REDBANK VALLEY 6, BROOKVILLE 2

May 28, 2008 - District 9 Class AA Baseball Championship Game at Brockway

By Chris Rossetti

BROCKWAY – Finally!

After losing to Brookville in extra inning in each of the last two District 9 Class AA title games, the Redbank Valley baseball team finally captured its first-ever District 9 title with a 6-2 win over Brookville in the Class AA championship game Wednesday afternoon at Brockway.

“This is for everyone who has had anything to do with Redbank Valley baseball,” Redbank manager Steve Smith said. “This means a lot for the school and the community. I think it’s been a long time since Redbank Valley has won a District 9 title in any sport.”

Senior pitcher Craig Hibell had a lot to do with the Bulldogs (18-0) getting the title.

After a tough first inning in which he allowed two runs on three hits, the right-handed Bulldog ace who is headed to IUP next year, allowed Brookville just one more hit and five more base runners the rest of the game. He finished the contest with 10 strikeouts including two in a row to end the game.

“I think the adrenaline was moving a little too much in the first inning for Craig,” Smith said. “But he settled down and pitched a great ballgame.”

While Hibell settled into complete control after the first inning, his Brookville mound counterpart Jacob Means struggled for much of the game.

The senior righty who came in having walked just 17 batters this season issued nine free passes while allowing six runs, four of them earned, on eight hits. He struck out four. Means’ defense didn’t help him out much in the first three innings either committing four errors.

But while Means wasn’t sharp, he did keep his team in the game by pitching out of trouble most of the afternoon.

He helped strand 11 Redbank Valley base runners in the game including six in scoring positions. Redbank Valley loaded the bases in innings two, three and four but managed just three runs out of those situations.

“I wasn’t worried about that because we had the lead all game,” Smith said. “But we had a chance to break the game wide open.”

Ryan Radaker and Kasey Haines each had a pair of RBIs for Redbank Valley with Radaker also getting two hits. Kent Schick added a 3-for-4 performance with a run scored and an RBI out of the No. 7 hole for the Bulldogs.

Brookville (14-8), which won the title 3-2 in 12 innings in 2006 and 3-2 in 10 innings last year, looked like it was going to get more than three runs in this game after two of its first three batters scored in the first inning.

Means had an RBI fielder’s choice in the inning, while Jeremy Aharrah had an RBI double giving the Raiders a 2-0 lead.

“I wasn’t worried,” Smith said. “We knew it was going to take three runs for them to win the game. That is what they needed in the last two seasons.”

Redbank Valley cut the lead in half with an unearned run in the bottom of the first.

With two outs and Dan Buzzard at second base, Hibell hit a ground ball to third baseman Nick Bishop. But Bishop’s throw across the diamond was wild allowing Buzzard to score the Bulldogs first run.

Redbank Valley then took the lead with two runs, one of them unearned, in the bottom of the second.

Shick led off with a single, and one out later Kevin Doverspike reached on an error by the shortstop Joe Galbraith. Ryan Radaker then singled to right scoring Shick and moving Doverspike to third. Radaker then took second when the throw from right fielder Michael Lindermuth skipped and hit first baseman Greg Sobol in the facial area. Sobol was shaken up on the play but did continue to play.

Back-to-back walks to Buzzard and Haines then platted Doverspike giving Redbank Valley the lead for good at 3-2. Means got out of the jam by getting Hibell to ground into a third base to first base double play.

The Bulldogs added single runs in each of the next three innings.

Two walks and an infield single loaded the bases with one out before Means struck out Doverspike. Radaker, however, drew a full-count walk to bring home Andrew Colwell, who had walked leading off the inning making it 4-2.

Then in the fourth, two more walks and a single by Colwell again loaded the bases with one out. Shick then singled to center making it 5-2. But once again Means limited the damage by striking out Shiloh Buchleitner and getting Doverspike to popup.

Redbank Valley got its final run with one out in the fifth when Buzzard doubled to deep left and Haines followed by ripping the next pitch into center field for an RBI single.

Brookville, meanwhile, only put two runners in scoring position after the first inning.

In the fourth, Aharrah singled with one out and Lindermuth walked with two outs before Tyler Ferry grounded out to shortstop Haines ending the inning.

Then in the seventh, pinch hitter Garret Spence walked with one out and went to second on a passed ball. But Hibell struck out pinch hitter Justin Smith before getting leadoff hitter Shane Heschke to strike out looking on a 3-2 pitch on the inside corner setting up the celebration.

NOTES – Redbank Valley was 0-4 in District 9 title games (0-3 in Class AA, 0-1 in Class A) before Wednesday’s win including 0-3 vs. Brookville … Brookville had won the last five District 9 Class AA titles over the past seven years (District 9 didn’t crown a champion in 2003 and 2004 but instead played in the District 10 tournament because it didn’t have enough team to earn an automatic PIAA playoff berth) and six of the last seven … Redbank Valley will take on the third-place team from the WPIAL Burrell (17-2) in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs Monday at a time and site to be determined … When Redbank Valley scored in the first inning, it broke a 14 inning scoreless streak for Means … Hibell has allowed just five hits and two runs in 14 innings of work in the postseason after throwing a 1-hit shutout against Karns City in the semifinals … Redbank Valley first baseman Brandon Moore put on a clinic of how to play first base during the game making numerous nice picks over at the bag among other good defensive plays … Five of the 10 starters (including the DH) for Redbank Valley were underclassmen … Only one Brookville starter (Bishop) was an underclassmen.

REDBANK VALLEY 6, BROOKVILLE 2

Score by Innings

Brookville 200 000 0 – 2

Redbank 121 110 x – 6

Brookville – 2

Shane Heschke c 4110, Gabe Wonderling cf 3010, Jacob Means p 3001, Cayliff Worling cr 0100, Greg Sobol 1b 3000, Jeremy Aharrah dh 2021, Matt Brush 2b 0000, Dustin Dombrowski pr 0000, Joe Galbraith ss 3000, Michael Lindermuth rf 2000, Tyler Ferry lf 2000, Garrett Spence ph 0000, Nick Bishop 3b 2000, Justin Smith ph 1000. Totals 25-2-4-2.

Redbank Valley – 6

Ryan Radaker 2b 3022, Dan Buzzard c 3210, Kasey Haines ss 2112, Craig Hibell p 4000, Andrew Colwell cf 2110, Chris Clemens lf 2000, Kent Schick 3b 4131, Shiloh Buchleitner dh 3000, Brandon Moore 1b 0000, Kevin Doverspike rf 3100. Totals 26-6-8-5.  

Errors: Brookville 4, Redbank Valley 1. LOB: Brookville 5, Redbank Valley 11. HBP: Aharrah by Hibell. SB: Means, Schick. CS: Heschke. PB: Buzzard. 2B: Aharrah, Buzzard.

Pitching

Brookville: Jacob Means 6 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 9 BB, 4 SO.  

Redbank Valley: Craig Hibell 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 HB, 10 SO.

Winning pitcher: Hibell (9-0). Losing pitcher: Means 5-3.