Chucks baseball takes Sub-Regional Title with win over Chestnut Ridge

BEDFORD—The Punxsutawney Chucks baseball team hit big on Tuesday afternoon on the way to beat the Chestnut Ridge Lions 15-0, while becoming the Districts 5/8/9 3A Sub-Regional Champions to move to 18-2 in the season so far.

Playing at the Bedford Area High School, the Chucks pushed through two runs in the first inning to getting started early, and after senior Zach Dinger had a big double to the fence in right field in the second, Punxsy got started in the third inning.

After senior Jake Sikora struck out three straight on defense for the Chucks, freshman Nevin Day got on base with a big triple to start the third inning, and with a sac-fly, Carter Savage scored Day to make it 3-0.

With Owen Wood being pushed through from a sacbunt from Zeke Bennett, the Chucks ended the third up 4-0.

Three more strikeouts from Sikora in the third inning and two in the fourth set up another offensive push, this time a big one, in the fifth inning, which started with a home run.

Savage sent one out of center field to push it to 5-0, and after that, Bennett scored another runner on a bunt to make it 6-0.

Cooper Hallman had single to score a run and make it 7-0, while senior Peyton Hetrick had a sac fly to score a runner, putting it at 8-0.

Senior Josh Tyger also had a single for an RBI, making it 9-0, wile Day had a big triple to score two runners and make it 11-0.

Joining Savage with his own homer was Sikora, who also scored two runners with one hit out of center field to make it 14-0.

Hallman then finished it off with an RBI on a single

to make it 15-0, and with the Chucks finishing out on defense, Punxsy hit big on offensive play another day.

“We talked about approach and these guys executed from the start to the finish,” said Punxsy coach Mike Dickey. “The at-bats were fantastic, and it was an outstanding job from top to bottom.”

He added, “Sikora was fantastic today, and he has pitched a lot of big games, as he got us to the Western Finals last year. He deserved the ball today and responded in a big way.”

On the mound, Sikora worked all five innings, striking out 10, while he and Savage both had a home run.

The Chucks outhit the Lions 16-1, while Chestnut Ridge committed three errors to Punxsy’s zero.

The next round for the Chucks baseball team has yet to be announced.

Photo by Cody Powell/The Punxsutawney Spirit The Punxsy Chucks Baseball team hit big to take Sub-Regional Tittle in a game against Chestnut Ridge on Tuesday.

Photos by Cody Powell/The Punxsutawney Spirit (Left Photo) Pictured are the Punxsutawney Chucks baseball seniors with the Sub-Regional Championship Title after the game on Tuesday. (Right photo) Also pictured are (from left) Nevin Day and Carter Savage congratulating Jake Sikora (25) on his home run in the fifth inning.