Link, Anderson are key for Pennsylvania
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Chase Link produced another highlight in a summer-filled with them when hit crushed a long first-inning home run Tuesday against Indiana. It was the third straight game in which Link homered, changed the game’s complexion and helped his team win.
Aspen Anderson has not hit any balls out of the park in those three wins, but he has been every bit as important as Link. Obviously, reaching the U.S. Final Four is a team sport and all 11 players have made their mark at the Series, but Link and Anderson have especially stood out and did so again Tuesday.
Link took the Series lead with his third home run, Anderson went 2 for 2 with a walk and RBI and Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania blanked Indiana, 10-0 in four innings.
They play different roles but both players have embraced them and enjoyed excellent tournaments.
"Ever since the first game I’ve just been trying to focus as much as I can and get some rest," Link said. "Now that I’m used to the atmosphere, I’m able to play to the best of my ability."
"Aspen thrives on the competition. Anything he’s asked to do he wants to do it," Hollidaysburg manager Jim McGough said. "He’s a true competitor. Whatever is needed in that moment, whether it’s making a great catch in the center field or coming in to throw lots of strikes or flip the lineup, (he does) and it’s awesome."
That is a good way to display Link’s power surge.
Entering Wednesday’s game against Texas, Link had homered in three straight games and driven in seven runs, leading the Series in both categories. Even when not homering, Link produced crucial hits, smashing a two-run single in a 7-1 win against New York.
Link has been the team’s top home run hitter all season but it’s not just that he has hit them in South Williamsport, but when. His third-inning home run against Massachusetts tied the game 1-1 and helped Hollidaysburg score seven runs over its final three at-bats. He then walloped a three-run, second-inning home run against New York, giving his team a 3-1 lead in never relinquished.
"That home run was a heartbreaker," New York manager Roland Clark said. "He’s one of the players to watch through the Series."
Link showed how right Clark was in his next game ... in his next at-bat, as a matter of fact. Indiana wanted to be extra careful against Link, but he drove the second pitch he saw into the bushes way beyond left-center field for a tone-setting home run. Hollidaysburg rolled from there, scoring multiple runs in every inning.
Hollidaysburg is loaded with dangerous hitters, but Indiana was not rolling the dice against Link again. He was intentionally walked in his next at-bat and pitched around for another walk in his final appearance.
"He’s a stud. I was just telling him I hated to walk him and not throw to him, but he’s just a stud and I knew if we gave him one, he was going to take it for a ride and that’s exactly what happened," Indiana manager Patrick Vinson said. "That was the approach not to give him anything good, but we messed up and we gave him one good one and we paid for it."
Anderson has not hit any Series home runs but he sure has made opponents pay, too.
Entering Wednesday’s game, Anderson was leading Hollidaysburg with a .625 average and .700 on-base percentage. He also hit safely in each of the first four games, driving in two runs and scoring four times.
Anderson hits ninth in the lineup, providing his team an ideal hitter at that spot. He does a superb job turning the lineup over and that was vital against Indiana. Anderson scored twice, added an RBI and made a great catch in center field.
It was just the kind of performance Hollidaysburg has come to expect from its relentless competitor.
"You see him smiling out there and it’s awesome," McGough said. "He thrives on that competition and when you have that mentality, you’re going to do great things."
That makes Anderson a great fit for being a relief pitcher. Time after time, Anderson enters games inheriting jams and time after time he puts out the fires. He did so in regionals against Delaware and his clutch pitching helped Hollidaysburg stay alive in elimination victories against Massachusetts and New York.
Massachusetts had the go-ahead runs on base with one out in the fifth inning in a game Hollidaysburg led by one. Massachusetts had momentum but Hollidaysburg had Anderson and it was advantage, Hollidaysburg. Anderson retired the next two batters and Hollidaysburg pulled away for the win.
Following Link’s go-ahead home run against New York, the Metro champions loaded the bases and threatened to regain the lead. McGough called on Anderson and he again owned the moment, striking out the next batter on four pitches. He went on to retire the final seven batters he faced and earned the win.
"Heck yeah (I want the ball)," Anderson said. "I was ready to strike some people out."
He’s the type of kid that you bring him into a difficult situation he is ready. He’s ready for the ball. He has shown that time and time again," McGough said. "He was electric."
The voltage has run high all summer for Hollidaysburg. Link and Anderson are two big energy suppliers.