Wildcats Take District Crown in 1-0 Thriller over Hollidaysburg

AdminMay 25, 2018Last Updated: May 25, 2018

3 minutes read

ALTOONA – It was a long time coming, a decade in fact, but the Central Mountain baseball team earned its second-ever District 6 title and first since 2008 with a thrilling final inning 1-0 win over defending champion Hollidaysburg on Thursday night.

It was euphoria on the field as Wildcat teammates piled on top of sophomore Rocco Stark after his game-winning hit, his drive down the right field line plating pinch-runner Brady Eck with the game’s only run with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

The two teams battled through six and a half innings of scoreless, well played baseball. But the Wildcats, shutout 2-0 by the Golden Tigers in the district title game a year ago, pounced in their final at-bat. Trevor Hanna jumped on the first pitch he saw, an 86 mile per hour fastball from Hollidaysburg freshman standout Caleb Gampe and drove it into left field. Eck came in to run for him and Austyn Carson put down a sacrifice bunt to move Eck to second. Hollidaysburg elected to walk Troy Gardner, putting runners on first and second. Rocco Stark, hitting out of the ninth spot in the batting order, had a bunt single and a long double in his previous two at-bats. This time he attacked a Gampe pitch and drove it just inside the right field foul line for the game winner.

The game featured great pitching and great defense. Gampe and Wildcat starter Aaron Swartz went after the batters and through four innings each team had three hits apiece and no runs. Central Mountain had a great chance to break the tie in the bottom of the fifth with three straight hits to start the inning. Gardner led off with a single but a pinch-runner was picked off. Stark drilled a double to right and Zach Eck bunted for a hit, runners first and third. The Wildcats tried to steal a run with Eck running between first and second and Stark taking off for home when the Tigers went after Eck. But Hollidaysburg threw home to nip a diving Stark and the next batter took a third strike. The game stayed 0-0 until the fateful seventh.

Gampe went the distance for Hollidaysburg, giving up eight hits and the game’s lone run. Swartz left after five shutout innings with four strikeouts, three walks and three hits allowed. While he struggled on occasion with his command, Swartz made the clutch pitches when he had to. Sophomore Zane Probst took over in the fifth and put up two shutout and hitless innings, striking out four and walking three; he picked up the win.

The Wildcats had eight hits off the hard-throwing Gampe. Stark had three, Mahlik Houtz two singles, Zack Eck’s bunt single, Gardner’s single and Hanna’s single.

Central Mountain had solid defense, including a second-inning Asher Corl throw-out of a Tiger runner attempting to steal second. In the same inning Hanna made a fine back-handed grab of a line drive in the hole.

Game Notes:
The victory avenged an earlier season loss to Hollidaysburg, a 9-2 Golden Tiger win. The championship was the Wildcats’ first since they defeated Hollidaysburg by a 5-3 score in 2008.

Assistant coach James Gallagher was a starting outfielder on the 2008 Wildcat title team. He wore his game jersey from the 2008 contest while coaching at first base Thursday night.

The team was able to get in some infield practice at the Altoona High School field before the game. They were then served hoagies from Leo’s Restaurant, provided by Stark’s mother, Lorie Casilio.

The win put the Wildcats at 13-7, Hollidaysburg ending at 8-9. Next up for Central Mountain is a PIAA play-in game against District 10 champion Erie Prep (17-3) next week at a site and time to be determined. It is understood the game will be played somewhere within District 6.

Former Keystone Little League coach Justin Kline was in attendance at PNG Field. He coached a number of the Wildcat team members in their Little League days. He has been battling health issues in recent years.