Late scoring burst by Johnsonburg dooms Canton in Class A title game.
By: Chris Manning | Towanda Daily Review | June 17, 2013 | Photo courtesy Chris Manning
2013 NTL and District 4 News
STATE COLLEGE - In a classic pitcher's duel Johnsonburg and Canton stared each other down for 5 1/2-innings.
Then the Warriors blinked.
Johnsonburg scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to win the PIAA Class A baseball title 5-0 Friday.
Canton coach Bob Rockwell summed up the game well.
"Our kids didn't roll over," he said. "But Johnsonburg, give them credit, they deserved it."
The Ram's ace Cole Peterson held the Warriors at bay, going all seven innings to allow three hits, three walks and one hit batsman while striking six in 106 pitches.
"He's outstanding," Rockwell remarked.
Canton's Garrett Wesneski had a strong outing as well, allowing just two hits through five innings of work before Johnsonburg's big sixth inning. The Rams used a combination of two walks and four hits to score their five runs and knock the Junior out of the game.
"He's got fight," Rockwell said about Wesneski. "I think he lost command of some pitches but give him credit. He battled the whole way and he kept us in the game. It would have been nice if we had a few runs to take some pressure off. When the other team is the home team it's like they always have that last at bat and the pressure is always on you. That's the way I felt today. We just couldn't get that run to take the pressure off of Garrett."
Wesneski went 5 1/3-innings to allow six hits, four walks and five earned runs while striking out five on 95 pitches.
Sophomore John Bowman came on to finish out the inning. He would got 2/3-innings with one strikeout and two walks.
At the plate for the Warriors one family collected all the hits. Trevor and Connor Route combined for 3-for-5 while the rest of the line-up went 0-for-20.
Trevor had a particularly strong game, going 2-for-2 with a walk.
"I felt like I had a really good game," he remarked. "I just wish I could have gotten up a couple more times and that my whole team was doing as good as I was."
Things looked good for Canton at the start. With one out Trevor and Connor Route had back to back hits in the top of the first inning but the Rams turned a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the jam.
Wesneski looked strong early as well, putting out the side on eight pitches in the bottom of the first.
Nobody was able to threaten again until the bottom of the third when with one out Wesneski issued back to back walks to Johnsonburg's Devon Zilcoski and Kevin Benson. After getting Peterson to fly out Wesneski got out of the jam as he caught Zilcoski leaning towards third and picked him off at second.
In the top of the fourth Canton had their best chance to score.
Trevor Route led them off with a single and moved over to second on a ground out off his brother's bat. He would reach third on a wild pitch.
Wesneski followed by drawing a walk to put runners on the corners. Peterson got Kyle Landis to strike out, putting them one out away from getting out of the jam but then he hit Josiah Bardo on the next at bat to load the bases.
It looked like the Warriors would finally get on the scoreboard when Wes Moore hit a hard line drive but he hit it right at the Ram's secondbaseman for the final out.
"That's baseball," Rockwell said. "We had two shots with people on base, one with the bases loaded and it was right at somebody. That's the way it goes."
"We couldn't find a hole," Moore added. "It's a struggle."
In the bottom half of the inning Mitchell Holmberg hit a one out double then moved over to third on a wild pitch but he was stranded there. In the bottom of the fifth Frank Kocjancic led off with a single then took second on a balk call against Wesneski with no outs. However, Canton once again escaped with out giving up a run thanks to back to back strikeouts from Wesneski.
In the top of the sixth Trevor Route once again acted as the Canton spark plug, leading off with a walk. Back to back fielder's choices put Wesneski on first but with two outs. Landis would reach on an error to create another scoring opportunity but Bardo flew out to end the inning.
Then in the bottom of the sixth Johnsonburg opened up the flood gates.
With one out Cameron Grumley walked on four straight pitches followed by Holmberg singling. A Taylor Feronti hit into right center broke the tie as Grumley came around to score.
The hit put runners on the corners.
In the next at bat Johnsonburg took a page out of Canton's playbook and Quinn Luhr laid down a squeeze bunt that scored Holmberg with Luhr reaching safely at first to make it 2-0.
A wild pitch would later score Feronti to make it 3-0 Johnsonburg.
Kyle Sheldon then broke the game open with a 2-RBI single that scored Luhr and Kocjancic, who reached on a walk, to make it 5-0.
That's when Wesneski left and Bowman came on.
The sophomore started strong, striking out Zilcoski but walked Benson and Peterson to load the bases. He got out of the inning without allowing a run as Grumley flew out.
In the top of the seventh Canton would once again threaten as Chase Pepper drew a one out walk and reached second on a wild pitch but would be stranded there.
Holmberg went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored to lead the Rams while Ferenti, Luhr and Sheldon all went 1-for-3.
Despite the setback this is a moment the Warriors will never forget.
"It's a joy to do it," Moore said.
Being one of the five seniors on the team, the others being Emmett Watson, Bardo, Jacob Barrett and Seth Martin, he's thrilled they got to play together.
"It's incredible," Moore remarked. "We've been with them all the way up since sixth grade and Majors and all that. I'm glad I ended it with these guys."
His coach isn't sure how he's going to be able to replace them in the line-up and on the field.
"You can't replace them," Rockwell remarked. "You've just got to find an underclassman to do half as good a job and we'll be OK."
He does have several key returnees, including the two Routes and his pitching staff of Wesneski, Pepper and Bowman. Rockwell has especially high hopes for Trevor Route to take on some of the slack next season.
"He's grown so much throughout the year," Rockwell said. "That little sophomore, he just oozes with confidence right now. That's why I bumped him from number nine to number two in the order."
Trevor was excited to be able to share this moment with his brother Connor.
"It felt great, we both had good games," Trevor said. "It was a good experience to have both us there. From playing catch in the back yard and now were here. It's definitely a great experience."
This was also a big moment for the community of Canton as they were well represented down at Meldar Field.
"The stands were loaded with red," Rockwell said. "The community has been just tremendous in all this. Everybody's been stepping up, wondering what they can do to help us. It's been a great ride."
And with this success under their belts they'll be looking to take this trip again next year.
"We'll definitely have a big goal next year," Trevor Route said. "Next year we will probably want to be back here and to win this final game for Canton. We definitely need something like that around town."
As for taking that first step for next year it will begin next week.
"We've got a Legion double header Monday to start that new quest," Rockwell explained.
