LAURELTON -- A double play turned in the top of the fourth inning led to a four-run rally in the bottom half of the frame as Shikellamy-Acorn's Major Division All-Star team took a 9-5 Area II victory over Mifflinburg on Monday at Field of Dreams.
With the score tied at 5 and with two on and no outs in the bottom of the fourth, Alex Schaffner laced a three-run home run to left field to break the tie and eventually give Shik-Acorn the win.
Prior to that rally, Shik-Acorn first had to difuse a troublesome situation in the top of the inning.
With Brady Lloyd on second, Jim Zack lined a single up the middle that Shik-Acorn centerfielder Seth Burk fielded before making a perfect throw to home to nail Lloyd at the plate.
And after he caught Burk's throw to make the out, catcher Colby Lahr came up throwing to gun down Zack trying to reach second.
"It was a big boost for us to go from a potential run-scoring situation to two outs and nobody on," Shik-Acorn manager Don Leitzel said. "That double play ignited the rally."
Schaffner was also the starting pitcher for Shik-Acorn, and once he reached his pitch limit Blake Bettleyon came in and retired the last four batters of the game in order, including two by strikeout.
Mifflinburg got out to a 3-0 lead in the first, but Shik-Acorn got back-to-back two-run doubles from Matt Snyder and Bettleyon to go up 4-3.
In the third, Mifflinburg went back in front 5-4, however, Shik-Acorn's Brandon Kashuba doubled and eventually scored on a back end of a double steal to re-tie the score.
Shik-Acorn advances to the winners' bracket final on Saturday at 10 a.m., while Mifflinburg falls into the elimination bracket and faces the Juniata County-Lewisburg winner on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
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Shikellamy wins with 4th-inning rally
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