Ephrata on to Title Game

Ephrata 6, Lancaster Catholic 4 The Mounts (18-4) scored all their runs in the first four innings, getting big games from top-of-the-order guys Tyler McCracken (3-for-4, two RBIs, two runs) and Coy Schwanger (1-for-3, two runs).

It was 6-0 at that point, but the Crusaders were far from finished, and Ephrata coach Adrian Shelley ended up using four pitchers— in order, a senior (Mc-Cracken), junior (Dillon Shortuse), sophomore (Nathan Savage) and freshman (Camryn Simes).

The last three of those worked in the seventh, which Catholic’s Dylan Banzhof led off with a single.

An out later, Nate Wingenroth and Chase Danielson singled, Banzhof scoring. Danielson then stole second, a bold move in that moment by Catholic coach Steve Remley, that worked. Especially since the throw to second got through to the outfield, allowing Wingenroth to score and make it 6-4. Levi Hackman then singled Danielson to third, and the Mounts seemed to be leaking oil.

With a freshman on the mound and a catcher who had just made a throwing error, Shelley called for a pitch-out. Hackman took off for second and the aforementioned catcher, Ethan Gola, fired to second to get the second out.

The freshman, Simes, induced a pop-up to end it.

“When I saw (the hitter) was going to fake-bunt on the first pitch,’’ Shelley said, “I thought, you know, fool us once, that’s on us. …’’

The result advanced the Mounts to Monday’s L-L championship game (7 p.m., Clipper Magazine Stadium) opposite Pioneers (16-6).

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