Whether 25 runs were being scored or just 2, Lake-Lehman has managed the first half of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 3A baseball playoffs for the second straight tournament.
Ty Federici worked into the final inning on the mound while Graedon Finarelli and Max Paczewski drove in runs Thursday when the Black Knights shut out Trinity, 2-0, in a state quarterfinal game at Walter Stump Stadium in Trinity.
The Black Knights advance into Monday’s 3:30 p.m. semifinals against Oley Valley, which knocked out the other District 2 team, beating Scranton Prep, 8-6. They have produced two of the four wins needed to make it through the state tournament and emerge as champion.
Lake-Lehman rallied in the bottom of the seventh in the opening round to pull out a 13-12 victory over Loyalsock Township.
Federici won that game in relief, striking out all three batters in the top of the seventh after a shaky sixth inning. He was in command through Thursday’s game as the starting pitcher.
Paczewski came in to get the final out because Federici’s pitch count had been exhausted. They combined on a five-hit shutout.
Federici walked four and struck out five for the win. Paczewski got the save.
Instead of waiting until the last inning and coming from behind, Lake-Lehman scored the winning run in the first inning and never trailed in the quarterfinals.
Colo Morio singled with one out, reached second on an error and third on a groundout before scoring on Finarelli’s single.
Corey Bean doubled in the fourth and came home on Paczewski’s sacrifice fly.
Finarelli, who also had a double, and Morio had two hits each against the District 3 runners-up from Camp Hill.
Lake-Lehman also made the state semifinals in 2019. There was no tournament last year because of the pandemic.
