Because with Neill, it’s not so much quantity as it is quality. Those first 7 1/3 innings, included three scoreless ones and two high-leverage relief victories against Loyalsock and South Williamsport at the Backyard Brawl.

Thrown into a donnybrook Thursday, Neill again dominated. And Montoursville reached another Final 4.

Neill threw 3 2/3 hitless innings, retired 12 of 13 batters he faced and earned a long save as Montoursville defeated Boiling Springs, 4-2. Neill struck out four, stranded the go-ahead runners upon entering in the fourth and earned Montoursville (19-4) a semifinal date Monday against Holy Ghost Prep back at Blue Mountain High School.

“There has been a lot of ups and downs with my pitching the last couple years, so I was glad I could close it out and give us another shot,” Neill said. “It felt amazing.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville’s Zack Neill (28) fields a ground ball for a putout at first base during a baseball game earlier this season.

That is exactly how Neill pitched.

Boiling Springs, which blanked Conwell-Egan 4-0 in the opening round, had cut a three-run deficit to 3-2 and Neill entered with runners on first and second. A wild pitch moved them to second and third before second baseman Kane Moore made a spectacular catch on a line drive headed to center field. That was the only ball Boiling Springs would barrel up against Neill.

And from there, he went into Mariano Rivera-mode, shutting down a potent offense inning after inning. After ending that fourth inning threat by inducing a grounder to Moore, Neill started mowing through the Bubblers, retiring the first seven batters he faced on 20 pitches.

A brief hiccup came with one out in the sixth where Neill issued a four-pitch walk, one of only two times he threw three balls to a batter. That brought an Eck trip to the mound and a message.

“He walked a guy and I came out and said you are finishing the game no matter what; one way or another,” Eck said. “I think from that point on he said, “It’s my game and we’re going to go.”

They kept right on going to Monday’s semifinals.

Neill worked back from a 3-1 count a batter later and induced consecutive flyouts. After retiring the first seven batters he faced, Neill started a run of five straight while closing out the game and earning middle reliever Gabe Moser the win.

“It was just confidence and him believing in himself more than anything,” center fielder Brody Aldenderfer said. “He had confidence in the pitches that he was throwing that he could get out anybody.”

Neill did just that, putting down every batter in the Boiling Springs lineup. That included overpowering the top of the order in the seventh inning.

Although Montoursville led, 4-2, Boiling Springs had plenty of optimism with three of its best hitters due up. Neill quickly doused their hopes, though, combining with Moore on a super play in which Moore went into the hole and Neill sprinted to cover first. Boiling Springs made no more contact; Neill striking out the final two batters on nine pitches, throwing just one ball.

“He was great,” Moore said. “He hasn’t thrown much this year. He threw a lot as a freshman and didn’t throw last year, but he stepped up when the time came. He did a great job.”

Neill primarily has been used as a reliever throughout his high school career, providing Montoursville stellar defense, first at third base and now at shortstop. But while the Warriors have not called on him much this year, Neill has dazzled nearly every time they have.

Neill’s clutch pitching in tie games against Loyalsock and South enabled the Warriors to earn walk-off wins–Neill doing so against Loyalsock when he belted a game-winning single. Neill then closed out the district championship win against Athens and has surrendered just one run in his last four outings and just three opponents have scored against him in 10.

Neill has fanned six this postseason in four innings and limited 10 opponents to five hits in 11 innings. In that Loyalsock win, Neill stranded two runners with one out before hitting his walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh. Quietly, Neill has become quite a closer.

“Thankfully, I was able to keep them off-balance and close it out,” Neill said. “We know every game is a dogfight and we’re just doing anything we can.”

Neill’s temperament was as good as his stuff against Boiling Springs. Although his competitive fire raged, Neill maintained his cool on a day temperatures hovered in the upper 80s.

He blew away Boiling Springs, but Neill did so in a calm fashion. His demeanor was the same when he encountered runners on and second and third with one out as when no one was on base.

Combine that with locating, mixing pitches well and Neill possessing an iron will and Boiling Springs was facing a stacked deck.

Neill has hit and fielded well in three years starting at Montoursville. How ironic then that his pitching provided such a signature moment Thursday.

“It’s hot out there, but if you come in and stay hydrated and don’t let the moment get too big and wear yourself out, you can do it,” Eck said. “Sometimes guys get out here and they get so amped up and the next thing you know they’re out of gas, but it seems like he got stronger as the game went on.

“To go out there and give us 3-4 innings like that, we’ll take it. He really stepped up.”