Ralph Wilson/Sun Gazette Correspondent Indigo Koch pitches for Williamsport during a high school baseball game against Liberty on Saturday, April 20, 2024 in Williamsport. Liberty won 10-5.
Against a healthy batting room and a perennial top 25 team in Class 6A, five errors aren't enough to win.
Williamsport (4-5) made some big plays and had some fun late in the game against Liberty (9-3), but a rough second and fourth inning put them in a hole. I fell into a slump and was unable to fully launch. The Millionaires lost 10-5 in front of their home crowd at Millionaire Mountain.
The road to missing began in the bottom of the second inning. Starting pitcher Wyatt Baer was in position to get his team out of a rough inning unscathed, facing Liberty's Justin Frye with the count 0-2, two outs and two runners in scoring position.
However, Frey fought hard on the next four pitches, hitting one ball and three foul balls. A wild pitch by Baer then sent Liberty's runners on second and third base home, and a few at-bats later Frye joined him at bat.
The result was a 4-0 deficit going into the bottom of the second inning, and although Williamsport responded and the Bears scored their third run, the pitching and field play was inconsistent throughout. Baer and relief pitcher Indigo Koch combined for 14 hits and no strikeouts on the day.
By Ralph Wilson / Sun-Gazette Correspondent Kayden Robertson, 13, of Williamsport, hits the ball with Liberty's Justin Gowal during a high school baseball game Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Williamsport. After connecting, he throws the ball to first base. Liberty won 10-5.
“We have a young staff overall. For many of our players, this is their first year pitching for the varsity.” Williamsport head coach Kyle Schneider said. “Hopefully that shows later this year that they can make adjustments and move forward.”
But Fielding turned out to be the bigger problem.
Liberty's lead was cut to 5-3 going into the fourth, but three missed throws sent the Millionaires back to square one. As the battle heated up, their pitches always went over the heads of their targets.
There were some solid defensive moments, with Kayden Robertson making a successful diving ground ball combination in the fourth inning, and third baseman Lucas Norton making a tough catch in foul territory in the seventh inning. But those plays were too far apart to make an impact and there was little in between.
“You can't afford to give away extra outs against a team that plays such a strong ball game.” said Schneider. “We gave them extra outs. We had four or five extra outs, and that's too many.”
By Ralph Wilson / Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Lucas Norton reaches first as Liberty's Luke Pilipavel reaches for the ball during a high school baseball game in Williamsport on Saturday, April 20, 2024. broke the tag. Liberty won 10-5.
Schneider believed the problem was more psychological than fundamental and stressed that it was not a normal performance from the outfield. Until this afternoon, Williamsport's defense had allowed more than five points only twice.
“I think the guys just played tight.” said Schneider. “It's not typical for players to make mistakes like they did today. I'm not worried about anything fundamental or mechanical from them. It's more about them mentally, It’s about making sure you have the right head.”
Offensively, Millionaire was able to make some decent responses early on.
With a walk and a four-run lead in the second inning, Tariq Moore loaded the bases for the Millionaires with a single and a hit. A walk and a single to left-center field by Cole Shuler gave Moore and Cohen Britton two runs.
In the third, following another Liberty run, they cut the deficit to two. Two walks and a fielder's choice put two Williamsport runners in scoring position. Moore then landed another dart in the Liberty outfield, bringing home Kayden Robertson for his second hit of the game.
By Ralph Wilson / Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Camden March hits a double play against Liberty's Justin Gowal during a high school baseball game Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Williamsport. I threw it aiming at . Liberty won 10-5.
“[Tariq] squared the ball up, Kellen squared the ball up, and Deacon hit the ball hard. There are some things that didn't fall.” Schneider said in the batting room.
The loss ended when Kellen Jackson hit a home run to center field in the seventh inning, the first home run on the new turf field in Williamsport's short history. Although it didn't end up being a late comeback, it ended Williamsport's performance on a high note, especially nailing the logo.
“It's just the center field logo, it's really cool.” said Schneider. “That's definitely a positive thing.”
Much like this game, it's been an up-and-down season for the Millionaires, who are batting below .500 for the third time in the last 10 days. They want to check out his mental game before facing Shamokin on the road on Monday. They faced Shamokin, whom they previously beat 12-3 to open the season.
“We have talent, we absolutely have talent.” said the team's Schneider. “We need to adjust our mental approach, both defensively and offensively, for the second half of the season. I hope the players can come together and turn things around.”
By Ralph Wilson / Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Lucas Norton snatches a foul ball from the bat of Liberty's Jackson Horvath during a high school baseball game in Williamsport on Saturday, April 20, 2024. Liberty won 10-5.
Liberty 10, Williamsport 5
Left – 041 201 2 – 10 14 0
WAHS – 021 000 2 – 5 6 5
Paul Erful and Luke Pilipavel (5). Wyatt Bear, Indigo Koch (3), Christian Franzen. W – Elfur. L – Bear. SV – Pilipavel.
Liberty's top hitter: Jacob Rivera 3-5, RBI, double, RBI. Dayton Aguiar 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, run. Jack Evans 3-5, RBI. Williamsport's top hitters: Kellen Jackson 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, RBI. Tariq Moore 2-3, RBI, baserunner. Lucas Norton 2-3, RBI.
By Ralph Wilson / Sun-Gazette Correspondent Wyatt Baer takes the mound in Williamsport during a high school baseball game against Liberty on Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Williamsport. Liberty won 10-5.
