The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA

Sports

July 3, 2009

Legion: Playoff picture remains cloudy

LEWISBURG -- Selinsgrove flashed two phases of the game -- pitching and defense -- in Wednesday night's one-run victory over Berwick to put itself in the driver's seat for the top seed in the Susquehanna Valley American Legion League playoffs.

In Thursday's non-league contest with Lewisburg, Selinsgrove manager Bryan Mohr was happy to see the other phase of the game as well. Selinsgrove pounded out 14 hits in a 15-0, four-inning victory over Lewisburg.

"I was really happy to see our offense break out after getting three-hit (against Berwick)," Mohr said. "The kids really saw the bell well."

Selinsgrove improves to 10-1 on the season and with one game remaining with Hughesville tonight, it looks to clinch the top seed for the playoffs. Berwick should be the second seed at 9-1. Bloomsburg, Sunbury/Northumberland and Danville are battling for the final two playoff spots. Monday is the final day of the regular season, with playoffs scheduled to begin on July 9.

The West Branch League playoff picture is a bit muddled because of Montoursville and Williamsport dropping out of the league. Jersey Shore with just one loss is the top seed, but it might lose the majority of its players to Little League All-Stars. If that happens, that would leave only four teams in the division: Hughesville, West Snyder, Milton and Lewisburg.

The leagues will meet on Sunday night to determine final seedings and schedule for the playoffs.

Selinsgrove broke loose early Thursday, getting multiple hits from four different players. Seth Lauver led the way with four RBIs, while Paul Eyster and Nick Fisher each had three hits and two runs batted in.

Nick Gaugler gave Selinsgrove a 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the first before Selinsgrove added seven more runs in the second inning. Ben Miller had an RBI double and Eyster had a two-run single, while Zach Mills and Fisher each added RBI singles.

Selinsgrove had only one extra-base hit in the first three innings (Miller's double) putting together nine singles, but that all changed in the fourth inning. Fisher led off the inning by hitting the first pitch he saw over the left-field fence. After a hit batter and a double by Brad Billings, Lauver hit a three-run blast to make it 15-0.

Lauver got the win for Selinsgrove, allowing three hits in the four innings. He struck out five and didn't walk a hitter. Lewisburg had a good chance to score in the bottom of the fourth when Alex Swartz hit a ground-rule double and Patrick Corrigan beat out an infield single to start the inning, but Lauver got a strikeout and a game-ending double play.

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