Bulldogs headed back to District 3 championship after topping Blue Streaks
(Updated with location of championship game.)
The Wilson Bulldogs have seemingly been playing from behind all season. They started slowly, were in jeopardy of not making the postseason, then came on late.
That was the case Thursday as they scored three late runs to beat Mannheim Township 4-2 in a District 3 Class 6A semifinal at Wilson West.
The seventh-seeded Bulldogs (19-7) advance to the championship game Tuesday against fifth-seeded Cedar Cliff, a 4-2 winner over Red Lion in the other semifinal. The game will be played at FirstEnergy Stadium at 7.
Wilson will have its ace, All-Berks left-hander Matt Ostenbridge, available for the championship game. He’ll be pitching with seven day’s rest.
The win over Township also clinched a PIAA Tournament berth for Wilson; the top three finishers advance to states.
Wilson trailed 2-1 Thursday entering the fifth.
“We got down a little bit,” said Wilson senior Evan Gabaldon “We pride ourselves in our energy and we talked about how crucial it is we come back and bring the energy.”
Sophomore Christo Hunsicker energized the comeback with an RBI double, scoring his brother Tommy, to tie it 2-2.
After Ryan Sekulski walked, Nick Fiorini hit a sacrifice fly to score Gabaldon, who reached on single.
The Bulldogs extended the lead in the sixth as Jordan Shutter singled and Ben Kulp was hit by a pitch. The baserunners moved up on a passed ball. Charlie Frantz, running for Shutter, scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Jack Gabel for a 4-2 lead.
Kulp, a freshman, made the lead stand up with two scoreless innings to pick up a save. Senior Nick Crocona earned the win, going five innings. He allowed five hits and two runs, one earned.
The Bulldogs will play in the district championship game for the third time in five years. They brought home district titles in 2019 and 2021.
“It’s pretty big,” Bulldogs coach Bill Underwood said. “District championships aren’t easy. To be able to play in a district championship again, especially (after) not getting a first-round bye, is a testament to our team’s fortitude and perseverance and being able to string wins together.”
Crocona was touched for runs in the second and third but settled in after that and finished with three scoreless innings.
“We’re having guys step up throughout the season, especially with Nick throwing on the mound for us again today,” Underwood said. “He’s kind of moved into our second guy, throwing strikes, letting our defense play and getting some bonus outs with pickoff plays.”
The Bulldogs picked up three outs on the basepaths, with two pickoffs and a caught stealing.
“You’re expecting the ground ball outs and the pop-ups,” Underwood said, “but when you can pick a guy off first base and cut down that potential run it’s a huge momentum and it gets guys excited and encouraged.”
Wilson opened up the game with consecutive singles from Tommy Hunsicker and Gabaldon, who finished 3-for-4. After Christo Hunsicker hit into a double play, Sekulski ripped a single that drove in Tommy Hunsicker for a 1-0 lead.
Cedar Cliff (17-6) advanced Thursday with a 4-2 win over Red Lion in the other semifinal.
| Manheim Township | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Wilson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | x | – | 4 | 8 | 2 |
| Blue Streaks | AB | R | H | RBI | Bulldogs | AB | R | H | RBI | |
| Jenkins, cf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | T. Hunsicker, 3b | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| Brader, ss | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Gabaldon, dh | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| Tomlinson, c | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | C. Hunsicker, 1B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Glass, p/3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Sekulski, rf | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Mulholland, 1b | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | Fiorini, lf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Stoltzfus, rf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fernandez, cf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Connors, lf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Shutter, c | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Boll, 2b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Crocona, p | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Eckman, 3b/p | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Kulp, p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kemp, ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Gabel, 2b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Turner, ph | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Frantz, cr | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Delvecchio, c | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ruiz, cr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 24 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 23 | 4 | 8 | 4 |
2B. C. Hunsicker. 3B: HR: SB: CS: Jenkins; Fernandez. S:Mulholland, Boll. SF: Gabel, Fiorini. LOB: Manheim Township 6, Wilson 8.
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |||
| Glass, L | 5 1/3 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | Crocona, W (6-0) | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Eckman | 2/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Kulp, S 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
HBP: Boll (by Crocona); Kulp (by Glass), Fernandez (by Glass).