Wildcat baseball team earns comeback win over State College in opener

STATE COLLEGE, PA – The Central Mountain baseball team, its season opener Tuesday at State College, spotted the Little Lions five first inning runs but battled back, ultimately pulling out a 7-5, 8-inning win.

Wildcat starter Chase Brush struggled early, giving up five runs in the bottom of the first, four of them earned. But he battled back to put up two shutout inning and State would not score again. The senior Brush was followed by junior Brady Myers, just off basketball season. Myers gave coach Mike Kramer four shutout innings, giving up three hits, two walks and striking out two. Senior Gabe Johnson came on in relief and hurled a hitless, scoreless eighth to pick up the save, Myers with the win.

But it wasn’t easy. Down 5-0 after one, the Wildcats scored one in the second and one in third. State led 5-2 heading to the seventh, but the Wildcats manufactured three runs to pull into a 5-5 tie after regulation. Two runs in the top of the eighth was then the difference in the 7-5 win.

Central Mountain was held to four hits but took advantage of seven walks from four different State hurlers to help score its seven runs. All four hits were singles, from Nate Helms, Kelvin Probst, Braylen Corter (just off wrestling season) and Gardy Fravel. Johnson had two runs batted in, Corter and Fravel with one each. Levin Schlesinger worked two walks.

The Wildcats will continue on the road, traveling to DuBois on Friday. Home opener is the following Monday, March 27, with Milton.

CM  0 1 0 1 0 0 3 2 = 7-4-2

SC   5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 5-7-1