Explosive Selinsgrove offense stops Shippensburg's historic run in PIAA baseball quarterfinals (2024)

Mick ReinhardFor The Sentinel

HERSHEY — Kaden Shope hustled down the first-base line before launching into a headfirst slide to beat out the throw on his chopper up the middle. The Shippensburg centerfielder led off the seventh inning with the base hit, the Greyhounds' ninth of the game, to start a rally with the team's season on the line.

Nothing about the senior's effort would lead you to believe Shippensburg was trailing in its Class 5A quarterfinal game against Selinsgrove by eight runs with the slimmest of chances of a comeback. But given the circ*mstances, that play exemplified the Greyhounds' spirit in a season that saw them achieve heights the program hasn't for 29 years.

"These kids fought their hearts out all year," Shippensburg head coach Brian Etter said. "There are times you don't play well, but it doesn't matter. That is the kind of team we have."

In the end, Selinsgrove's relentless offensive attack was too much for Shippensburg, as the Seals won 10-2 on Friday evening at Hershey's Memorial Field, ending the Greyhounds' season.

"It's going to sting a while, especially for the seniors," Etter said. "But the fact that they finished eighth in states, and it's been close to three decades since we've been here. They may not realize it now, but the rest of their life, they'll look back 15, 20, 30 years and realize they finished eighth in the state."

From the game's outset, Shippensburg appeared on the precipice of busting out a crooked number against Selinsgrove starter Ben Gearhart. Leadoff hitter Troy Chamberlin singled before the right-hander lost all command of the strike zone. First, he hit Shope before walking Eli Bailey to load the bases with nobody out.

But Athan Miller's comebacker cut down the lead run at home for the first out of the inning. Brady Maciejewski wore another Gearhart fastball to force in a run, but a strikeout and groundout left the bases loaded and ended the scoring with only one crossing the plate.

"To come out of there with only one run," Etter said, "we would have liked to have put a five or six spot on the board. If you do that, that kicks them in the gut and gets the momentum on our side."

Selinsgrove (21-2) responded as it has all season, with hit after hit and run after run. The Seals came into the game batting .339 as a team and averaging nearly nine runs a game, numbers that both increased during the game.

In the bottom of the first, Josh Domaracki lashed a line-drive single into right field, bringing up Gearhart to the dish. The senior clubbed a chest-high fastball from Chamberlin up the hill into the right-field parking lot before coming to rest in the playground outside the neighboring elementary school.

"I didn't start off the best," Gearhart said. "I wish I could have that back, but I'm thankful that my coach trusted me to work through that. In my first at-bat, that put me in the right mindset and I had confidence in myself. I got back the run I had given up."

Shippensburg (18-7) had opportunities in the second, but a run was taken off the scoreboard when the home plate umpire ruled Jack Johnson missed home after a single from Chamberlin. The Millersville commit ended the inning by getting thrown out at home trying to score from second base on a single into shallow right field.

Selinsgrove, the top seed from District 2, scored a pair of runs in each of the first three innings to open up a 6-1 lead. Shippensburg plated another run as Chamberlin drove in Jackson Stought after the first baseman doubled to lead off the frame.

But it was more of the same from the Seals as they scored four more runs before Shippensburg reliever Aydin Mentzer finally posted a zero in the bottom of the sixth. Selinsgrove pounded out 14 hits as eight of its nine batters in the lineup recorded at least one base knock. Tucker Teats went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the victory.

"Sometimes you have to learn how to win," Etter said. "I think this year is a big step in getting that culture at Shippensburg baseball that we expect."