By The Daily Item
NORTHUMBERLAND -- Needing two wins to clinch the top seed in the Susquehanna Valley League American Legion playoffs that begin Thursday, Selinsgrove came up short.
Sunbury/Northumberland prevented Selinsgrove from getting the top seed by taking a 5-2 victory Tuesday at Pineknotter Park.
Sunbury/Norry won the game on Ben Shoch's three-run home run in the sixth inning.
Chuck Schlegel pitched six innings and struck out eight to get the win, while Derek Alex struck out two in the seventh to get the save for Sunbury/Norry.
Selinsgrove, which earlier in the day beat Danville 9-3 to complete a game that was suspended by rain earlier in the season, ended the regular season with a 9-5 record to put itself in a four-way tie for the league lead.
Selinsgrove is tied with Berwick, Bloomsburg and Danville atop the SVL standings. A meeting to decide Thursday's matchups is set for tonight.
While the playoff scenario is still up in the air in the Susquehanna Valley League, the West Branch League playoff matchups are set.
On Thursday, top-seeded Jersey Shore (9-3) hosts No. 4 Montoursville (6-5), and No. 2 Milton (8-4) hosts No. 3 Lewisburg (8-4).
On Friday the losers of the two games play each other, with the survivor playing the loser from Thursday's matchup between the two winning teams.
