MILROY - Something happened Monday night at Armagh Memorial Field that hasn't happened to a Mifflin County Babe Ruth team for the past six years.
The Mifflin County 14-year-olds lost to West End of Williamsport, 12-2, in the final pool game of the state tournament.
The loss snapped a 40-game home winning streak that stretched back to 2006. The last Mifflin County defeat at home was to Council Rock North, 9-1, in the 13-year-old state finals. Included in that streak are two state titles at the 15-year-old level in 2007 and 2009.
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Sentinel photo by BRADLEY KREITZER
West End’s Evan Steele (8) slides into second base as Mifflin County’s Lucas Harshbarger bobbles the throw Monday night in Milroy.
"We hit the ball tonight, but it was at somebody," said Scott Wright, the Mifflin County manager. "We need to bounce back (today) and play the way we can. I hope this was an eye opener for (the players). They know they will have to play hard every pitch and every inning."
If Mifflin County would have won, it would have had a day off, but instead will play tonight at 5:30 against Bensalem. Today starts the single elimination part of the tournament.
West End and Broomall-Newtown both are the top seeds after pool play and have the day off. The other quarterfinal game features Perry County playing Franklin Township at 8 p.m.
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* Mifflin County plays Bensalem today at 5:30 p.m. in Milroy
Mifflin County finished with just two hits, a single from Isaiah Kearns in the first inning and another from Nate Earnest in the seventh.
In the first, Mifflin County scored a run as Tyler Powell was hit by a pitch. He stole second and came home on the Kearns single. At that point Mifflin County led, 1-0. It was the last lead that Mifflin County would hold all night.
The same combination scored Mifflin County's second run in third inning. Powell walked with one out and Aaron Sharp and Alex Hackenberg followed with two more walks.
Kearns then reached on a fielder's choice and Powell raced home with Mifflin County's last run. At that point Mifflin County was down 4-2.
Mifflin County used five pitchers as West End finished with nine hits and eight walks. Graham Rhoades started and got through the first inning without giving up a run. But, in the second Rhoades couldn't find the strike zone as he walked three and another batter reached on a fielder's choice.
West End scored four times as Hackenberg had to come in and get the final two outs of the inning. He finished the second and worked through the sixth. He gave up three runs, four hits, struck out eight and walked two.
In the seventh, Mifflin County went through three more pitchers, Drew Harshbarger, Andrew Bishop and Andrew Larson.
West End scored five more times in the seventh on three hits, three walks and two Mifflin County errors.
Mifflin County didn't have a great game defensively as it committed four errors, while West End only had one.
West End had three players with multiple hits: Brandon Stokes, Caleb Schmucker and Derrick Fisher. Jake Galvin had West End's only extra-base hit, a two-run double in the fourth.
