Article in the Journal by Rick Kozlowski. Photo of Andy Roberts sliding into home.
https://www.journal-news.net/journal-news/take-it-on-the-run-jefferson-gold-wins-battle-at/article_ab2bc6c7-161c-51e8-83d2-473b9757644e.html
MARTINSBURG — If members of the Jefferson Gold team ever opt to give up baseball, they have a future in track.
Jefferson players ran and ran and ran Wednesday night in a 13-3 championship game win over South Berkeley in the Battle at the Burg at Oatesdale Park.
It started in the first inning and never ended until Colt Stephenson came home on a passed ball in the fifth inning to end the game via the mercy rule.
The running show began in the bottom of the first inning when Brayden Brown, Tio Garza and Andy Roberts all raced home on Brady Mathias’ single to right field.
Then Jefferson scored three times in the third inning as two players scored on a wild pitch combined with a throwing error and put a runner who was on first at third base, where he soon scored on a passed ball, giving Gold a 7-1 lead.
Jefferson added four more runs in the fourth inning, one coming on Brown’s third hit, a single to right field, and the last of four coming as Garza stole home on the return throw to the pitcher.
In winning, Jefferson actually had to come from behind.
South Berkeley took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as it tried some fancy baserunning of its own.
Mugsy Seng looped a single over second base and moved up on a pair of wild pitches to set the stage. When Brody Cochran walked, he rounded first base and kept running but was throwng out at second base. Seng slid in with the first run, just beating the throw back to home plate.
In the bottom of the inning, Brown, who went 3 for 3, laced a double up the middle to start the inning. After walks to Garza and Roberts, Mathias singled, and all three runners on base scored.
Brown also started the rally in the third inning with a single. He scored Jefferson’s fourth run. Then, with two outs, Mathias and Cole Cecero walked. Owen Utterback was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mathias scored on a wild pitch and, and Cecero crossed as a throw back to the plate got away. Utterback went to third and scored on a wild pitch, making it 7-1.
South Berkeley narrowed its deficit to 7-3 with a two-run fourth.
Seng walked to begin the inning and scored on Mason Sions’ triple down the right-field line. Sions scored on Brody Cochran’s groundout to the pitcher. Colton Whitmer and Marshall Burch each singled, but they were left stranded.
Jefferson scored four times during its half of the fourth.
Colt Dunkin and Jake Lowery each walked to start the inning. Then, after two were out, Brown singled home a run. Graza’s looping single to right field plated two runs. Then he eventually stole home, giving Gold an 11-3 lead.
Jefferson Gold ended the game in the fifth.
Cecero reached on an error to open the inning. Two passed balls put him at third base, where he scored on Stephenson’s infield single. Stephenson ended the game by scoring after a pair of wild pitches and a passed ball.
Cecero, Jefferson’s starting pitcher, struck out seven in 2 2/3 innings. Mathias pitched the final 2 1/3 innings and fanned five.
South Berkeley managed four hits and Jefferson Gold six.