Panthers Fall to 1-1 on the Season

ORBISONIA — Coming off its convincing win last week over Williamsburg, the Northern Bedford Black Panthers made the trip to the lower end of Huntingdon County to take on longtime rival Southern Huntingdon.

The Rockets were also winners a week ago and were hoping their home opener would produce the same results. The Inter-County Conference South Division matchup looked good on paper, but the Rockets used a high-flying aerial attack in the first half and a hard-hitting ground game in the second to send NBC home with a 48-13 loss.

‘‘The better team won tonight,’’ Northern Bedford coach Dan Foor said. ‘‘I’m not disappointed in the way our kids played tonight.’’

Southern Huntingdon (2-0, 1-0 ICC) wasted little time in getting into the end zone. The Rockets set up shop at its own 32 and immediately started throwing the ball.

Senior quarterback Tyler Mansberger connected on four passes to get the Rockets inside the 5-yard line. Troy Hoover plowed his way through the Northern defense for a 3-yard touchdown run.

Northern eventually answered that score when Myles Crawford plunged in from the 1. At the initial contact, it looked as if Crawford was stopped short of the goal line, however, Crawford was able to wiggle his way into the end zone.

‘‘We had some momentum heading into the second quarter,’’ Foor said. ‘‘We had a couple off passes that were just inches out of our reach. From there, it just snowballed.‘‘

Southern took over with just 1:27 left in the quarter and chewed up the first 3 1/2 minutes of the second en route to its second touchdown. Mansberger hit Corey Knepper with a pass that went 8 yards for the score.

Northern tried to keep in stride with the Rockets as they proceeded downfield once again. However, the drive stalled, and the Black Panthers were forced to punt. Huston Klotz was back in punt formation and took the ball from center and sprinted to the far sideline, in hopes of making the first down. Unfortunately, for the Black Panthers, Klotz was stopped a yard short.

‘‘We had a wide receiver on our side of the field that was wide open and nobody was covering him, and before we could get Tyler to change the play, he was off and running.‘‘

Southern then controlled the rest of the game.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Northern Bedford      6  0   7  0 — 13
Southern Huntingdon 7 20 13 8 — 48

First Quarter

SH — Hoover 1 run (Gaston kick), 10:20
NB — Crawford 1 run (kick blocked), 1:33

Second Quarter

SH — Knepper 5 pass from Mansberger (Gaston kick), 8:08
SH — Hoover 1 run (Gaston kick), 3:40
SH — Crull 35 pass from Mansberger, (rush failed), 1:45

Third Quarter

SH — Hoover 5 run (Almeida kick), 8:11
NB — Klotz 66 pass from Love (Hagleberger kick), 5:13
SH — Crull 31 pass from Mansberger (kick failed), 2:36

Fourth Quarter

SH — Plummer 5 run (Knepper pass from Mansberger), 5:11.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Northern Bedford - Crawford 13-33; Riley 3-29; Cogan 2-1; Feathers 1-8. Southern Huntingdon — Hoover 25-154; Hall 5-45; Plummer 8-34; Mansberger 3-4; Gaston 1-4.

PASSING - Northern Bedford — Love 5-12-1-141; Cottle 1-1-0-5. Southern Huntingdon — Mansberger 14-20-3-225.

RECEIVING- Northern Bedford — Klotz 2-109; Riley 1-12; Boyd 1-22; Grace 1-5. Southern Huntingdon — Crull 5-105; Hall 2-34; Knepper 3-33; Yohn 2-26; Hoover 1-23; Shade 1-4.

From the Altoona Mirror

Aeros push Curve to brink of elimination with 12-0 win

AKRON, OH   The Akron Aeros delivered an early knockout punch to the Curve in Game Two of the E.L. Southern Division Playoff Series Thursday night in Akron, scoring eleven times in the first inning en route to a 12-0 shutout victory. Altoona has dropped the first two games of the best-of-five series, allowing 24 total runs in the losses.

Josh Shortslef entered his start against the Aeros on Thursday with a 1-0 record against the Southern Division champs and no earned runs allowed in six innings. He left the game after recording just two outs and allowing eight earned runs on seven hits.

The left-hander lost for just the third time in 2006, and the early meltdown marked just the second time all season he allowed an earned run in the first inning.

Akron scored all of their first-inning runs with two outs, and used nine hits and three walks to take a strangle hold on the game in just their first at-bat. Jared Sandberg ripped a three-run homer after a walk by Brandon Pinckney and a single by Ryan Goleski to make it 4-0.

Following base hits by the next four batters, Shortslef was taken out of the game in favor of reliever Chris Hernandez. The right-hander walked the first two Aeros he faced, then surrendered a grand slam to Brian Barton to make it 11-0.

The Curve never seriously threatened in the ball game, spreading out nine hits during the contest, but placing only six runners in scoring position.

Southpaw Aaron Laffey picked up the victory, throwing six shutout innings and racking up nine strikeouts.
Javier Guzman was the only Curve player with a multi-hit game, finishing 4-for-5 with a double, the only extra base hit for Altoona. Neil Walker was one of five other Curve players with a hit, joined by Brian Bixler, Pedro Powell, Brett Roneberg, Octavio Martinez.

The Curve used a total of six pitchers, and kept the Aeros off the scoreboard after allowing the big first inning, giving up just two Akron hits in their last seven at-bats.

Brandon Bowser Named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team

NEW ORLEANS – University of New Orleans junior outfielder Brandon Bowser earned recognition Thursday by being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI second team in a vote of sports information representatives from the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Bowser, a native of Roaring Spring, Pa., holds a 3.76 in mechanical engineering at UNO and made the President’s List in his first two semesters at UNO last season. Bowser, as well as the rest of his Privateer baseball teammates, spent the fall at New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M.

On the field, Bowser is hitting. 322 with two home runs and 31 runs batted in 46 games played (44 starts), to go along with a team-best 15 doubles, a triple and 25 stolen bases. Last season, Bowser was the Louisiana Newcomer of the Year as well as earning second team All-Sun Belt honors. The centerfielder for the Privateers was a preseason all-league pick this season.

Here is a list of the first and second team winners:

FIRST TEAM: pitchers Edward Degerman, Rice; Brooks Dunn, Mississippi State; catcher Zach Dillon, Baylor; infielders Ryan Rohlinger, Oklahoma; Marc Maddox, Southern Miss; Jason Long, New Mexico State; Mark Hamilton, Tulane; Ian Hollick, New Mexico; outfielders Drew Stubbs, Texas; Aaron Ivey, Oklahoma, Jacob Stover, UALR; Utility/DH Chris Carlson, New Mexico.

SECOND TEAM: pitchers Craig Crow, Rice; Trey Holloway and Charley Boyce, Arkansas; catcher Brian Walker, Arkansas; infielders Brian Friday, and Joe Savery, Rice; Trey Sutton, Southern Miss; outfielders Bowser, UNO; Drew Holder, Dallas Baptist; Tyler Henley, Rice; Michael McKennon, Texas-San Antonio; Utility/DH Jeff Mandel, Baylor.

Panther Coach Defeats Mentor

By Matt Adamiak
altoonamirror.com

BEDFORD - Northern Bedford High School baseball coach Scott Burda is a
1994 graduate of Portage High School, and played baseball there for
current Mustangs coach Larry McCabe.

On Monday evening, Burda's squad got the best of his mentor's team,
defeating the Mustangs, 7-4, in the first round of the PIAA Class A
playoffs at Bedford High School.

Portage finished its season at 15-9. The Black Panthers improved to
17-6, and will meet Christopher Dock Thursday.

''I have mixed emotions,'' Burda said. ''I know some of the players on
their team (Portage), and I hate to see them lose. But I bleed black,
now."

"My hat goes off to Scotty, because he's a total class-act,'' McCabe
said. ''I love the way he coaches. I'm so proud of him."

With a 1-0 lead, the Black Panthers scored four runs, while sending nine
batters to the plate, in the bottom of the second inning. Dylan
Snowberger's two-run single plated Ethan Boy and Ian Feathers
highlighted the scoring.

In the top of the third inning with one out, the lightning and rain
came, and the game was delayed for 58 minutes. When the game resumed,
Black

Panthers pitcher Kellen Stiffler returned and threw 3 2/3 scoreless
innings, until he was finally scored on when Eric Dividock scored Ray
George on a sacrifice fly. Stiffler carried a no-hitter into the top of
the sixth when George finally broke it up with a single.

''He (Stiffler) was able to locate his fastball tonight, and his
curveball came along in the middle innings,'' Burda said.
''He still looked really good after the first delay. I couldn't ask for
anything more from Kellen tonight.''

In the bottom half of the sixth, No. 9 hitter - Justin Claar - hit a
two-out solo home run over the left centerfield screen to give the Black
Panthers a 7-1 lead. Immediately after the homer, the lightning and rain
forced a 40-minute delay. When the rain and lightning let up, the
Mustangs came to the plate in the seventh, and every player turned their
cap inside out. They were able to get to Stiffler a bit, scoring three
runs, thanks to RBIs from Dividock and Martella. But it was too little,
too late.

''They wanted to put on our rally caps, and I thought we made a
statement in the seventh inning,'' McCabe said. ''We showed that the
game wasn't over yet.''

Stiffler allowed just six hits and four runs, while striking out five
and walking just two. Oberman, Snowberger and Claar each had a pair of
hits for the Black Panthers.

PORTAGE (4): Dividock 2b 301, Murphy cf 400, Bilchak 3b 211, McCabe c
311, Spaid 1b 300, Martella dh 311, Maul p 000, Bandzuh p 000, Kiell rf
301, George lf 311, Petryshak ss 200. Totals - 26 4 6.

NORTHERN BEDFORD (7): Oberman ss 412, Bowser cf 300, Weber lf 210,
Wagner 1b 301, Stiffler p 000, Boyd dh 210, I. Feathers 3b 210,
Snowberger c 302, D. Feathers cr 010, Hart rf 310, Claar 2b 312. Totals
- 25 7 7.

Score by Innings

Portage 000 001 3 - 4 6 4

Northern Bedford 140 011 X - 7 7 1

E - Petryshak 2, Maul, Bilchak, Oberman. 2B - Martella. HR - Claar. Sac
bunt - I. Feathers. SF - Dividock. HBP - Weber. DP - Portage 1, Northern
Bedford 1. WP - Stiffler. LP - Maul. SO - Maul 4, Stiffler 5. BB - Maul
1, Stiffler 2.

Records: Portage (15-9); Northern Bedford (17-6).

Panthers 'Love' Their Pitching

By Philip Cmor
altoonamirror.com

FISHERTOWN — From catcher Dylan Snowberger’s description, Northern Bedford pitcher John Love almost morphed into a cartoon character as the screamer off the bat of Matt Stahl scorched directly at him.

“His eyes got really big,’’ Snowberger said through his laughter.

Eyes wide open, Love knocked the ball down, gathered himself, picked it up, jogged toward first and then flipped the it to Steve Wagner for the final out in what was eye-opening pitching performance of his own.

Love held previously-unbeaten Meyersdale’s powerful offense scoreless for the first six innings on a pair of hits as his Black Panthers captured the District 5 Class A baseball championship, 4-2, on Saturday afternoon at Chestnut Ridge High School.

Dan Oberman homered, scored Northern’s third run and drove in the fourth to help the Panthers raise their record to 16-6. NBC will play District 6 runnerup Portage Monday at Bedford High School in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs. The Panthers built a 4-0 lead before Drew Wiltrout’s two run homer brought Meyersdale within two.

With the tying run on first, though, Love struck out Jeff Miller and fielded Stahl’s hard hit to end it. A physically-imposing junior right-hander, Love finished with a four-hitter.

“I was nervous. I wouldn’t admit it, but I was definitely nervous coming into the game,’’ Love said. “I was just throwing strikes with my fastball, really. They were hitting it, and my defense was making plays. My curveball was working, but I basically stayed with fastballs.’’

Meyersdale entered the game 23-0, averaging more than 10 runs and never having scored fewer than five before yesterday. But Love only needed 65 pitches to get through the first six innings, although he allowed three walks in that span.

Red Raider coach John Wiltrout hadn’t been expecting to face Love. He thought NBC coach Scott Burda would throw Wagner, another big righty.

“Our scouting report said Wagner, Love and (Kellen) Stiffler were all very similar,’’ Wiltrout said. “Pitching was irrelevant in our scouting report, although it didn’t turn out to be irrelevant today.’’

Stiffler had two-hit Conemaugh Township in the semifinals Thursday — in fact, NBC pitching allowed just three hits between the first inning of that game and the seventh inning of the championship.

“John and Kellen (Stiffler) have probably been our two most consistent pitchers all season, so it wasn’t that much of a decision to go with Johnny. The last few weeks, he’s probably been throwing the best out of everybody, and Kellen threw (Thursday),’’ Panther coach Scott Burda said.

Before the seventh, Love’s biggest trouble came in the fourth, when Bobby Hartman singled to lead off and got to third on a groundout and a wild pitch. Love, though, fanned Adam Horning and got Drew Wiltrout to fly out to emerge unscathed.

Love also benefitted from a lot of solid defense. The Panthers didn’t commit an error, and second baseman Justin Claar and left fielder Luke Weber both made a pair of nice catches on well-hit balls.

“The pitching’s been there all year, but the defense is really coming around,’’ Snowberger said.

“We just wanted to get outs,’’ Oberman said. “The big thing was to get outs. We had a cushion, and we used it.’’

Oberman played a big part in getting the Panthers that cushion. With his team holding a 1-0 lead after Claar singled in Zach Hart, Northern’s diminutive shortstop stepped to the plate and drove an 0-1 Stahl offering over the fence in right-center.

“I never hit a home run before. I think the wind got ahold of it. I never hit one in little league, either,’’ Oberman said. “I was just trying to hit it, to make contact.’’

NBC added important insurance runs in the sixth and seventh to send the Panthers to their first district title since 2000, when they also beat Meyersdale 4-2 in the final. It’s Northern’s fifth championship in the last 20 years.

“It’s a great feeling,’’ Burda said. “This has been a long time coming for Northern Bedford. We’ve always been a good baseball program, and it feels good to restore the team to that stature.’’

“I thought we might get this far, and I was hoping I would be the one to take it all the way,’’ Love said. “It’s all for the seniors. I just wanted to give back to them.’’

Game notes: Stahl pitched a six-hitter. He struck out nine, five of those coming on the first time through the order. ... Burda is a 1994 Portage grad and played for current Mustang coach Larry McCabe. ... This will be a rematch of a game from Portage’s tournament. The Mustangs defeated the Panthers on May 7.

NORTHERN BEDFORD (4): Oberman ss 322, Bowser cf 300, Weber lf 300, Wagner 1b 201, Love p 000, Boyd dh 301, I. Feathers 3b 300, Snowberger c 100, D. Feathers cr 000, Hart rf 210, Claar 2b 211, Brown ph 101. Totals — 23-4-6.

MEYERSDALE (2): R. Donaldson rf 300, Miller cf 200, Stahl p 401, Hetz 3b 300, Hartman dh 301, Haulk lf 000, Hersch 1b 300, A. Horning c 200, Walker cr 010, Wiltrout ss 211, M. Donaldson 2b 301. Totals — 25-2-4.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Northern Bedford 002 001 1—4 6 0

Meyersdale 000 000 2—2 4 2

E—Stahl, Hersch. DP—Meyersdale 1. LOB—Northern Bedford 4, Meyersdale 7. 2B—Boyd. HR—Oberman, Wiltrout. RBI—Claar, Oberman 2, Wagner, Wiltrout 2. SAC—Bowser. CS—Hart, D. Feathers.

PITCHING

Northern Bedford: Love (W)—7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 SO.

Meyersdale: Stahl (L)—7 IP, 6 H, 4 R 4 ER, 6 BB, 9 SO.

WP—Love 3.

Records: Northern Bedford (16-6); Meyersdale (23-1).

Umpires: Leon Cardiff (plate), Doug Williams (first), Ross Shinow (second), John Nakich (third).