Noah Gyauch-Quick tossed a three-hitter and Bethlehem Liberty rallied with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning Monday to defeat Hazleton Area, 4-2, in a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 6A state baseball semifinal at East Stroudsburg University’s Creekview Park.
The only scoring in the first 5½ innings had taken place in the second inning when Hazleton Area established a 2-1 lead.
Liberty snapped a 22-game winning streak by Hazleton Area, the Wyoming Conference Division 1 and District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional champion.
Hazleton Area finishes 22-2 while District 11 champion Liberty (26-2) continues on to Thursday’s state Class 6A final against District 3 champion Warwick (22-2).
The Cougars missed chances to add to their lead during a game in which they hit into two double plays and had two other runners thrown out on the bases, one of them attempting to steal.
J.C. Spinosa led off the bottom of the sixth with a double for Liberty, which took advantage of Hazleton Area errors to make the most out of the double and an infield single.
The baseball semifinal appearance was the first in school history for Hazleton Area.
