California falls in 9 innings
HOMER CITY – For the third time in four years, California High School’s baseball season ended at Homer-Center’s First Commonwealth Field.
Only this time, the Trojans had plenty of opportunities to win.
Juniata Valley scored one run in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 5-5, then added four runs in the top of the ninth, before holding off a California rally in the bottom of the inning to win their PIAA Class A quarterfinal game, 9-7, Thursday afternoon.
The loss ends California’s season at 20-3, while Juniata Valley, which advances to Monday’s semifinals, is now 18-5.
The Trojans, who scored one run each in losses to eventual state champions Bishop McCort and Johnsonburg at First Commonwealth Field in 2012 and 2013, respectively, had plenty of baserunners throughout the game, finishing with 14 hits. But they were unable to score the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning, hitting into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded and one out. They also stranded Aaron Previsky at third base in the bottom of the seventh after he led off with a single.
That would prove costly in the ninth inning, as Seth Derugen led off by reaching base on an error – Cal’s fifth of the game – on a bunt that put him at second base. Bryce Hensor then singled to left off California reliever Louden Conte to score Derugen and give the Hornets the lead.
Hensor advanced to second on the throw home and scored on a single up the middle by Sam Singer that made it 7-5, with Singer taking second on the throw to the plate. After a popout and walk put runners at first and second, Hunter Houck tripled to score two more runs and make it 9-5.
Those two extra runs would prove to be critical for Juniata Valley. California opened the bottom of the ninth with a single by Nate Luketich, who would move to second on a wild pitch.
Previsky flew out to center and Casey Zajicek grounded out to third before Paul Peters reached on an infield single and Chris Swartz was hit by a pitch by Hensor, who had relieved Houck to start the inning.
Garitt Woodburn, who pitched the first three innings for the Trojans, hit a hard grounder off the glove of Juniata Valley’s third baseman that bounded into the outfield, scoring Luketich and Peters to make it 9-7.
But Hensor got Conte to fly out to center field to end the game.
Conte had two hits with a double, while Luketich, DeFranco and Adams also had two hits each for California.