Overturned call helps out Mountain Lions

04/19/24 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski /
Altoona’s Joseph Speece scores on an RBI single by Tanner Stroup.

By Nate Ritchey

nritchey@altoonamirror.com

In a matter of minutes in the third inning, both Altoona and Hollidaysburg went from one extreme of emotion to the next in a sequence that involved a triple play.

But then it wasn’t a triple play.

The overturned call allowed the Mountain Lions to rally for two runs and take a lead they didn’t relinquish in earning a 5-2 victory over the Golden Tigers in the second semifinal of the Altoona Curve Classic at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Friday.

“It (overturned call) was huge. It went from a triple play to us scoring two runs to give us the lead,” Altoona coach Tom Smith said. “You could see they (Hollidaysburg) had all the momentum running off the field and our guys were really upset. Then they switched it, so there was a whole gamut of emotions there.”

Altoona will meet Central, a 10-8 winner over Northern Bedford, in Saturday’s noon championship.

“It was a momentum swing,” Hollidaysburg coach Jon Szynal said. “We are totally off the field the whole way and they put us back out there. … We didn’t see the out call or verbally hear the out call — I don’t believe the runners did either and that’s why they stayed. … But, that’s the way it goes.”

The Lions got on the board in the top of the first when Dante LaRocco scored on a sacrifice fly by Tanner Stroup.

“We jumped on top in the first inning, and we were feeling pretty good about ourselves,” Smith said.

Hollidaysburg responded in a big way in its half of the first when Cayden Gibbons smacked a two-run homer to left field with two outs to put the Tigers up 2-1.

“He’s been hitting the ball a lot better the last week or so, and to jump out on top was big,” Szynal said.

Joe Speece and LaRocco began the third for Altoona with singles before Brennen Freiwald attempted a bunt that popped up to Tigers pitcher Paul Wedel, who turned to throw to first to pick LaRocco off but ended up dropping the ball.

When nothing was called, Wedel fired the ball to third baseman Drew Banks, who stepped on the bag before throwing to second baseman Keagan Hockey, who touched the base and tossed over to Ethan Karageanes to complete a triple play.

Hollidaysburg jumped up and down as they ran off the field, while Altoona dejectedly and confused made its way to the dugout.

After Smith asked the umpires to convene, it was determined that Wedel caught the ball for the out and then dropped it on the exchange trying to throw to first.

“It was a crazy play — we thought he (Wedel) caught the ball and then he spun to try to double off the runner, and that’s when he lost the handle on the ball,” Smith said. “They were calling them all out, so we just wanted to make sure that both umpires were on the same page because we thought for sure he had caught the ball.”

So, with one out, Speece returned to second and LaRocco went back to first. After Szynal argued his point and got an explanation, play resumed with Stroup hitting a ball up the middle, and when it was mishandled in center field, Speece came in to score.

After a walk to Eric McCallister loaded the bases, Nick Kraft lifted a sac fly to center to score LaRocco to put Altoona ahead 3-2.

The game stayed 3-2 through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

In the top of the seventh, Altoona’s Caleb Sanders ripped a two-out double down the right-field line to score McCallister and Kraft to put Altoona up 5-2.

“What a game,” Smith said. “… What a great high school baseball game. It just stayed 3-2 for the longest time. They (Hollidaysburg) played well — their pitcher threw really well. We just happened to add on in the seventh inning with two outs. We had some clutch two-out hits to add on.”

With one out in the bottom half of the seventh, Hollidaysburg loaded the bases. But McCallister, the Lions’ reliever, got a strikeout to end the game.

“We put ourselves in a position in the seventh inning,” Szynal said. “We needed one or two more hits possibly. Give their (Altoona) pitcher credit, he threw strikes.”

ALTOONA (5): LaRocco cf 322, Freiwald 2b 300, Stroup p-rf 401, McCallister rf-p 211, Co. Sanders c 000, Kraft dh 311, Ca. Sanders 3b 402, Smearman ss 200, Sankey lf 401, Speece 1b 211. Totals — 27 5 9.

HOLLIDAYSBURG (2): Steiner ss 401, Hockey 2b 210, Hileman cf 402, Gibbons c 211, Albarano cr 000, Karageanes 1b 301, Banks 3b 301, Wedel p 000, Kensinger dh-lf 300, Ulery lf-p 301, Bell rf 301. Totals — 27 2 8.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Altoona 102 000 2–5 9 2

Hollidaysburg 200 000 0–2 8 1

E–Freiwald, Smearman, Hileman. 2B–Ca. Sanders, Sankey. HR–Gibbons. RBI–Stroup, Kraft, Ca. Sanders, Sankey, Gibbons 2. PB–Gibbons 2.

PITCHING

Altoona: Stroup (W) –3 1/3 innings, 4 H, 4 K, 1 BB, 2 R, 2 ER, 60 pitches.

McCallister– 3 2/3 innings, 4 H, 4 K, 3 BB, 0 R, 0 ER, 65 pitches.

Hollidaysburg: Wedel (L) — 5 2/3 innings, 5 H, 2 K, 5 BB, 3 R, 3 ER, 88 pitches.

Ulery– 1 1/3 innings, 4 H, 1 K, 1 BB, 2 R, 2 ER, 28 pitches.

Records: Altoona (5-2); Hollidaysburg (4-3).

Umpires: Steve Smyczek, Bill Wolf.