ACCIDENT — Northern saw over 40 pitches in the first inning and turned them into six runs.
The top-seeded Huskies (14-6) cruised from there, defeating No. 4 Southern, 10-0 in six innings on Saturday in the West Region I Semifinal.
“Our guys were patient at the plate and did a really good job,” Northern manager Phil Carr said. “We put a couple balls in play that we were able to get runs in with guys on base.”
Northern scored five of its six runs in the bottom of the first with two outs.
“We just didn’t come out of the gate,” Southern skipper Hayden McLaughlin said. “Didn’t come out of gate strong, put ourselves behind the eight-ball and had to try to chip away against a really good team. Just weren’t able to get the big at-bats and get those big outs when we needed them.”
After Jake Chambers opened the scoring on a sacrifice fly, Elliott Myers-Shirer made it 2-0 on a fielder’s choice.
With two outs, a wild pitch and singles from Blake Spiker and Landon Yoder put the Huskies ahead 6-0 after one.
Spiker’s base hit drove in a pair of runs on a ground ball past first base.
“That’s been Blake all year,” Carr said. “He comes up with the big hit for us. He usually gets one a game, sometimes two. But that one’s usually a big hit for us.”
Cole Parks took over after 2/3 of an inning and tossed five frames, allowing four runs on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts for the Rams (9-11).
Chambers added a run in the fourth on a groundout.
“Just not being able to minimize and end things, not close things down,” McLaughlin said of failing to limit the damage. “Whether that’s catching a ground ball, catch a fly ball, throw a strike, get a strikeout when we need it. Just didn’t have it today.”
Northern ended the game with three runs in the sixth.
Hunter Livengood hit a ground rule two-run double that one-hopped over the left field fence.
Myers-Shirer walked it off on a sacrifice fly to right.
Chambers, Livengood, Myers-Shirer and Spiker each drove in two runs.
Yoder tossed six shutout frames, striking out five against two hits and a walk.
“Landon had a super bounce back game from the East Hardy game,” Carr said. “He just couldn’t locate, he wasn’t walking people but we’d call fastball in and he’d leave it down the middle. Fastball out, down the middle. His curveball was hanging.
“They’re a good hitting team, but I was counting on Landon to have a big bounce back game. That’s the kind of guy he is and has been for three years.”
Parks and Preston Winters recorded Southern’s two hits.
“Just getting behind in counts,” McLaughlin said of the lack of offense. “This is the third time we’ve seen Landon Yoder this year. We know he’s got a good breaking ball, so we’ve gotta hit the fastball early in the count.
“When we did, we put some good swings on balls. Hit some balls hard in play, but seemed we got those with one out, two outs when we just needed something bigger.”
Winters, Ryan Bird, John Nesslerodt, Lucas Lambert, Jaxon Glotfelty, Brady Spotts and Reece Tasker’s high school careers ended for the Rams.
“The seven seniors I had, I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys, truthfully.” McLaughlin said. “Hard working, put their heads down. Nose to the grindstone. Day in and day out willing to do whatever was asked of them on any given day.”
The Huskies advance to the West Region I Final on Tuesday and will host No. 3 Fort Hill.
The Sentinels (11-9-1) stunned defending Class 1A state champion Allegany (11-7), 7-5 on Saturday in the other semifinal.
Northern replaced nine seniors, including seven starters from last season, but are a win away from its third state tournament appearance in six years.
“Our offense has been way better than I thought this year,” Carr said. “We’re a little light in pitching depth, but our pitchers have stepped up when needed. We’re hoping they can continue to do that.”