Indian Valley blanks Lewistown in Milroy

By RAY WILDE, Sentinel correspondent
    MILROY — As the crowd left Armagh Memorial Field Tuesday night, the lingering question was this: will there be a third game between the Indian Valley and Lewistown baseball teams in the near future?


    The Warriors swept the season series over the Panthers with a 4-0 win Tuesday night.


    Both teams will now advance to the District 6 Class AAA playoffs on Thursday, May 22, with home games. If the two local rivals win, they would meet in the District finals in Altoona on May 29, a rematch of the 2007 final.


    For Lewistown, the game marked the end of the regular season as it finished with a 12-8 mark and at least a share of the Central Penn League title.


    The victory on Tuesday gave the Warriors the Mountain League title and they now have a 12-3 record. Indian Valley still has two games remaining as it will finish its regular season on the road with games at Hollidaysburg on Thursday and at State College on Friday.


    Both managers agreed the difference in the game Tuesday night was the Indian Valley pitching.


    Junior hurler Ryan Keefer went five strong innings for the Warriors, striking out four, walking one and giving up five hits.


    Indian Valley manager Travis Zook finished with senior ace Devon Pearson, who struck out three and walked only one.


    “I thought Ryan (Keefer) pitched a great game tonight,” Zook said. “It was difficult to take him out late in the game. Lewistown had their 2-3-4 hitters coming up and anytime that I can get Devon some work, it’s good.”


    As good as Keefer was at throwing strikes on Tuesday, it was what he did at fielding his position that led to the Panthers’ downfall.


    With runners on first and second and two out in the second inning, Keefer wheeled around from the mound and picked off Zac Hesketh to end the frame.


    Even Lewistown manager Ray Hoppel thought the Keefer pickoff was a key play.


    “The pickoff in the second inning was big,”Hoppel said. “If we had punched one in early, it might have been different. Tonight (the Warriors) were the better team and give credit to their two pitchers. I thought Connor (Muir) performed well for us on the mound. He gave us a chance to stay in the game early.”


    Keefer had another big pickoff in the third inning. With two outs, Elliot Searer walked and Keefer got him leaning the wrong way.


    Indian Valley had 10 hits with Austin Long and Nate Saltzer getting half of them. Long had three hits, while Saltzer finished with two.


    In the third, the Warriors finally got on the scoreboard with two runs.


    Saltzer started the inning with a single and Jay Hartman followed with a double. Hunter Thompson knocked home Saltzer with a sacrifice fly. Hartman went to third when the the throw from center field was misplayed at third base. Long then lay down a perfect bunt for a base hit and a 2-0 lead.


    Muir went six innings and gave up two runs and seven hits. He struck out two and walked four.


    Wade Fagan closed for the Panthers. In the sixth, he gave up two runs on three hits. Pearson knocked in one run with a groundout and Thompson, who singled earlier in the inning, scored on a wild pitch.