Hepburn Lycoming major baseball wins Section 3 title
CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hepburn Lycoming Little Leaguers run around the field in Athens holding the Section 3 banner after defeating Tri Valley, 1-0, Monday. It’s Hepburn Lycoming’s first Section 3 championship in history.
CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hepburn Lycoming’s LJ Hill throws to first for an out against Tri Valley in Athens on Monday.
CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hepburn Lycoming defeated Tri-Valley, 1-0, Monday to advance to the the state tournament.
CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hepburn Lycoming Little Leaguers run around the field in Athens holding the Section 3 banner after defeating Tri Valley, 1-0, Monday. It’s Hepburn Lycoming’s first Section 3 championship in history.
CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hepburn Lycoming’s LJ Hill throws to first for an out against Tri Valley in Athens on Monday.
CHRIS MANNING/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Hepburn Lycoming defeated Tri-Valley, 1-0, Monday to advance to the the state tournament.
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ATHENS -- Two days ago Hepburn Lycoming's Briar Persing didn't do as well as he wanted at the T-Mobile Home Run Derby Competition in Kansas City.
He more than made up for it in the majors baseball Section 3 title game on Monday, throwing a no-hitter and scoring the team's lone run in their 1-0 victory over Tri-Valley to take the title.
"He was down, he's a 12-year -old kid," said his coach Marc Hess. "So, this afternoon, when he got here, I told him, 'the last two innings you threw in the district championship game, I want a whole game like that.' And he definitely did it, that's for sure."
It is the first sectional title for Hepburn Lycoming, who won their first District 12 title in 44 years just last weekend.
"It's definitely a good feeling," said Hess.
A lone walk in the first inning kept it from being a perfect game for Persing as he struck out 11 of the 19 batters he faced. After that one-out walk Persing got outs on the next 17 at bats.
Tri-Valley's Preston Schley was equally impressive in the loss, striking out 12 while allowing just two hits, one walk, and one earned run. He also had two hit batsmen.
"It was a wonderful game for sure," said Hess.
However, one of those hits was to Persing in the bottom of the first. Persing would get to third on pass balls, then stole home on a two-out pass ball for the game's lone run.
While Hepburn Lycoming did get runners to third in the second, and third inning, Tri-Valley was able to get out of those jams as Jensen Spencer had the only other hit of the game.
But it wasn't all Persing, as Hepburn Lycoming's defense was lights out all evening.
"Normally we do have a good defense behind our pitchers," said Hess. "Jensen Spencer made a hell of a catch out in right field in the fifth inning."
Spencer's catch saved the no-hitter -- a full out dive on a gapper -- and probably Tri-Valley's best chance at a rally as if it dropped it was likely a double.
"Our infield fielded everything cleanly," continued Hess. "Jaxson March, of course, behind the plate stuck a lot of great pitches again."
The win caps off a 3-0 weekend for Hepburn-Lycoming as they opened the tournament with a 10-4 win over Athens, before defeating Berwick, 12-2,on Saturday.
Now, it's on to states.
"Right now, I'm going to enjoy this one first," said Hess. "And we'll figure that out tomorrow."