The Blue Devils have just one more step to climb. Bellwood-Antis has used up a few of a cat’s lives in emerging unscathed through first the District playoffs and now stand on the verge of what no other Bellwood-Antis team has ever accomplished.
B-A was down 2-0 and 4-2 in their PIAA Western final contest with Chartiers-Houston on Monday, only to score five times in the final two innings for a 7-5 win that punched their ticket to the State Game.
The Blue Devils had to score twice in their final at bat to edge Conamaugh Township 5-4 in their first round PIAA ballgame.
In the District VI second round game, Mount Union took a 2-0 lead into the third inning before the Bellwood-Antis bats got going.
The Blue Devils were not huge run producers during the regular season either, winning only three of 14 wins by the 10-run mercy rule. By contrast the Blue Devils’ State Game opponent, Elk Lake won half their games (eight of 15) by nine runs or more.
Elk Lake is the District Two champ from the Scranton area in northeastern Pennsylvania. The baseball team is coached by Al Caines and has an overall record of 19-2, with both losses by one run. The Warriors went 13-2 to win the Lackawanna League North for the second straight year. This is the school’s first district title and first PIAA playoff action.
Elk Lake defeated Seton Catholic 5-2, Lackawanna Trail 5-2 and Riverside 9-6 to win districts and has downed Panther Valley 2-1, Annville-Cleona 1-0 and Muncy 4-3 to earn the right to the PIAA championship Game as the Eastern representative.
Junior second baseman John Pierson leads off for the Warriors. Pierson is batting .402 with four doubles one triple and 10 RBIs. In the second spot, Tony Rezykowski, a senior catcher, is hitting .383 with three doubles, two triples and 13 RBIs. Seth Button, a senior pitcher/first baseman leads the team with a .504 average, four homers and 25 RBIs, along with six doubles and a triple. Hitting cleanup is junior Tony Dorman, a junior third baseman, with a .415 average, four doubles and 17 RBIs. Colin Lunger, a junior first baseman/second baseman/designated hitter, is batting .370 with a team-high seven doubles and 16 RBIs. Hitting in the number six spot is junior shortstop Tom Blaisure, with a .402 average, three doubles, two triples, three homers and 21 RBIs. Senior right fielder Paul Roman hits seventh and is batting .368 with one double, one triple, one homer and 13 RBIs. Ty Emmerich, a junior left fielder is hitting .260 with four doubles, one home run and 12 RBIs. Batting ninth is Derek Guiton, a junior centerfielder who is hitting .311 with one double, one home run and four runs batted in.
On the mound for Elk Lake, Seth Button, Ben Lyne and Tom Blaisure have handled most of the pitching chores.
Button a right-hander, has pitched 64 and 1/3 innings, allowing 16 earned runs for a 2.24 ERA. Button has an 8-2 record with two saves, has struck out 97 and walked 25. Lyne, a right-hander who is the projected starter for Friday, has tossed 37 innings with a 6-0 mark. He has fanned 33 and walked 14 with an ERA of 3.16.
Tony Rezykowski and Seth Button were selections to the All-Region Team and Button was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 50th round.
Bellwood-Antis will go with the usual lineup for the State Championship Game:senior centerfielder Ricky Shannon (.341 seven doubles, one triple, 15 stolen bases, 19 RBIs, 29 runs scored); senior shortstop/pitcher Zach Stere (.413, six doubles, five homers, 20 RBIs, 25 runs); senior first baseman/pitcher Adam Plummer (.413, seven doubles, three triples, three home runs, 27 RBIs, 29 runs); junior catcher Shawn Weiand (.415, seven doubles, four homers, 19 RBIs, 27 runs); senior left fielder Derrick Miller (.313, six doubles, one triple, two home runs, 19 RBIs, 18 runs); senior first baseman/pitcher/shortstop Nate Carlson (.372, seven doubles, two homers, 10 RBIs, 18 runs); senior right fielder Ryan Myers (.268, two doubles, two triples, 12 RBIs, 15 runs); sophomore second baseman Andy Brisbin (.310, one home run, 11 RBIs, 18 runs) and sophomore third baseman Chris Alley (.419, three doubles, seven RBIs. 10 runs).
Adam Plummer is penciled in as the starter for Bellwood-Antis , which means Stere will be at second base and Carlson at first.
Plummer has led the Blue Devils charge through the playoffs in spectacular style. The senior lefty is 8-0 overall with an ERA of 1.54 and 98 strikeouts and 23 walks in 68 1/3 innings, which are numbers that would stand out anywhere.
In the District and PIAA tournaments, however, Adam has turned it up several notches to put up stats that are just short of being unbelievable. In four starts and three relief appearances, Plummer has a 5-0 record with one save. He has struck out 44 and walked seven. His ERA is 0.81 and opponents are hitting just .167 against him.
This is the Blue Devils’ second District VI title and second trip to the PIAA Championship. Both feats were accomplished by the 1989 team, which dropped a 1-0 extra-inning decision to Oley Valley at Vets Field in Altoona in nine innings.
Bellwood-Antis is coached by first-year coach Steve Conlon and assisted by Bill Edevane, Tim Weiand, and Matt Ballos.
