Fleetwood earns first PIAA baseball berth in 14 years

Fleetwood continued to get superb pitching Friday as Jake Karnish and Ryan Moser combined on six-hitter in a 1-0 win over Susquehanna Township that clinched a berth in the PIAA Class 4A Tournament.

Fleetwood (10-13), the No. 5 finisher out of District 3, returns to the state tournament for the first time since 2008.

The ninth-seeded Tigers recorded their second shutout of the district tournament; in four district games, they allowed five runs.

Fleetwood will open state play Monday at 1 at Lincoln High School against District 1 champ Monsignor Bonner.

Third-seeded Susquehanna Township (13-8) is eliminated after back-to-back losses in district play. Only the top five Class 5A teams from District 3 advance.

Fleetwood snapped a scoreless tie in the sixth inning when Karnish scored on an error.

Karnish, who picked up his third win, pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and striking out eight before reaching the PIAA pitch count limit. He lowered his ERA to 2.26.

Moser got out of a tight scrape in the seventh to lock down the save. Titus Shay hit a one-out double and Brayden Hertz followed with an infield single that sent Shay to third. Moser got the next two batters to pop out, lowering his ERA to 1.29 in the process.

Fleetwood’s staff ERA is now 2.26 after its fourth shutout. The Tigers have held eight opponents to one run or less and 11 to two runs or less.

The Tigers managed just four hits, all singles, off Susquehanna Township starter Anden Howell, who went the distance. Howell struck out six and walked two.

Zach Dillbeck had two of the hits and also walked.

The Tigers opened district play with a 3-1 win over Octorara and a 2-0 win at top-seeded West Perry. They fell to fifth-seeded Littlestown 4-0 on Tuesday, sending them into a do-or-die state qualifier against Susquehanna Township.

The Tigers were 3-8 at midseason after six straight losses, falling to Berks I champ Gov. Mifflin, Berks II and Berks League champ Muhlenberg, and Berks League runner-up Oley Valley during that stretch.

They have gone 7-5 since, and have won four of their last five.

In 2008, the Tigers opened state play with a 1-0 win over District 1 champ Sun Valley at West Chester University. They were eliminated in the state quarterfinals by District 11 champ Blue Mountain, 9-3 in 10 innings.