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SCOTLAND – The final out had just been recorded in Monday’s PIAA Class AAAA semifinal game against North Allegheny.
North Penn’s Mike Bradstreet – who had scattered six hits in a superb complete-game effort – tossed his glove in the air as he strode off the mound.
That was about as much celebrating as Bradstreet and his teammates did after North Penn’s 12-1 rout of a dangerous North Allegheny squad in a semifinal contest at Greene Township Park.
That’s not to say they weren’t excited. They were, and with good reason.Monday’s win propelled the Knights into the state title game for the first time in the program’s history.
“This feels fantastic,” Bradstreet said. “Now we’re going to (the state championship game), and I just can’t wait for it.”
The win was especially sweet for the senior hurler. Bradstreet was scheduled to pitch in last Thursday’s quarterfinal game against Council Rock North, but when that game was pushed off until Saturday because of rain, Eric Ruth was given the starting nod.
That left Bradstreet to take on the District Seven champions on Monday.
“I know Mike was very disappointed he didn’t get to pitch the last game,” Knight coach Bob McCreary said. “Some guys would have pouted and moped around. He got himself ready for this game, and he came out and did a great job.”
While Bradstreet was doing the job on the mound, the Knights’ offense was unstoppable, pounding out 13 hits off a quartet of Tiger hurlers and scoring early and often.
Scott Christy, who had a pair of hits, drove in four runs to lead the Knights while teammate Justin Davey drove in three. Jake Dunn continued to produce from the bottom of the order, collecting a team-high three hits from eight hole. Christian Radick and Matt Albaugh both had a pair of hits.
“I knew we were going to come out and swing the bats well,” Albaugh said. “Everyone was excited to play, but I didn’t imagine scoring 12 runs.”
The Knights put a run on the board in the top of the first when Robbie Zinsmeister, who had walked, scored on Christy’s RBI single to right.
“Getting on the scoreboard first was huge, especially against a team we don’t know much about,” said Zinsmeister, who scored four runs. “I thought it would be a lot closer game, but we put the ball in play and executed better than they did today.”In the bottom of the inning, the Tigers – thanks to the Knights’ lone error of the game and a walk – put a pair of runners on board with one out. Bradstreet fanned the Tigers’ four and five batters to slam the door on that potential rally.
“He (Bradstreet) has done a great job all year,” said Albaugh, who called the signals behind the plate. “He has a good slider, and he keeps the ball down, and that always helps.
“Today was a big game, and he stepped up.”
Dunn collected a one-out single in the second, and one out later, Zinsmeister lined a single to right. Both runners scored when Davey ripped a triple into the right center field gap to put the Knights on top 3-0.
“We came out and tried to play our game,” said Davey, whose sacrifice bunt in the first put Zinsmeister in scoring position for Christy. “We have been doing that kind of stuff all year, and especially when you get up early against a very good team like they were – that’s everything.
“That sets the tone for the rest of the game. It tells our guys we’re here, and we mean business, and it tells the other team they better watch out.”
Albaugh opened the third with a single to right, and Tiger ace Ryan Oglesby, who brought a gaudy 9-0 record into the game, was done for the day. Tanner Wilt took the mound and immediately walked Radick and Craig Lepre.
Jimmy Smith made it hurt when he hit a sharp grounder over third for a single that plated a pair of runs. Dunn singled off the pitcher for the second time in as many trips to the plate, and when Mark Grassie lofted a sacrifice fly to right that plated Lepre, the Knights led 6-0.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard with a single run in the third when Jon Wilson, who singled, scored on a double play.
The Knights all but sealed the Tigers’ fate in the fifth when they capitalized on a pair of errors, a Dunn single and sacrifice flies by both Davey and Christy to score four unearned runs and go on top 10-1.
It was not the kind of score anyone on either side could have predicted.
“Before the game, we were (saying) we were going to play small ball and it was going to be a tight game,” Davey said. “But after the first couple of innings, we knew we had the potential to really explode and go on a tear and really separate us (from them) in the game.”
Christy put the finishing touches on a big day when he lofted a two-run home run to right in the seventh inning for the 12-1 final.
“We could have done this all year,” Christy said. “We’re finally clicking on all cylinders at the same time, and it showed today.
“He (Bradstreet) threw strikes, and we got him runs. When he pitches with confidence, he’s a real good pitcher. At the beginning of the year, we didn’t get him runs. Today we got him runs, and he proved what he could do.”
Although his team’s season was on the line in Monday’s high stakes game, Bradstreet insists he wasn’t nervous.
“It’s just another game,” he said. “That’s the way you have to think about it, or you get too stressed out and try and overcompensate for it.
“We know that we’re a good team, and we’ll hit the ball and make great defensive plays. Right now we’re just on fire. We know we just have to play our game and hopefully come out on top.”
The Knights will face Parkland in Friday’s state title game at Altoona.
NORTH PENN 12, NORTH ALLEGHENY 1
North Penn: Robbie Zinsmeister ss 4 4 1 0; Justin Davey cf 3 0 1 3; Scott Christy 4 1 2 4; Matt Albaugh 3 0 2 0; Brandon Martinez cf 0 1 0 0; Christian Radick lf 3 1 2 0; Craig Lepre dh 3 1 0 0; Jimmy Smith 3b 3 1 1 2; Jake Dunn lf 4 2 3 0; Mark Grassie 2b 2 1 1 1. TOTALS 29 12 13 10.
North Allegheny: Jeff Dassner 2b 3 0 0 0; Jon Wilson cf 4 1 2 0; Sean Oglesby dh 2 0 1 0; Justin Brozick 3b 3 0 0 0; Jackson Boyd lf 3 0 0 0; Brad Comport 1b 2 0 0 0; Dan Wentz rf 2 0 1 0; Nick Butterini ss 2 0 0 0; Devlin ph 1 0 0 0; Matt Ludwig c 3 0 2 0; Ryan Oglesby p 0 0 0 0; Tanner Wilt p 0 0 0 0; Max Benner p 0 0 0 0; Max Mellott p 0 0 0 0. TOTALS 25 1 6 0.
North Penn 123 040 2-12
North Allegheny 001 000 0-1
E-NA 2, NP 1. DP-NP 2. LOB-NP 11, NA 7. 2B-Matt Albaugh. 3B-Justin Davey, Jon Wilson. HR-Scott Christy. SB-Dunn, Wilson. S-Davey, Christy, Grassie. SAC-Davey, Grassie.
IP H R ER BB SO
North Penn
Bradstreet (W) 76 1 1 4 4
North Allegheny
R.Oglesby (L) 2 5 4 4 1 1
Wilt 2 3 4 2 4 0
Benner 2 2/3 4 4 2 0 1
Mellott 1/3 1 0 0 0 0
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