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Creekside Fitness cruises to Class B semifinals
STRUTHERS — Harsany’s complete game, Klase’s three hits too much for DuraEdge
By charles grove
A hot lineup and quality pitching propelled Creekside Fitness into the Class B semifinals with a 10-4 win over DuraEdge on Friday night at Cene Park.
Dan Klase led Creekside on offense going 3 for 4, including a triple, knocking in two runs and scoring twice himself. In total, seven Creekside hitters picked up base hits in a 12-hit barrage.
Pitcher Jacob Harsany went the distance, allowing three earned runs while striking out seven DuraEdge hitters compared to one walk.
“Jake threw a heck of a game,” Creekside manager Bob Boughner said. “He had command of his pitches and he was hitting his spots. He’s only 16 and for him to have that composure in a playoff game was just awesome for us.”
Both teams scored once in the first inning on groundouts before Creekside opened up the game in the second, scoring three runs. Jacob Wick singled to right field to score Ryan Cedzo and Noah Suarez singled to center a batter later to bring home Klase and pinch-runner David Toot, and it was 4-1.
Creekside wasn’t done as it added five more in the third, all with two outs. Klase tripled home Cedzo and Dom Pechia doubled to make the score 6-1.
DuraEdge starter Mike Yasenka walked the next two hitters to load the bases before manager Terry Dobson went to the bullpen. Once the inning was over, Yasenka had given up nine runs, six of them earned, and Creekside was sitting comfortably at 9-1.
“We’ve hit the ball well all year,” Boughner said. “League-wise, I don’t know where we’re at but we’re right there at the top when it comes to hitting. Hitting has always kept us in games and it kept us in this one.”
DuraEdge added two in the fifth to provide a slight sliver of hope. Adam Walker drove in Andy Sodergren on an infield hit and two batters later, Ryan Cheslik came home from third on a double steal to close the deficit to 9-3.
Trailing 10-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Sodergren scored on a passed ball, but Harsany got Eric Ostrowski and Kyle Shingledecker to pop out to seal Creekside’s spot in the semifinals.
Creekside was aided by three DuraEdge errors, all in the first half of the game when the lead began to swell.
“We had lots of errors early,” Dobson said. “That’s been our M.O. recently. And with those errors then the pitch count goes up and then you toss in the heat and a long season, it just takes its toll.”
Dobson expected his team to produce more on offense. DuraEdge finished with seven hits and left five runners on base, but failed to string much of anything together.
“We just couldn’t put the bat on the ball,” Dobson said. “Last night was the same way, but we left 12 runners on last night. There’s lots of talent on this team but no ‘umph.’”
The win not only advanced Creekside to the semifinals, where it will play Baird Brothers today at 5 and 7:30 p.m., but it helped Creekside avoid a deciding game that would’ve been played right after had DuraEdge won.
“We only had one catcher so we needed this one game today because we didn’t have a second catcher with us today,” Boughner said. “We saved some arms and avoided having to play a second game.”