Great eight: Eight-run sixth powers Fairview baseball in District 10 Class 3A playoffs
This looked like the end of Fairview’s title reign.
The two-time defending District 10 Class 3A baseball champions weren’t just down three runs to Harbor Creek in Friday’s semifinals, Fairview had only mustered one hit through five innings. Friday’s momentum firmly with the Huskies.
Then, the top of the sixth inning happened.
No. 3 Fairview (15-3) scored eight runs on eight hits during a sixth frame which flipped its three-run deficit to No. 2 Harbor Creek (15-7) into to a five-run lead. What had felt like an imposing deficit turned into a commanding advantage, one from which Harbor Creek was unable to rebound.
Playoff hub: District 10 playoffs: View baseball, softball results, box scores, schedules for May 20-25
Ed Dolansky and Tyler Benford locked down the last six outs for Fairview, including a strikeout by Dolansky which stranded the bases loaded in Harbor Creek’s half of the sixth inning.
After posting just one hit through five innings, Fairview logged 12 of them across the final two. The Tigers not only extended their season, but extended their reign as Class 3A champs, and on Monday will play for a third consecutive D-10 title.
“We found some holes,” Fairview coach Joe Spinelli said of the big inning. “We hit the ball well early in the game but (Harbor Creek) made nice plays. All of a sudden, we got some guys on.”
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New life
Aari Fox led off the top of the sixth with a single. Tyler Benford walked. The following four Fairview batters then each singled, starting a merry-go-round of base runners which seemed like it would never end. Fairview’s first nine batters all reached despite just one Harbor Creek error and no extra-base hits.
“We were telling each other to just keep the line moving,” said Dolansky, a senior and the team’s primary catcher. “Get everyone an at-bat, cause some havoc on the bases and see what we can do.”
Benford, Caleb Szklenski and Pat Stafford each drove in two runs for Fairview. Luke Rzodkiewicz clubbed a team-high three hits while Austin Hawley and Robbie Benford each had two hits.
“The energy just keeps going up when we start doing well,” said Szklenski, a junior infielder. “We were never really down in the game and continued to rise up with our energy.”
Uncharted territory
Fairview has never reached the D-10 baseball finals in three consecutive years. Last year’s title was its first repeat in program history, and Spinelli’s group has used experience to its advantage so far in these playoffs.
Top-seeded Mercyhurst Prep — which owns two victories over Fairview this season — awaits the Tigers on Monday at UPMC Park.
“We’ve got guys who have played in the previous two games but we’re in uncharted waters,” Spinelli said. “Mercyhurst is very, very good and the most complete team we played this year. They’ve handled us twice and we’ll see what happens in the third game on Monday.”
Contact Jeff Uveino at juveino@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @realjuveino.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Fairview baseball beats Harbor Creek via comeback, eight-run inning
