Wilcox opens Region 8 tourney with win
Post 467 catcher Ethan Wells homered, doubled, and drove in four runs in his team's 11-3 Region 8 opening victory over Millcreek (Post 773) on Friday. Wilcox used four pitchers in the victory at Northwestern High School in Albion.
Today's 4:35 p.m. pool-play opponent is French Creek Valley (FCV), who was surprised 2-0 by Brockway Post 95 on Friday. FCV defeated Post 467 1-0 in nine innings to win the 2021 tourney. Wilcox and Brockway finish pool play on Sunday at 4:35 p.m.
Aiden Zimmerman threw 30 pitches over the first two innings. He struck out five and gave up one hit. Camron Marciniak, who earned the win, pitched the third through the fifth. Ben Paul threw 30 pitches in 1.1 innings, and Cameron Larkin was on the hill for a game-ending double play. (See pitch count rules).
Post 467 was the visiting team and scored five in the first inning. Domenic Allegretto singled, and Marciniak was hit by a pitch with one out. Both moved 90 feet on a passed ball before Kaden Dennis brought Allegretto home with a sacrifice fly. Marciniak advanced to third on the play and scored on the double by Wells, which followed a walk to Luke Zimmerman, who also came home on the twobagger. Jefferson Freeburg's single brought Wells home, and Dalton Stahli knocked him in with a base hit, making it 5-0.
"That first inning set the tempo for the rest of the game," said Casey Zimmerman, who is filling in as manager for Scott Zimmerman, who is away.
"Pitching is what the whole game revolves around," added Zimmerman. "We had a meeting [Thursday] for about an hour and a half to go over all the scenarios, and it just so happened the best-case scenario happened today."
Millcreek got back in the game with a pair of runs in the third off Marciniak. With one out, Jack Chylinski walked, and Spencer Deitz singled. A base hit by Curtis King scored Chylinski. Deitz scored an out later on a single by Ian Chylinski.
After the challenging first, Post 773 starter Jake Mummert settled down and limited Wilcox to two hits in the second through fourth innings. The fifth, however, was a different story.
Aiden Zimmerman started the three-run at-bat with a double. He went to third on a ground out by Marciniak, then scored on a base hit by Dennis. Luke Zimmerman popped out for the second out, but Wells didn't let Mummert off the hook with his tworun shot over the leftfield fence.
The homer was the first for Wells, who hit six during his senior season for Johnsonburg. He finished with four RBI.
"I couldn't be happier for Ethan. He's a huge part of this team. We all know hitters go through slumps. I couldn't have had a bigger smile on my face. When he came around second base, I said – He's back."
Wells entered the game with two hits in his last 12 at-bats.
Deitz reached on an error to open the bottom of the fifth. Marciniak got King to ground into a 4-6-3 double play and finished his day with a strikeout of Josh Samluk.
Caden Smiley singled with one out in the sixth and was brought home by Aiden Zimmerman, making it 9-2.
Paul set Millcreek down in order in the bottom of the inning.
Luke Zimmerman doubled with one out in the seventh before
Wells walked off reliever Micah Riley. Both runners stole bases before Paul brought Zimmerman home with a groundout. Wells, who went to third on the play, made it 11-2 when he scored on a passed ball.
Paul was lifted when he hit the 30-pitch mark in the seventh with a runner on and one out. Larkin was greeted by a run-scoring double by Deitz, but after King walked, the game ended on Post 467's second double play.
All starters for the Elk-Mckean League champs, hit safely, and no one struck out. Collin Porter, who has not given up an earned run this season, and only three hits, was the only player not to see action. He'll enter today's game with 30 strikeouts.
Zimmerman, being assisted by Mike Porter and Anthony Allegretto, noted the importance of Friday's win.
"This was a must today. We knew going in we had to win this game and were willing to make changes to ensure the victory, but as I said, it all worked out perfectly today. So, we're very happy and looking forward to the rest of the tournament." Brockway 2, French
Creek Valley 0 The Elk-McKean league third-place finisher scored their runs in the top of the second. Ezra Swanson (five innings) and Kaden Brezenski limited last year's champs to six hits.
Swanson set the stage in the first after FCV started the atbat with two singles. The Brockway hurler recorded a strikeout, followed by a double play to end the threat. French Creek did not have a runner past second the rest of the way. Today's matchup
A win today would put 12-1 Wilcox in Monday's semifinals. The winner of Pool A will play the secondplace finisher of Pool B (Smethport, Titusville, Wesleyville, West Erie County), and the order flips in the other contest.
It's a must-win for 12-3 French Creek Valley, who started Walker Cunningham in the loss. He led the team with 10 appearances and won't be available until Monday (see pitch count rule). Dawson Thomas is available after 28 pitches in the loss. He leads the team with a 1.296 ERA over 27 innings.
Last year French Creek and Wilcox were in different pools and didn't see each other until the title game.
Zimmerman discussed strategy after the Post 467 win and before the French Creek loss.
"We don't want to show them anything, and they don't want to show us anything. So, we'll probably battle each other with three or four pitchers and see what we can do offensively."
The loss to Brockway makes last year's champs desperate which could change the approach of both teams.
Post 95 is 9-5 heading into today's 10:35 a.m. game with 6-7 Millcreek. If they win, Sunday's game will decide the pool's winner. Special Thanks Zimmerman credits the Wilcox American Legion and Sportsmen's Clubs for making life easier for his team.
"We are extremely grateful for their donations that allowed us to get up here [Thursday] so these boys could get a good night's rest and be ready to play. It made a huge difference."
Notes: Smethport, the Elk-McKean runner-up, fell to Wesleyville 10-0. The final game's result, Titusville vs. West Erie County (host), was unavailable. The winner of the tournament advances to the state championships in Boyertown which starts on Jul. 23.
H-AB-RBI-R Wilcox: Allegretto 1-4-0-1, A. Zimmerman 2-4-1-1, Marciniak 1-30-1, Dennis 1-3-2-1, L. Zimmerman 1-3-0-2, Wells 2-3-4-3, Freeburg 1-3-1-1, Paul 0-1-0-0, Larkin 0-0-0-0, Stahli 2-3-1-0, Smiley 1-4-0-1, Totals 12-31-10-12.
Millcreek: Deitz 2-41-1, King 1-3-1-0, Samluk 0-4-0-0, I. Chylinski 1-3-1-0, Rougeux 0-3-0-0, Schmidt 1-3-0-0, DeHaas 0-3-0-0, J. Chylinski 0-10-1, Totals 7-27-3-3.
2B – Millcreek – Deitz, Wilcox – Wells, A. Zimmerman, L. Zimmerman; HR – Wilcox - Wells; BB – Millcreek – J. Chylinski 2, King, Wilcox – L. Zimmerman, Wells, Stahli; SF – Wilcox – Dennis; HBP – Wilcox – Marcinak; SB – Wilcox – L. Zimmerman 2, Allegretto, Dennis, Stahli, Wells, A. Zimmerman.
IP-H-R-ER-SO-BBHB-(pitches)
Wilcox: A. Zimmerman 2-1-0-0-5-0-0 (30), Marciniak 3-4-2-2-2-1-0 (58), Paul 1.1-1-1-1-2-10 (30), Larkin .2-1-0-00-1-0 (13), Total 7-7-33-9-3-0 (131).
Millcreek: Mummert (L) 5-9-8-7-0-1-1, Riley 2-3-3-2-0-2-0, Totals 7-12-11-9-0-3-1.