Bellefonte meets up with familiar foe in AAA final

Vinny Pezzimenti

Bellefonte baseball coach Denny Leathers hasn't uttered a word of it to his team. That doesn't mean the Red Raiders don't remember how their dreams of a PIAA tournament berth were dashed last season.

“I think some of them that took part in it,” Leathers said, “it would be hard not to.”

Six Bellefonte players on this year’s team played in that late-May game in which Somerset manufactured a run in the seventh inning to beat the Red Raiders 5-4 in the District 6 Class AAA championship at Blair County Ballpark.

The two teams meet again at 3 p.m. today for the first time since that game. And the circumstances are all the same — a district crown and a trip to the state playoffs on the line at the Altoona Curve’s home field.

“It’s a new year and a new group,” Leathers said. “Some of the kids are the same and some of them are different, but the beat goes on.”

Bald Eagle Area has less of a familiarity with Westmont Hilltop, its opponent in today’s Class AA semifinal, which is slated for 4 p.m. The Eagles and Hilltoppers haven’t met during BEA coach Jim Gardner’s eight years in the dugout.

At Somerset, the Golden Eagles return four major contributors from last year’s team that made a run all the way to the PIAA title game, where it lost to District 2 Berwick. Somerset is 12-3 this season and has won six of its last seven games.

“They have a good program,” Leathers said. “They were successful last year and certainly they are this year, too.”

Bellefonte (16-6) has a strong program, too. The third-seeded Red Raiders have won two district titles under Leathers, the last coming in 2006.

Plus, they ripped through their first two postseason games, bludgeoning No. 6 Lewistown 11-2 and second-seeded Indian Valley 14-1.

Top-seeded Somerset was awarded a bye into the semifinals, where they defeated Forest Hills 7-5.

Chase Dykstra, who had two hits and drove in a run in last year’s victory over Bellefonte, set the tone against Forest Hills with a leadoff homer.

The center fielder hit nearly .600 in the Golden Eagles’ playoff run last spring. He’s hitting .400 with two home runs and 10 RBIs this season.

Ryan Fisher (.294, 3 homers, 16 RBIs this year), Cody Hemminger (3 homers, 22 RBIs) and Joe Foltz (.395, 15 RBIs) were also major contributors to last year’s team.

Gone is pitcher Landon Wahl, who limited Bellefonte to six hits in a complete game. And since Somerset’s top pitcher, Brett Christner, threw seven innings against Forest Hills, the Red Raiders will likely see Hemminger or Anthony Papini.

Hemminger has allowed 19 runs on 27 hits in 18 innings, while Papini has given up 15 runs on 23 hits in 17 innings. Christner has thrown 40 innings, allowing 32 runs on 62 hits.

Bellefonte will go with sophomore Robert Gummo. The right-hander limited Lewistown to one run in five innings last week in improving to 5-2.

Leathers has been most pleased in these playoffs with his team’s pitching and defense, ingredients that were often missing as the Red Raiders lost four of their last seven regular-season games after an 11-2 start.

“I knew we were capable,” Leathers. “It’s just whether we would pull it off and whether we’d have the intensity and so forth to do it, and play like I know we can play.

“For these two games they’ve done it. Now we can get into the finals of the districts. So why not? Let’s just keep on playing the way we are.”

Bald Eagle Area (14-8) at Westmont Hilltop (12-4)

The sixth-seeded Eagles’ efficient 14-0 five-inning victory at third-seeded Bellwood-Antis on Monday not only moved them to the semifinals, it also may set the stage for ace A.J. Robinson to hit the rubber again.

Robinson no-hit Bellwood-Antis to improve to 6-0 on the season. BEA coach Jim Gardner explained that a pitcher is required two days rest after throwing four or five innings.

So, as Gardner said, “There’s a chance that he’ll throw.”

Robinson needed just 70 pitches to dispatch Bellwood- Antis. Plus, it doesn’t sound like Gardner is afraid to use the senior lefthander on short rest.

Robinson also pitched on two days rest in late April. After throwing seven innings in a Friday victory over Philipsburg-Osceola, he also tossed a complete game, allowing four runs on six hits in a 7-4 win over Lewistown.

“He’s one that a day or two after he pitches anyhow he’s back getting more work,” Gardner said. “He’s used to throwing a lot. I like to tell him not to throw, but he’s there throwing.”

With the way the Eagles are hitting, it might matter little if Robinson pitches or not. They also won 14-0 against No. 11 Central Cambria in the first round.

“We’ve been opportunistic,” Gardner said. “I think that is the best word to sum those games up. The pitchers struggled with their control. We took some advantage of some base on balls and when they put the ball over the plate, we cashed in with some real big hits.”

No. 2 Westmont Hilltop, which plays in the Laurel Highlands Conference, is making its first semifinal appearance since 1985, when coach Paul Knupp was a pitcher for the team.

The Hilltoppers defeated Marion Center 13-0 in the quarterfinals.

BEA, which has won five straight games, can earn a third straight trip to the PIAA tournament with a victory. The top two finishers in the district advance.

“I feel real good about this team,” Gardner said. “I think our experience right now is showing up for with us with composure in the playoff situation. We’ve been there, and the new guys we’ve plugged into the lineup have really stepped up and done well for us this year.”