game.

Mowris, Wise, Tyler Walters and Sada each collected two base-knocks during Crawford County’s 14-hit afternoon. Wise hit a solo home run in the first inning, and Sada doubled and scored on Baker’s single in the second inning.

Those runs tied the game at 2 after Harborcreek’s Pat Brennan smashed a two-run home run in the first inning.

The Senior League state tournament begins Wednesday in Emporium. And the Crawford boys are confident in their chances make it to states.

“We can beat any team here,” Tyler Walters said. “We shouldn’t have lost the first one. It’s just questionable stuff. We didn’t hit as well as we should have.”



Three games in one day?



Six Crawford County Senior League All-Stars are also on the French Creek Valley Legion team, which will open the Region 8 tournament today at 10 a.m. in St. Marys. According to Scott Walters, the plan is to play in St. Marys before hopefully making it to Cranberry in time for the 2 p.m. start.

St. Marys to Cranberry is a nearly two-hour drive.

“I’m sure Brandon (Crum, FCV manager) will probably release a few of them to play,” coach Walters said. “I think it’ll be close, but I think we can make it for game time.”

A couple games in two different towns isn’t as crazy as it seems for someone such as catcher Tyler Walters, who competed for three teams who were in the midst of postseason play last summer.

Walters was on Saegertown’s Junior Legion and American Legion teams while playing for the M.E.T.S. Senior League All-Stars in 2011. On a Saturday almost exactly a year ago, he played two games in one day at two different venues for the Senior League and Junior Legion teams.

“We traveled from Homer City to Mount Jewett in like an hour,” Walters said. “The second I got there, I hit. It ended up working out too — both teams went to states at seperate times.”

If the Senior League team wins at 2 p.m., that means three games in one day. But for Walters and a few others, today won’t seem any different than past summers.

“It’s all I do this summer — play baseball and then just go to the next game just like it was the last one,” Walters said. “I’m not complaining. We get to travel more and play different places. It’s cool. You can’t beat it.”