FREDERICKSBURG – Justin Frey knocked a hard-hit ball through Cedar Cliff shortstop Owen Anastasi in the top of the second inning on Monday evening, scoring both Jaxon Horvath and Jacob Matthews from second and third to tie the game early, 2-2.
Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, that was all in terms of scoring in the pitcher’s duel, which ended in a 3-2 loss in the PIAA 6A baseball semifinals, a crushing loss that stripped Liberty’s chances of going to Penn State’s Medlar Field on Friday at 4:30.
Postgame, Liberty coach Andrew Pitsilos was asked if there were any seniors he’d want to mention. His answer?
“Every single one of them,” he said. “They came out this year, one started last year. So, a lot of them are getting going against varsity pitching for the first time, and look what they did. So that’s tough, you know, and so we, I don’t want to say overachieved, because we expect it, but they came in wanting to be like the guys before them, and they were.”
Those “guys before them” reached the PIAA state tournament three years straight, which was made four years this postseason. That includes a runner-up finish in the 2022 PIAA 6A final to Warwick.
Early, Michael Mariano Jr. struggled. He hit Owen Anastasi, putting the first runner on base. Then, a walk to Grant Enders put another on, and Ian Ripple’s single loaded the bases.
That’s where Blake Secrest and Will Kocher each drew bases-loaded, two-out walks, scoring Anastasi and Enders, and handing Cedar Cliff a 2-0 lead in the first three outs.
But, the Hurricanes stormed back, off Frey’s hard-hit ball that was aided by a shortstop error and scored two for Liberty, and all of a sudden, it seemed everyone was in for an exciting game.
Both runners coming in celebrated hard, along with fans at the historic Earl Wenger Field.
Three up, three down innings in the third and fifth did not help the Hurricanes. Especially the fifth, as the top of that inning included a Grant Enders RBI single, scoring Michael Boblick, who had a single three batters earlier.
“I was definitely sticking to my approach,” Enders said of his mentality getting to the plate. “Low line drives, driving my way, you know, get my pitch and I found my pitch and I stuck to my approach.”
Liberty got a runner, Dylan Metzgar, to second in the top of the sixth, and a sacrifice bunt by Kameron Kensicki advanced Metzgar to third.
But, two straight ground balls and easy plays to first for Cedar Cliff left Metzgar there, and kept it 3-2 Colts.
In Franklin Pichardo’s at-bat in the top of the seventh, a reign of boo’s and frustration came down from the Cedar Cliff side. That’s because the home plate umpire called Colts’ pitcher Peyton Price for a balk.
With no runners on, it only counted as a ball towards the count, but certainly provided some uneasiness off an atypical call to the young pitcher.
Price had separated his hands before his delivery, and that was enough for the balk call that confused Price, and seemingly all of the Colts coaches, teammates and fans.
“I just had to flush it,” said Price. “This game was a lot bigger than just one call. And this team and the state championship … it’s a lot bigger than just one little call.”
Price went on to strike out the balk-influenced at-bat on Franklin Pichardo and struck out Justin Frey, his seventh strikeout of the day.
The Colts head to their first-ever PIAA championship game, going to see North Penn, who’s making their fourth appearance and is 3-0 in PIAA title games.
Liberty’s season comes to a close at 22-7, and a District 11 runner-up finish in a District 11 championship loss to Parkland.
