Uniontown 4, Lower Mac 2
RECAP >> Errors and a lack of hitting doomed Lower Macungie in its opening game of the Pennsylvania Youth American Legion State Tournament on Saturday afternoon at First Commonwealth Field in Homer City.
Lower Mac had three errors in the game and managed just three hits as they fell to Western Regional champion Uniontown 4-2.
The loss sends head coach Shawn Betz’s team (23-5 overall) into an elimination game at 10 a.m. on Sunday against Plum, the runner-up from the West. Plum also fell in its opener losing to the Boyertown Grizzlies, the Berwick Regional champs, 5-4 on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Lower Mac had trailed in its game with Uniontown 2-0 after the visitors scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first inning, but the Rangers responded rallying to tie the game at 2-2 with a run in each the first and second innings.
Uniontown (22-3-1) would ultimately take the lead for good at 3-2 with a run in the third and then added an insurance run in the seventh for the final margin. Up next for Uniontown will be a matchup against the Grizzlies in a winners’ bracket game at 4 p.m.
Nick Kumor picked up the win on the mound for Uniontown as he allowed just two hits in four innings of work. He struck out two and walked four. Carson Broadwater pitched the final three innings to earn the save.
Kumor also helped his own cause at the plate going 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Center fielder Kaiden Early went 1-for-3 with a run scored, while catcher Alex McClain was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
For Lower Mac, starter Andrew O’Brien was the tough luck loser as he dropped to 6-3 on the season.. The right-hander threw five innings and gave up three runs – all unearned – while striking out four and walking two.
Shortstop Evan Amey, third baseman Tyler LePage and catcher Sam Dietz had Lower Mac’s only hits in the game. O’Brien and Shriver scored the team’s two runs.
In other first-round games: Northampton blasted Corry 11-0, and in the final game of the tournament, Boyertown Bear Cubs routed the host team, Wahlbeck Insurance 11-1 in a game that ended at 12:50 a.m. this morning due to a blown transformer at the field.
Union – 201 000 1 – 4-7-1
LMac – 110 000 0 – 2-3-3
Nick Kumor, Carson Broadwater (5) and Alex McClain, Danny Carney
Andrew O’Brien (5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 4 K, 2 BB), Tyler Geist (2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB) and Sam Dietz.
WP – Kumor, LP – O’Brien (6-3)