Pennsylvania

American Legion Baseball

Region: 7

League: Central-Penn, postseason champions

Record: 34-8

State College, the Central-Penn League champion commenced their region seven tournament run by putting up their first of many crooked digits, with a 19-10 victory over Bushy Run from District 31.  It was really just the beginning for the team, which appears to have one of the most powerful offenses in the entire state.

State College seemed to prefer playing shortened games last week, as they began a stretch of mercy-rule victories with a fifteen run win over Claysburg in seven innings.  Not to be outdone by that performance, they smoked previously unbeaten Clearfield inthe winner’s bracket final.  The game lasted just seven innings again, this time with a final score of 14-1.

Clearfield got a chance to bounce back against State College in their throw away game, and that they did. It was the only game of the tournament where their offense was held somewhat in check, as they were downed by a 6-5 tally.  Regardless of the loss, State College still had a matchup in game fifteen of the tournament for the regional championship.

Wednesday proved to be one of the highest scoring days in regional history.  First, Homer City eliminated Clearfield by punishing them 25-2 in seven innings.  Unfortunately for Clearfield, it appears that they used their entire offensive output in the first game of the day.  State College showed up unimpressed by the day’s earlier events and put up another huge run total that Homer City could not possibly obtain.  Final score, in eight innings, was State College 18, Homer City 3.

The proof is in the numbers, and State College put up a gaudy seventy-four runs over the course of the tournament.  That’s good for almost fifteen a game, a scary statistic for any possible opponent in this week’s state tournament.  State College will take on host, and threetime defending state champion, Boyertown in the final game of the night on Tuesday.  The Bears finished second in the always tough Berks County League, but were unable to qualify for state regionals.  Beating them will be no easy task, but with the way State College’s offense has been performing of late, Boyertown may find themselves in a bit of trouble.

State College has positioned themselves as one of the top teams entering this week’s tournament. They are no stranger to the state spotlight, or to Boyertown’s BearStadium for that matter.  Boyertown and State College have had a bit of a rivalry in the state tournament over the last decade or so.  Whichever team gets thebetter of the other on Tuesday evening will have the Upper Dauphin/Hopewell winner looming in game eight.

Region: 6

League: Beaver County, postseason champions

Record: 24-2

No team in the state has stormed onto the scene as quickly as Hopewell has.  Western Pennsylvania’s top team throughout the year, they have the gaudiest record of any team left in the state.  Hopewell jumped out to the quickest of starts in their first game against one of Allegheny County’s representatives, Upper St. Clair.  They showed early, and often, that they would be the team to beat at the tournament, thrashing their opponent 21-3.

Fayette County’s top team, Colonial, was no match for Hopewell in the second round of the tournament.   Another double digit barrage led to a 16-4 win, and a date in the winners bracket final. Shaler, another team from Allegheny County, was able to slow them down just a tad, though they eventually succumbed to Hopewell’s stellar offense.  This time the margin of victory was just three, but that still good enough to send the team into the championship round.

The throw away game was far from that for Hopewell, who sealed their position as lone unbeaten, topping Elizabeth Forward 14-4.  Shaler made their way back through the loser’sbracket and got another shot at Hopewell in game fourteen.  For the first time in a long time, Hopewell’s offensive attack was stymied, as Shaler cruised to a 7-1 victory.  The result forced a decisive game fifteen,and pushed one of the state’s top teams just a mere loss away from elimination.

That was exactly the wake-up call that Hopewell needed.  With a trip to the 2010 PA State Tournament, and a regional championship, on the line, Hopewell rebounded for another big victory.  This time, it was by a ten run margin, 10-0. 

Hopewell will certainly enter the state tournament as one of the favorites to not only claim a national regional title berth, but to also bring the state title back to Western Pennsylvania.  The area has not enjoyed much success in the way of state titles in the last decade or so, but Hopewell will certainly be their top hope in a long time.  It will be interesting to see if anybody can slow down a team that seems to have it all, both on the offensive and defensive sides.

By luck of the draw, they appear to have somewhat of an easier contest in round one than some of their fellow competitors.  Upper Dauphin awaits them in the second game of the first day of the tournament, a game slated for around 12:30pm.  If they should be able to defeat them, they’ll head into a second day match-up with either State College or Boyertown.  Only time will tell if Hopewell can sustain their postseason success, but if they can do so by going through this side ofthe bracket, it will be an extremely impressive accomplishment.

Region: 5

League:  Susquehanna Valley, postseason champion

Danville is just having one of those seasons.  What seemed like just a dream some months ago has become a reality, and then some.  The Susquehanna Valley League champions were trying to make a name for themselves in the PA Region 5 Tournament last week. Did they ever.  They put up one of the most impressive offensive onslaughts across the state last week, pounding their fellow competitors on the way to their first regional title in twelve years.  In 1988 the squad took home second place, before advancing to the Great Lakes Regional in Ohio.  With the magical ride they’re on right now, it’s going to be tough to stop them from topping that performance.

Danville kicked off their state tournament hopes Saturday afternoon against a high-powered offense in Delaware Valley, the District 15 champions.  The performance turned out tobe a precursor to what was in store for the rest of the competition, as Danville won a slugfest 14-11.  Valley View, a representative from the District 11 league awaited them on the second day.  They couldn’t stop Danville’s offense either, as they threw another crooked number on the scoreboard and topped them 13-6.

With a win in game eleven, the winners bracket final, Danville could punch their ticket to the championship round where they would be guaranteed a shot on the regional championship. They got their best pitching performance of the tournament, and jumped all over previously unbeaten Canton 11-1. Not only were they winning, but they were laying waste to the top teams the region had to offer.

The only other team in the tournament whose offense could compare to Danville’s was that of Greater Pittston.  GP had made a name for themselves in the region, and on the state level, a couple of years ago and were looking to regain that stature.  They took on Danville on Tuesday night and showed that if you’re going to beat them, you need to be able to put up a ton of runs. They did just that, beating Danville 12-10 and keeping their championship hopes alive.

Valley View ultimately ended Greater Pittston’s season ingame fourteen, setting up a winner take all rematch between Valley View and Danville.  Despite Valley View’s best efforts, Danville’s offense could not be stopped again, as they stormed to a mercy rule eight inning victory, 16-6. They put up a staggering sixty-four runs in five games, which equals outto just a shade under thirteen per contest.

It’s evident how Danville will attempt to do some damage this week, they’re going to have to outhit teams.  Their pitching has been alright, but will need to perform at another level to hold the top teams in the state in check.  They’ll get at things bright and early Tuesday morning as they take on another team that many didn’t expect to be a regional champion, Pennridge.  The teams will commence the tournament at about 9:30am, with the winner taking on the victor of the Millcreek/Spring City game.

Region: 4

League: Dauphin County, postseason champion

Record: 22-2

Upper Dauphin won south-central Pennsylvania’s Dauphin County League championship, earning a berth in the Region 4 Tournament.  Once there, they proved that they could win games of all sorts.  They outhit and outpitched every other team in the region throughout the course of the tournament.

They started their championship run against a very solid team in Lebanon County champion Campbelltown. They quickly made their presence known with a 10-1 victory in game threeof the tournament.  Upper Dauphin advanced into the winner’s bracket, where a showdown with York County champ Southwestern York awaited.  Again, they put double-digit runs, en route to another big win, this time by seven runs,11-4.

Weather threw a bit of a curveball at the Dauphin County representatives, it temporarily postponed their matchup in the winner’s bracket final with Lancaster County champion Penn Manor.  They came back early on Tuesday, knowing full well that’d they have to play two games in the sweltering heat, win or lose.  By the end of the day, they could be eliminated, still alive, or in to the championship round. 

In their toughest contest of the week, they topped Penn Manor by a 2-1 score.  Later that evening, Campbelltown rallied to get a bit of revenge against them in the throwaway game.  They suffered their lone loss of the tournament, losing it 9-6. Campbelltown went on to top Southwestern York 8-7, forcing a decisive third game for the tournament championship.

Capitalizing on Campbelltown’s long day, Upper Dauphin jumped all over them for the biggest win of their season, taking the game11-3.  Not only had they made it through the tournament, but they did so by going through the toughest part of the bracket.  Three of the final four teams hailed from their side, a testament to how well the team played during the week.

Region four has not enjoyed a great deal of success recently in the state tournament.  Judging by how well they played against some very talented teams in the past few weeks, Upper Dauphin certainly has what it takes to reverse that trend.  They have proven that they can run away from teams, and also win the close ones.  Wins that like will prepare them for the big state of the state tournament. 

They have a very daunting task ahead of themselves, as they will take on Region 6 champion Hopewell in game two of the tournament.  They’ll attempt to be just the second team this year to slow down western PA’s top team. If they win, the road gets no easier, as perennial powers State College and host Boyertown loom in a second round matchup.

Region: 3

League: Chester County, second place regular season,postseason champions

Record: 31-6

Spring City made its way through the hotly contested Region 3 Tournament in Warminster.  It was no easy path to get there for the Red Sox, who finished second to rival NorChesterin the Chester County regular season. Spring City showed their dominance in the postseason, when they topped the Bulldogs and secured the league’s second bid into the tournament.

An easy draw did not await the Red Sox, as they took on a very solid Newtown team on the first day. A few questionable calls resulted in a heart-wrenching extra innings loss, by a score of 4-3.  Spring City battled through their next game, with elimination on the line, as they slipped by Philadelphia champion Ivy Ridge 3-2.

The third day featured the marquee matchup of the tournament, as Spring City and NorChester got a chance to settle their score in an elimination game.  One team would not only get the better of the other, but send one of the top teams in the state home much earlier than expected. NorChester was widely considered to be one of the top teams in the state, if not the overall front runner. That didn’t faze the Red Sox, as they won another relatively close game, ending their rival’s season by a 9-6 score.

Newtown was undefeated after a winners bracket final victory, and took on Spring City on day four. The Red Sox were on the business end of the so called throw away game, a game which Newtown didn’t have to win to still advance to the championship game.  Spring City got their revenge, and then some, as they routed Newtown 14-3 in eight innings.

Spring City would have to go through a strenuous championship day on Wednesday, needing to win two more games in succession to move on to the state tournament.  They soundly topped Fort Washington by four, 9-5, in game fourteen.  Spring City had made its way back from an opening day loss all the way to the championship game.  Awaiting them was familiar foe Newtown. 

After all they’ve been through so far this year, the game against Newtown just stood as a minor speed bump on their way to Boyertown.  Another big win was on the way for the Red Sox, as they did it the hard way and won five straight elimination games to win the Region 3 Tournament by a 13-6 margin.

They’ll head up the road a bit to Bear Stadium this week.  Spring City is no stranger to the stadium, or the hosts, as they share a high school baseball league with oneanother.  They’ll take on Region 8champion Millcreek in game three of the tournament, slated for a 4pm start.

Part two of the eight part state preview series.  We'll post the rest in the days leading up to the tournament.

Region: 2

League: Bux-Mont League, second place regular season, postseason champion

Record: 25-7-1

Pennridge heads to Boyertown after a thrilling championship round that saw some of the craziest postseason moments so far in the state.  After a second place finish in the always grueling Bux-Mont League in southeastern PA, Pennridge gutted out a league championship.  Perennial power and longtime rival, Nor-Gwyn, had bowed out of the tournament in two games, leaving the door wide open for Pennridge.

With two bids in the region two tournament, both Pennridge and Nor-Gwyn were able to represent the league as the postseason and regular season champions, respectively. Pennridge wasted no time resuming their winning ways in the first round of the tournament, topping Nazareth 11-10. North Parkland couldn’t put up much of a fight against them, with a nineteen to one thrashing putting Pennridge into the winner’s bracket final.

The winner’s bracket final is where they met Kutztown, the Schuylkill-Berks champion, a team that had been on fire this season.  Pennridge slowed their winning streak, beating them by five and earning a championship game bid.  Familiar foe Nor-Gwyn awaited them in the so called throw away game.  A victory would not only force a team to beat them twice on the final day, but would also put the final nail in the coffin for their fellow league member.  Unfazed with the task at hand, an 11-5 win improved their record to 4-0 in the tournament.

That’s when things got crazy.  Pennridge led Kutztown, in a rematch between the two teams, needing just a few more outs for a state tournament berth.  The wheels fell off in the eighth inning,when the Cougars rallied for thirteen runs. In some cruel twist of fate, Pennridge went from the brink of a championship to getting ten-runned in a matter of minutes.  That’s why you have to love the unpredictable nature of the game.

It would be no easy feat to rebound and recollect themselvesfor a third meeting between the teams, just moments after the conclusion of the shocking game fourteen.  Displaying the heart of champions, Pennridge took care of business and cruised to the region two title with a seven run victory.

Pennridge, though inexperienced in the state playoffs, has all of the intangibles to win this week’s tournament.  Their pitching is more than enough to get them through, and if they keep hitting the way they have been, they won’t need to rely too heavily on it.  They’ll have to deal with the jitters that surround such a prestigious level of play.  They may have caught a break in that regardby drawing the first game of the tournament, when the crowds are more sparse and they can concentrate on playing their game.

Pennridge will take on Danville in game one, which commencesthe tournament at approximately 9:30am on Tuesday morning.

This is the first of a series of previews and articles we have planned leading up to the 2010 state tournament.  Check back here for previews on all eight teams and much more!  Please leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Region: 2

League: Berks County, regular season champion

Record: 31-6

Boyertown heads into this year’s tournament as the three time defending state champion.  After winning their record twenty-second state championship last year, in what was surprisingly considered somewhat of a rebuilding season, the Bears have faltered a bit this year.  A mundane high school season did not leave the team with lofty expectations. With a solid pitching staff, and a balanced  line-up, they were able to claim another regular season Berks County League championship.

The team was able to make it to the winner’s bracket final of the league tournament, where they were defeated in extra innings by the upstart Twin Valley Raiders.  After battling back through the loser’s bracket, Twin Valley once again got past the Bears in game fifteen of the tournament. The Raiders moved on to the region two tournament where they subsequently went two and out. 

Boyertown, despite not advancing to the regional tournament, certainly has enough talent and does not lack the ability to post another state championship this season.  That being said, the team has seen a bit of a roller coaster season.  Their hitting can be good enough to storm past teams, but has also gone a bit stagnant against some of the better pitching teams they’ve seen.  Their situational hitting is what ultimately cost them the league title, as the Bears were unable to push runs across the plate in the most crucial of times.

Boyertown’s pitching has been much of the same.  Led by starters Steve Price and Taras Letnaunchyn, the Bears once again have a plethora of pitching depth.  Both pitchers had more than their fair share of pitching woes last week, unable to get outs when they needed them most.  They aren’t the only ones who have been plagued by getting in to trouble by allowing too many walks.  The Bears have a great pitcher in Bryer Eschbach who holds down the back of the bullpen for them.  The fireballer needs to regain his form if Boyertown hopes to make their way back to national regionals.

Boyertown is certainly not your average host, as they will be no pushover.  They do have somewhat of an unfavorable draw, ending up with an opening night showdown with State College.  If the Bears get the win, they’ll likely see Western PA power Hopewell in the second round.

Their first game will be game four against State College, the region seven champions.  First pitch should come sometime around seven thirty. 

The 2010 Pennsylvania American Legion Baseball State Championship begins Tuesday morning at Bear Stadium in Boyertown.  We've uploaded the tournament page which includes regional representatives and the all important bracket, as well.

All matchups are now set.

To view the page, scroll over 'news' at the top of the page, go down to postseason tournaments, then over to PA State Tournament.  The link is located in the same spot that the regional tournament pages are.

Stay tuned for previews and stories on the teams coming soon!

Seven regional championships were played today around the state, we'll post the outcomes of the games here.

Region 2: Pennridge 13, Kutztown 2

Region 3: Spring City 13, Newtown 6

Region 4: Upper Dauphin 11, Campbelltown 3

Region 5: Danville 16, Valley View 6

Region 6: Hopewell 10, Shaler 0

Region 7: State College 18, Homer City 3

Region 8: Millcreek 13, St. Mary's 2

Several games from across the state have concluded so far, most notably a crazy one in Region 2.

Kutztown forced a pivotal game 15 with Pennridge after trailing by three runs heading into the eighth inning.  The Cougars rallied for thirteen runs, and actually ended up invoking the mercy rule in that game.  The two teams are in the midst of their rematch.

In Region 5, Valley View ended Greater Pittston's tournament run with a 5-1 victory.  Valley View and Danville are facing off this afternoon for the championship and state berth.

Campbelltown topped Southwestern York 8-7 in Region 4 play.  They move on to play Upper Dauphin, that game began just a bit ago.

Be sure to check back often as we'll post updates as soon as possible.  Also, be sure to take a look at the individual regional tournament pages for scores from the games!

The season began a few short months ago with hundreds of PA teams vying for a coveted spot in the 2010 PA State Tournament that will be played next week in Boyertown.

Down to 56 as this week began, by the end of the night we'll be down to eight.  Seven region champions will be crowned today, some of them having gone unscathed through their respective tournaments.

Check back here often as we'll post updates from the games around the state as we get them.  We'll upload the State Tournament page as soon as we have all of the information! 

The Region 8 Tournament page has been completely updated.  Thanks again to site member Elk County Fan 1 for his help getting the scores.

Even after a surprising loss yesterday, NorChester still had one more loss between themselves and a painfully early ending to their season.  Their matchup tonight was none other than their longtime rival, the Spring City Red Sox.  NorChester got the best of the Chester County League in southeastern PA in the regular season, claiming the league's first berth to the regional tournament by finishing first.

Spring City fought their way back in the league's playoffs, topping NorChester for the league crown and the second berth into this week's Region 3 Tournament.

Seeing these two teams squaring off on day three of regionals is no surprise, though most expected it would come in the winner's bracket final with both powers fighting for a spot in the championship round.  After a first round loss for Spring City, one that had more than its fair share of controversy, the Red Sox bounced back to narrowly edge Philly champ Ivy Ridge 3-2 on Sunday.

NorChester cruised to an 8-0 win over host Warminster on day 1, before succumbing to the Haulers of JP Mascaro in game 8 of the tournament.  That set up today's inevitable showdown, with much more on the line than any of the teams' previous encounters.

Spring City proved that what they did in the Chester County Playoffs was no fluke, as they handed the Bulldogs a season ending 9-6 defeat earlier today in Warminster.  NorChester was widely considered to be one of, if not the best, teams in the state this year.  With a wide open field, and many perennial powers from around the state faltering this year, it appeared NorChester's title for the taking.

What will be remembered as more suprising than anything, is the way with which NorChester bowed out of the state legion playoffs.  After all, their lone victory came against the host team.  For a team that has represented Pennsylvania in national regionals several times over the past couple of years, the Bulldogs will certainly be more than upset with the way things ended.

Spring City will move on to Tuesday's action, still one loss from elimination.  With the way the Red Sox have performed so well under pressure so far this postseason, they are showing proving that they believe that the state's top team will in fact hail from the Chester County League.  Only time will tell, but Spring City has positioned themselves well to make a run at the regional title.

In game 9, the first game of the day, Southwestern York ended Enola's season with a 9-2 victory.  SW York went on the offensive for the win, hitting four home runs to move to (20-3) on the season.

The next loser's bracket game pitted the host, Hanover, against Campbelltown.  Campbelltown was able to erase a 3-0 deficit to storm back and out Hanover from the tournament, 6-3. 

The winner's bracket final was postponed until Tuesday morning at 9:30am due to a rainstorm that swept through the area.  Upper Dauphin will take on Penn Manor in that game, with the winner advancing to the championship round of the tournament.

The matchups are set for tomorrow, though the time slots are not.  The loser of the winner's bracket final will play right afterwards in game 12.  Game 13 will feature the lone undefeated team.  Campbelltown will face off against Upper Dauphin, and SW York will take on Penn Manor at times to be determined tomorrow morning.

The expectations for NorChester have been incredibly high all season.  For much of the year, the Bulldogs were undefeated and laying waste to their fellow Chester County League competitors.  From our vantage point, many considered NorChester to not only be one of the top teams in the state, but the team to beat in Pennsylvania this year.

After a few near misses at the PA Legion State Tournament in recent years, this year seemed like as good as any for NorChester to claim that elusive state crown.  The Bulldogs have run into some roadblocks along the way, as rival Spring City downed them in the Chester County Playoffs after NC was able to secure a Region 3 tournament berth by way of the regular season title.

A relatively easy pairing with host Warminster awaited NorChester in the first round of the tournament, which resulted in an 8-0 shutout.  In today's game eight of the tournament, NorChester got more than they could handle from Norristown League champion JP Mascaro.  The Haulers downed the Bulldogs 7-1 to advance to the winner's bracket final.

So what's it all mean?  Both NorChester and Spring City, who have positioned themselves as two of the top teams in the state during the regular season, are both a loss away from elimination.  The problem is, they'll take on each other again today at 1pm in the loser's bracket of the Region 3 tournament.  One of Pennsylvania's powers will be eliminated today, and if things work out the way they have the last couple of meetings, it very well could be the team that many thought would be the last standing.

We've been posting live updates from Region 3 on our twitter!  To follow the action, click on the twiitter icon on the right side of the page.

The first day of the Region Three Tournament in Warminster was marked by big wins in three of the four games.  Fort Washington battered Philly champ Ivy Ridge by a 15-0 count.  JP Mascaro rolled over Wayne 13-6.  Host team Warminster was beaten by Norchester 8-0.  In the day's lone close matchup, Lower Bucks champ Newtown beat Chester County champion Spring City 4-3 in 10 innings.

The second day of the tournament will be Sunday with four games.  The loser's bracket contests will pit Ivy Ridge against Spring City and Wayne against Warminster.  In the winner's bracket, Fort Washington will play Newtown and JP Mascaro will face off with Norchester.  Play continues at both Warminster's Munro Park and William Tennett High School.

The first day of the Region Four Tournament in Hanover is in the books.  The first game saw York County champ Southwestern knock off Lancaster County rep Strasburg-Willow Street by a score of 6-3.  Lancaster County champ Penn Manor stayed undefeated on the season by beating Enola 10-3.  Following a four run first, Upper Dauphin went on to beat Campbelltown 10-1.  Host Hanover dropped Franklin Country champ Greencastle 6-5 in the day's final matchup.

Day Two has two loser's bracket games scheduled.  Strasburg-Willow Street will take on Campbelltown in one matchup.  The other game will be Enola and Greencastle.  The winner's bracket games are Upper Dauphin versus Southwestern York and Penn Manor versus Hanover.

The Fort Washington Golden Generals commenced the Region 3 tournament by way of a fifteen run romp over Philadelphia champion Ivy Ridge.

The JP Mascaro Haulers had a slightly more contested win over Wayne.  Even still, the Greater Norristown League champions were able to move on to the winner's bracket with a 13-6 win.

Region Five Tournament play kicked off this morning at Mountaintop with District 11 representative Valley View defeating Wyoming Valley champion Greater Pittston 5-1.  Greater Pittston will try to stay alive Sunday in Game 5, while Valley View moves on in the Winner's Bracket to Sunday's Game 7.