BC Legion Eliminates State College, 6-5

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BEECH CREEK — It was a perfectly executed 1-6-3 double-play to end a tight Central Penn League playoff game and move the Beech Creek Crickets into the next round and send State College packing.

The 6-5 Sunday win, after a 7-6 first-of-the-season loss at Huntingdon on Saturday, means the Senior Crickets should have a home playoff game Monday against the loser of a Sunday game between Huntingdon and Mifflin County.

But the Sunday win wasn’t easy. The Crickets did all their scoring early, four in the first and two more in the second, then held off State.

The top of the seventh was not without drama. Clayton Butler came on in relief of Kenny Heverly who had pitched six innings of gritty ball. Butler gave up a leadoff double, followed by a ground-ball out which advanced the tying run to third. A walk followed and State had a first and third with one out. But Butler induced a groundball to the mound; he threw a strike to shortstop Toner Corl at second for out number two and the Corl relay to Bryce Hanley at first completed the double-play and kept the Crickets alive for another day.

Beech Creek made the most of its six hits, led by Ethan McGill with two singles, including an RBI in inning number two. Trapper Kunes had a single and two runs scored, Butler had a bases-loaded single in the four-run first inning; Talon Falls had a double and Wyatt Koch added a single.

While Beech Creek stays alive in the league playoffs, the Cricket have already clinched a berth in the regional playoffs later this month in Westmoreland, this on the strength of a 14-0 regular season mark, earning the Central Penn League regular season title.

Beech Creek squad members have marked their ball caps with the initials “JK” for longtime local baseball coach/supporter Justin Kline, presently a patient at the Geisinger Medical Center battling an illness. Kline supporters have announced a fundraiser on his behalf at the Beech Creek Legion on August 15.