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As jubilant Central Columbia players raised the district championship plaque, teary-eyed Hughesville players consoled each other near Bowman Field’s third-place dugout.
It was a crushing scene Central had witnessed the past two seasons after losing one-run, extra-inning championship thrillers. The Blue Jays reversed it Tuesday night and now Hughesville hopes a similar scenario plays out for it next season.
Central exorcized those demons in impressive fashion and blanked Hughesville, 8-0, capturing the District 4 Class AAA championship. Trystan Crawford and Cade Davis combined on a four-hit shutout and struck out 11, while freshman catcher Jansen Sarisky hit a crucial two-run, second-inning double as the Blue Jays climbed the district summit for the first time since 2007.
"It’s just awesome," the Lehigh-bound Crawford said. "We’ve had some great teams come through here and come up just short and it’s so nice to finally get the gold. I was sick of silver."
Hughesville might feel some nausea looking at its silver medals. Finishing as the runner-up in a perennially strong field is a nice achievement but this team wanted more. A year after Central defeated them in the semifinals, the Spartans desperately wanted to win the program’s first district crown since 2013.
Sometimes championship teams have to learn how to lose before they can win. Hughesville has climbed the ladder the past two seasons, advancing a round farther each time. Now the goal is reaching the top in 2023.
"We checked another box and got here. It’s another steppingstone to hopefully get where we want to go," Hughesville coach Chris Kish said. "We have to go back to work and see what happens. We have a good group coming back."
They certainly do. Hughesville returns a strong core and most of the players on those coming back played key roles throughout a season which concluded at 16-6. The Spartans improved their win total for a third straight season and now have the valuable experience of playing under the lights at Bowman Field.
The Spartan seniors will not get another shot at championship glory, but if Hughesville does attain it in the near future they will have played a crucial role. That was evident this season as the Spartans won several big games, handed Central (17-1) its only loss thus far and won seven of eight games entering the final.
"From where we were in 2017 (Kish’s first year), they have left the place better than the way they found it. I’ve said that three straight seasons and we’ve progressed each season," Kish said. "Their leadership has been great. Some of the guys that didn’t get as much playing time as they wanted did a great job of being consummate teammates and those guys may not be in the stats a lot, but those guys were a huge part of our team and did a great job."
In order to beat Central for a second time Hughesville knew it would have to play a great game. There was little margin for error against a team featuring three Division I players. Little went right, however, as Hughesville made four errors and Central seemingly pounced on every mistake.
Sarisky’s two-run double gave Central a 3-0 in the second inning and was part of a three-run flurry. Austin Gray and Carter Cowburn pitched outstanding in relief over the final five innings but three errors ignited a four-run Central fourth inning and made it, 8-0.
Falling behind anyone 8-0 puts one in a precarious spot. Doing so against an elite pitcher headed for Lehigh creates a seemingly hopeless situation. Hughesville never stopped battling, but Crawford struck out eight in five innings and the defense turned momentum-killing double plays in the fifth and sixth innings.
"When we get a lead we call that house money. We like playing with house money because we can play a little looser, play a little freer and it takes some pressure off, especially the pitchers," Crawford said. "On the mound, the best thing tonight was the young guys stepped up."
Hughesville had just one player reach second base, coming in the second inning after Cowburn singled and Dylan Farnsworth reached on a fielder’s choice before stealing second. From there, Crawford took over and struck out the next two hitters, ending Hughesville’s best opportunity to change the game’s complexion.
The next time Crawford came out, Central led 4-0. He really settled in there and struck out five hitters over the next two innings. Commanding all four of his pitches, Crawford dashed Hughesville’s comeback hopes and closed his outing by inducing a double play.
"I love getting the nod. It’s great the coaches having all the faith in the world in me," Crawford said. "I just go out there every time I’m on the rubber and work my tail off."
That is what Central did in preparation for the postseason. Three teams canceled games on the Blue Jays late in the season so they stayed in rhythm by going to Wyalusing and facing Wake Forest-bound Blake Morningstar on a day he topped out at 94 miles per hour.
Central won that game and carried the momentum into the semifinals when it took control late and defeated Mount Carmel, 9-1. After trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning of that contest, Central has scored 17 straight runs.
Hughesville’s goal now is to get where Central is. A day after last year’s semifinal defeat, players were in the weight room preparing for the 2022 season. One can just about guarantee it will be a similar story this week.
This year’s run may have ended, but Hughesville’s program journey continues.
"I think it’s a huge motivator. We’ll see what the future holds. There’s a lot of talent here. There’s a lot of guys who have a ton of potential," Kish said. "If they stick together, they’re going to do great things. The only thing I told the guys afterward was, ‘Hard work doesn’t always equal success, but hard work gets you where you want to be.’"
Hughesville 000 000 0--0 4 4
Central 131 400 x--8 6 0
Jed Webb, Austin Gray (2), Carter Cowburn (5) and Tyler Wetzel. Trystan Craford, Cade Davis (6) and Jansen Sarisky. W--Crawford. L--Webb.
Top Hughesville hitters: Wetzel 1-3; Brenden Knight 1-3; Cowburn 1-3; Gage Thomas 1-2. Top Central hitters: Brody Beaver 2-3, 2B, 2R; Matt Bierly 1-3, 3 RBIs; Dylan Groshek 1-3, RBI, 2R; Sarisky 1-3, 2B, 2 RBIs; Luke Zeisloft 1-3, R.
Records: Central 17-1. Hughesville 16-6.