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Wildcats rally to defeat Selinsgrove, as Shade pitches gem in relief

By HENRY HUBER 6 min read

MILL HALL - Taking the mound in relief rarely comes with an ideal, opening scenario. Most times, a relieving pitcher enters the game already in a jam, with the goal being to escape the inning while keeping the remaining damage to a minimum.

Such was the case for Central Mountain junior Darius Shade. In Friday's conference matchup against Selinsgrove, Shade entered the game with the Wildcats facing a 3-0 deficit with Seal runners on first and third.

With the help of catcher Watt Roust, Central Mountain (5-0) would get out of the hole, as Roust fired a laser to second baseman Jase Seltzer just before Selinsgrove's Jonathan Neidig stole second. Then, with the momentum still on its opponent's side, Shade proceeded to pitch a gem, holding the Seals at bay as the Wildcats chipped away at the deficit.

"I was just trying to get out of the inning," said Shade. "Then, going ahead, just do what my team needs."

Through the next five innings, he'd hold the Seals to just one run as the Central Mountain bats steadily caught fire. They'd tie it with three runs in the second, post the last lead change with three in the fourth before sealing it with an eight-run barrage in the sixth, defeating Selinsgrove 14-4 in six innings to improve to 5-0 on the season.

"I just think as a team, we did really well and came in clutch today," said Shade on the win. "If we keep playing as a team, I think we can keep going. When we hit the ball like that, it's really hard to play with us."

Despite the final score, Selinsgrove remained in the game until late, making Shade's performance from the mound all the more important. It wasn't a matter of getting out of the jam and letting the offense take over, and every scoreless inning proved necessary.

He'd shake off a leadoff hit in the second, forcing a pop out against Selinsgrove leadoff batter Griffin Parker before striking out the next two to keep the Wildcats three runs away from tying it. With Central Mountain doing just that through the ensuing half, Shade proceeded to protect the tie with three strikeouts in the third.

Outside of an occasional hit here and there, his lone blemish came in the fourth when two wild pitches allowed Selinsgrove to briefly take back the lead. He wouldn't blink in response, however, catching Gavin Landis looking on a full count.

From that point on, he'd never allow another run, retiring the side in the fifth and stranding Selinsgrove's lone runner in the sixth.

On the day, Shade pitched four scoreless innings - in the second, third, fifth and sixth, posted one retirement and never faced more four batters in an inning. He finished with nine strikeouts to four hits and zero issued walks and an ERA of 1.76 through 5 1/3 innings pitched.

"Defense really didn't have to do much for him. He just shut it down," said Central Mountain centerfielder Isaiah Maldonado on Shade's performance.

"I think my curveball worked really well, kept them off balance," said Shade when asked what was working for him. "I think I did really well today. I put trust in my defense and do what they do. Just had a day."

Offensively, Maldonado and right fielder Brady Lavelle led the charge, logging 3 hits each, combining for 3 doubles and 7 RBIs and overall, just representing the team's top of the order well. Notably, all three of those doubles came in pivotal moments.

With two runners on and two outs on the board in the second, Maldonado drilled a flyball straight up the middle and over the head of Selinsgrove's centerfielder, getting both runners home to get his team on the scoreboard with a two-RBI double. Lavelle followed him up by batting him home with a grounder to left and suddenly, the score was tied.

"Hit the ball up the middle and was just trying to get that runner at second to score," said Maldonado on his mindset heading into that at-bat with two outs on the board. "Took the opposite field gap and we had some speed on the bases, so we scored."

In the fourth, he faced a similar situation, this time with the deficit at one, one runner on third and two outs on the board.

That situation produced a near-identical outcome, as he delivered another uncatchable fly ball deep into right center, tying the game for the final time. From there, Lavelle received some help from a Selinsgrove throwing error and Blake Walker followed him up with an RBI double, as the Wildcats went into the fifth with a 6-4 lead.

"Came off a rough game yesterday where I was horrible at the plate and was just trying to hit the ball up the middle. That's every approach," said Maldonado on his performance. "Everyone has their days, and today was my day."

While Maldonado's doubles helped Central Mountain establish control, Lavelle's effectively broke the game open.

With the bases loaded in the sixth and Selinsgrove's bullpen reeling, launched a fly ball deep to right, forcing the Seal outfield to chase it and ultimately clearing the bases to give the Wildcats a 9-4.

Though the Seals would secure two outs from there, they would never attain a third. Central Mountain notched five more runs within the next nine at-bats, with the game sealer being scored thanks to a dead ball with the bases loaded.

Seven Wildcats logged a hit on the day, with second baseman Jase Seltzer making it three to log multiple and two of his three runs occurring while the team was trailing. Felix Oquendo (run, RBI), Gavin Karstetter (1-of-1) and Hunter Hoy (run, 2 RBIs) were also impactful as reserves.

Overall, it was a strong, well-rounded win for a team that's quickly building up momentum in the early goings of the season. Through five games, Central Mountain has produced five wins, and it'll look to keep that success going as it prepares for more league competition, starting with a home matchup against Shikellamy (1-4) on Monday.

That game is set for 4:30 p.m.

Central Mountain 14, Selinsgrove 4

(6 INNINGS)

Selinsgrove 300 100 - 4 6 3

C. Mountain 030 308 - 14 12 0

Mayson Spade, Reid Kerstetter (5), Gavin Landis (6) and Jayden Beaver. Gage Laughner, Darius Shade (1) and Watt Roust. W - Shade. L - Spade.

Top Selinsgrove hitters: Dominic Santer 2-3, 2B, 2 RBIs; Brennan Kline 2-3; Jonathan Neidig 1-3, RBI. Top Central Mountain hitters: Isaiah Maldonado 3-4, 2 2Bs, 3 RBIs, 3 runs; Brady Lavelle 3-4, 2B, 4 RBIs, 2 runs; Jase Seltzer 2-3, 2 runs; Blake Walker 1-3, 2B, RBI.

Records: Selinsgrove 1-5 (1-1 Heartland-I); Central Mountain 5-0 (2-0 Heartland-I).

Starting at /week.