Photos by Kathy Reed

By Dom Reed

LEWISTOWN – Thursday, Rothrock Blue squared off against Reedsville Giants for a MCYB Minor League Championship game under the lights at Rec Park, two teams working so hard to get to the big dance and a chance to win it all.

Bill Graybill started things out as Rothrock Blue served as the home team. Graybill got in an early jam but stayed strong and worked out of it giving his team two strong innings of work allowing a pair of hits while striking out four batters and walking a pair of hitters.

Rothrock tallied five hits in the 6-0 win over the Giants. Gabe Yoder hit a line drive single to get things going in the two hole later on in the inning. Harvey Mattern would hit an inside the park home run to take a 2-0 lead. Grayson Birch would also get an extra base hit on a double Rothrock would lead 4-0 after one inning. Rothrock also got hits from Wyatt Cunningham,Anthony Stoltsfus. Reedsville was stymied offensively as the Giants were only able to push across three hits in the defeat. Braxton Brehman, Brady Pearce and Colin Detwiler earned hits Reedsville struck out 11 times in the game.

“It feels awesome. I mean pitching has been our go all year,” Rothrock’s head coach said. “I mean it didn’t let us down again tonight so I expected good things out of my players tonight and they delivered.”

 Stoltsfus came in relief and had a strong outing pitching a shutout as well in a combined shutout. Detwiler allowed four runs early he would be replaced by Brehman. Great pitching and timely hitting helped lead Rothrock past Reedsville.