Wildcats Fall to Montoursville

Caleb Seyler

Dylan Kerstetter

Zach Skrtich

MILL HALL — The Central Mountain baseball team had its late season downtown continue Wednesday, an 8-6 loss to visiting Montoursville (9-7).

For the Wildcats, who had a 4-1 lead after one inning, the loss was their fifth in their last six games. With an overall mark of 9-7 Central Mountain is now a likely third seed when the District 6 Quad-A playoffs are announced later this week.

Errors again played a role in the Wildcats’ undoing. Three infield errors in the first three innings help Montour to four runs. The game was knotted 5-5 after five but the Warriors touched up reliever Toner Corl for five straight singles resulting in three runs and an 8-5 lead in the top of the seventh.

Central Mountain would answer with one in the bottom of the seventh and get the tying runs on base with two outs. But Montour freshman reliever Brycean Mussina got a final strikeout to end the game and pick up the win.

The loss wasted two spectacular Wildcat defensive plays, erasing prospective lead runs at the plate in the sixth inning and the start of the seventh inning. In the sixth it was a Toner Corl (who was playing left field at the time) relay to Cayden Stover to catcher Ryan Yost to nip a runner at the plate. In the seventh it was center fielder Trapper Kunes to cutoff man Caleb Seyler to Yost to nip another Warrior runner.

Central Mountain had nine hits in all, led by Clayton Butler who had a 3-for-4 day including a double and 2 RBIs. Kenny Heverly had an RBI double and Seyler an RBI single.
Seyler pitched six innings and allowed five hits and five runs, four of them unearned.

The district playoffs start next Thursday with a semi-final round. Pairings will be announced later this week, but based on recent results it appears Central as a likely three seed will travel to Mifflin County to take on the host Huskies, a likely number two seed.

Central Mountain finishes up its regular season at Bellefonte on Thursday and at the Montoursville tourney on Saturday.