A big bounce

Fifth-inning rally puts Red Raiders in Class AAA quarters

By Vinny Pezzimenti

- vpezzime@centredaily.com

BOALSBURG — When Seth Tressler stepped to the plate in the fifth inning, things weren't exactly looking up for the Bellefonte baseball team.

CDT/Melissa Doss

Bellefonte High School pitcher Seth Tressler (3) throws a pitch during a PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal game against Donegal High School at Shaner Complex in Boalsburg on Monday, June 1, 2009. Bellefonte won 8-4. CDT/Melissa Doss

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Donegal had put four runs on the Red Raiders in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead and its starting pitcher, Tyler Squibbs, was cruising.

Then Tressler hit a routine ground ball right at the shortstop for what figured to be an easy out. Devin Gorski bent over for the pick up when, all of the sudden, the ball popped up — seven feet in the air — and over the head of Gorski, into the center field.

Moments later, Tressler came home with the second of seven runs in the inning en route to an 8-4 victory over District 3 fourth seed Donegal in a first-round PIAA Class AAA tournament game Monday at the Shaner Sports Complex.

“That’s the way the game was going for us, I guess,” Tressler said. “We had that one bad inning and that was it. We just kept hitting the ball. I guess it was meant for us to win because the baseball gods helped us there.”

Tressler also had a lead-off home run in the first and pitched seven strong innings for his second postseason win.

Matt Fisher added two doubles and knocked in a run while ninth-place hitter Robert Gummo had two hits and an RBI as Bellefonte had to rally after blitzing through the District 6 tournament.

The Red Raiders (18-6) won their first state playoff game since 2004, when this year’s class of seniors was in seventh grade. They meet District 7 champion Moon, an 11-0 five-inning winner over District 8 winner Perry, on Thursday in the quarterfinals at a site and time to be announced.

Asked about Tressler’ improbable base hit, Red Raiders coach Denny Leathers said in his typical subdued manner: “That was a fortuitous bounce.”

Bellefonte would get many others in the inning that saved its season. The Indians (19-6) committed four critical errors. Combined with seven hits, the Red Raiders sent 12 players to the plate.

The highlight hit came from one of the least likely of sources, sophomore Brandon Quay. The outfielder had just seven at-bats in the previous eight games, but smashed a two-run double deep to left center off reliever Seth Hershey to give Bellefonte a 6-4 lead.

Quay’s connection was more a product of effective mental preparation than anything else.

“I took a first-pitch fastball right down the middle of the plate.” he said. “I saw his curveball in warm-ups and I knew he was hanging it. From watching their first pitcher, I knew they were throwing curveballs right after they got a strike on you. I knew it was coming. I just kept my weight back and drove it.”

Tressler, meanwhile, reestablished his dominance on the mound. The senior registered a career-best 11 strikeouts, walked two and allowed four hits in improving to 5-0 on the season.

“Seth Tressler was what he can be,” Leathers said. “He can be very tough.”

He was, except for the fourth inning, when Donegal collected each of its hits. Nick Zito led off with a single and Morgan Rupp walked before Hershey singled in a run and Jeff Heisey doubled in another. That set up Tyler Squibbs, who singled to drive in two.

That’s when Leathers sent Cole McClarren to the bullpen.

“He was waiting in the wings,” Leathers said. Tressler had other ideas.

“I thought I kept my composure nice,” he said. “I knew I left a couple pitches over the plate.”

Squibbs was caught stealing and Josh Rudy struck out to end the inning. Tressler retired the side in order in the fifth and received a big jolt when the Red Raiders rallied in the bottom of the inning.

“It made me know the team was there and I didn’t have to do it all myself,” Tressler said. “I just let them put the ball in play towards the end. My team was getting it done defensively. We had a strong game today besides the one inning.”

Fisher, Bryant James and Gummo, who started Bellefonte’s rally with a single, each had RBI hits in the fifth as the Red Raiders made Donegal pay for its comedy of errors.

The Indians, who were making their third PIAA trip in the last four years, were coming off consecutive losses in the district playoffs.

“We’ve had a few of those (rough innings) here recently,” Donegal coach Chris Miller said. “Unfortunately, it got us again.”

“Bellefonte battled back, played well and gave themselves an opportunity. They surely did strike when they had the opportunity. It’s unfortunate when you get this far. You want to play well.”

Squibbs was lifted after allowing three hits in the fifth. Until then, Bellefonte had just two hits. One was Tressler’s homer, his third of the postseason and sixth of the year, which appeared to be a simple fly ball that carried over the 320-foot sign in left.

“It just kept going,” Tressler said.

And so did the Red Raiders.