SCOTLAND — Once, the Chambersburg baseball team was an annual contender in the PIAA Tournament.
But it has been a while.
Aiden Appleby
However, this year’s Trojan team is trying to make its own mark and it took a big step Monday afternoon by blanking Downingtown West 5-0 in a PIAA Class 6A first-round victory at Greene Township Park.
It was Chambersburg’s first win in the PIAA Tournament since it won the last of its three state titles in 2004, beating Peters Township.
“This group of guys is fun to be around,” Trojan coach Scott Folmar said. “They’re excited to be able to do what they’ve been doing.”
Chambersburg (18-7) will face District 7 champion Butler (20-3), a 2-1 winner over Mifflin County in the first round, in a quarterfinal game on Thursday, with site and time TBA.
The Trojans used a familiar formula to send the Whippets (16-8) out of the tournament — pick up an early lead and ride good pitching and defense.
The pitching part was in good hands with Ryne Mills on the mound. Mills (10-0) went 6.2 innings and gave up only 2 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5. Hayden Lyons entered with two outs in the seventh because Mills had reached his pitch count limit, and struck out the final batter.
Folmar said, “Mills had a couple of innings when he got into some three-ball counts, and they took some really good at-bats, fouling off some pitches. But he had only five pitches left to start the seventh and he got two outs on them.
“This was a typical one for us — we got him an early lead, we played good defense, we played small ball and he had a really good outing.”
Chambersburg broke loose for 4 runs in the second inning off Downingtown West’s Blaise Bonnell. Brycen Murray led off with a single and moved to second on a bunt by Bryce Deneen.
Aiden Appleby then blasted a doule to right field, scoring Murray with the game’s first run. Konner McMullen drew a walk, then one out later, Aaron Vasquez singled to right to bring home Appleby.
Vasquez stole second base, then Mills got a base hit to center to score McMullen. Vasquez then got to the plate after an errant throw by the catcher.
Folmar said, “After that four-spot in the second, we were able to play loose the rest of the way. It was the total opposite of the Muhlenberg game (10-0 loss in the District 3 final).”
The Trojans tacked on one more run in the third. Ceagan Truett led off with a single and, after two outs, Appleby reached on an error. McMullen came through with a two-out RBI base hit to left field.
In the top of the fourth, Chambersburg may have taken the wind out of the Whippets. Downingtown West had its only two hits of the game, back-to-back to lead off the inning by Danny Kershner and Luke Dovidio.
After a strikeout, Aidan Gamble drew a walk to load the bases. But Brandon Shaw hit a grounder to Vasquez at shortstop, who flipped it to Murray at second base and Murray’s throw to first was in time to earn a double play and end the threat.
“That was a huge play,” Folmar said. “Aaron flubbed it a little, but still got it to Murray. That was a big situation that helped keep Mills’ pitch count down.”
The Trojans rang up 8 hits, incouding 2 each by Appleby and Mills.