Upper Dublin made history, earning the program’s first ever trip to the PIAA 5A title game as a result of the Cardinals’ 1-0 win over District 3’s third place team, Elizabethtown. (Photos courtesy of Upper Dublin baseball)
PIAA Class 6A state semifinal
#1-2 UPPER DUBLIN 1, #3-3 ELIZABETHTOWN 0 (8 innings)
Austin Dahl saved his best for last.
In the final start of a brilliant high school career, UD’s senior ace allowed just one hit in 6.2 shutout innings - a one-out single in the second - before he reached the maximum pitch count, setting the stage for a historic win that vaulted the Cardinals into the PIAA 5A state title game.
Luke Caron recorded the game’s final four outs to earn the win, and for Dahl, putting his emotions into words after the win was no easy task.
“Oh my God – excitement, everything spread over me,” he said. “To see all my teammates celebrating together, it was the best. It was so fun.
“I couldn’t ask for anything more. My last season, my senior season with all the boys – we’ve gotten as far as possible, and I’m just happy to be here at this point.”
Caron – a freshman - made sure Dahl and his teammates would be celebrating, standing tall in a situation that would have unnerved most rookies.
“That kid has confidence the size of this planet,” said sophomore Gavin Litten, whose double led to the game’s only run in the top of the eighth. “He is a fearless human being. He will come in in any situation and deliver anything you need, and he did. Knowing him, I wasn’t worried at all.”
The UD freshman retired the only batter he faced in the seventh, inducing a fly ball to left field for the inning’s final out.
“There weren’t really any nerves,” Caron said. “I feel like my field behind me and my catcher – David (Morris) - give me the confidence to go out there and pitch as well as I can.
“Obviously, there are going to be some butterflies, but they’re all just excitement because it's such cool thing to do, especially in this state playoff run. Playing for a state championship is awesome.”
Although he looks anything but the part of a rookie, this is all new territory for Caron.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” he said. “To be honest, I didn’t really know my role going into the season. To go on this run, especially after losing to Radnor (in the district title game) and get that back and play our best baseball right now and be competing every inning and just being able to throw Austin (Dahl) out there - he’s always going to give you your best baseball. It’s exciting, especially for the program. First time in school history we’re going to the state championship.”
And how did Caron prepare for his relief stint?
“I went to get loose in the top of the seventh,” he said. “Coach was like – ‘You need to be ready by next inning,’ so I had to get loose quick.
“Once he made that call, the adrenaline was definitely there. I tried to do what I’ve been doing all season. Just playing my game – I feel like that’s where it’s gotten me to this point, so I didn’t try to change much.
“I think that not trying to do too much because especially in that moment – some people would try to overthrow. I tried to stay calm and just breathe.”
In the top of the eighth, Litten lined a one-out double to left field and was replaced by pinch runner Wesley Gill, who advanced to third on a passed ball.
“It was my third time facing that kid,” Litten said of his clutch at-bat. “I knew what he had been throwing to other guys, so I had a good number on him.
“I stepped to the plate, saw a couple of pitches, worked the count and got my pitch and was ready for it.”
That brought Caron to the plate in a pressure-packed moment with the potential winning run on third base and one out. He delivered, lining a single to right field to plate a run that stood as the game-winner.
“Gavin was able to take a 3-2 curveball and threw it into left center,” Caron said. “That was actually my first varsity at-bat ever.
“I’ve always got DH’ed for when I’m starting (on the mound). I felt confident. We’ve been working off high (velocity) on the machine to face these high level guys, so I felt good in my abilities. Right after the passed ball that got Wes to third, I was able to put a good swing on one. That was really exciting. I really had to calm down after that on the bench because it was a lot of emotions.”
Caron took some of that emotion out on the mound where he struck out the only three batters he faced. He needed just 17 pitches to earn the win – 13 were strikes.
“I had complete confidence in Luke and the rest of my team to bear down and win this game,” said Dahl.
As for his final high school performance, Dahl acknowledged his pitches were working.
“Today I was able to rely on my pitches really well,” he said. “My fastball was really working today, and I was able to pound the zone.
“Over the years I’ve been able to rely on my curveball, slider or whatever pitch it is. I just was able to get it done, and today it worked out. My last high school start – it was vintage me, and it was nice to leave it out there on the field.”
Thanks in no small part to Dahl’s performances this season, the Cardinals will be playing for a state title on Thursday.
“It’s everything to me – it’s awesome,” Dahl said. “I’ve wanted to get this far ever since freshman year. We’ve been to states every single year, and to finally be able to get there senior year, it’s the best thing in the world.”
By the numbers: Upper Dublin: Austin Dahl (6.2 IP, 1H, 0R, 3BB, 11K), Luke Caron (W) (1.1 IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K)
Gavin Litten (2B)
Key inning: Top of eighth: With one out, Gavin Litten lined a double to left field and was replaced by pinch runner Wes Gill, who advanced to third on a passed ball. Gill scored when Caron lined a 2-1 pitch to right field for an RBI single that stood as the game-winner.
Upper Dublin coach Ed Wall: “Talk about the ultimate pitcher’s duel – a total of five hits, and Austin was Austin again for us. It was just fantastic. Giving up one hit – it was a good hit, but besides that, he was just dealing. It was a lot of fun to watch. He had some really good help behind him.
“Oliver Gill made a high level play in the hole, diving backhand, got up and threw the kid out. It was insane. That was fantastic. Other than that, Austin just took care of business and made it easy on the defense.
“I continue to remind our guys – we’re here playing the best of the best, and it’s going to be like this. It’s going to be tough. You just have to keep playing baseball, and we found a way with Gavin Litten with a double late and then Luke Caron coming in in his first varsity at-bat and gets the biggest knock and drives in the game-winner – a line drive. He came in in relief of Austin, and he just shut the door – three Ks in 1 1/3 innings. You can’t ask for much more than that.”
Chemistry a key: A whole lot of factors go into successful postseason runs, but it's impossible to overstate the importance of chemistry.
Just ask Austin Dahl the key to this year’s success.
“I would say it’s our chemistry after all the years of playing with each other since we were little up to now,” Dahl said. “We all know each other so well. We know each other’s strengths and being together playing as a team – I think we’re really good together.”
Litten credited the seniors for bringing the team together.
“I think it was the leadership of the seniors, who really have taken us under their (wings) right away this year and making us feel part of the family,” the sophomore designated hitter said. “It was really big for us just seeing that and helping us develop more confidence to play our game.”
Setting goals…and reaching them: A trip to the state title game was and has been a goal for the Flying Cardinals.
“We talk about it every year,” UD coach Ed Wall said. “Our goals are three-fold – conference, district and states. It’s all about getting to Medlar Field (at Penn State).
“I talk about it at our parent-player meeting. I talk about it at camps with our kids. I talk about it with our players, and these guys saw the fruits of the labor of the guys who came before them – the 21, the 22, the 23, the 24 teams.
“They saw what it took, and they learned. They’re really good students of the game and took everything to heart and followed the lead of the upperclassmen that came before them and learned from them. They put in all the hard work, and it’s starting to pay off.”
Wall and the team’s seniors capped their memorable day with UD’s graduation Monday evening.
“Just thinking about – what an amazing day for them,” Wall said. “Everybody is going back to school for graduation and walking in with a win like this – it’s school history, it’s the distance we’ve gotten and total number of wins a team got in a year (19) . It’s a really cool moment, that’s for sure.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (19-7, 11-4 SOL) will face District 7 champion Shaler in Thursday’s PIAA 5A title game at Penn State University (4:30 pm). Shaler defeated District 3 champion Lampeter-Strasburg 2-0 in semifinal action.
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