PF Flyers 11U wins epic extra-inning semifinal on way to tourney championship

Colton Rash singled home Isaac Mahle in the bottom of the 10th inning of a back-and-forth semifinal to send the PF Flyers 11U to the championship game of the Tournaments for a Cause All-American Classic.

The Flyers trailed 3-0 heading into the fourth inning of the championship game before they scored four and eventually won the championship 7-3.

More on that game in a moment because to get to the championship, the Flyers had to battle through four extra frames.

The Flyers and West Virginia Knuckleheads were tied 2-2 at the end of six innings. Bronx Debert had pitched 4 2/3 innings allowing five hits and two earned runs. He was aided by a diving catch by Peyton Johnson in right field. Max Roberts had doubled home the only two runs for the Flyers.

Extra inning rules placed a runner on second and one out for each team starting in the seventh inning.

Carter Cassady kept the Knuckleheads scoreless in the seventh, but the Flyers could not score.

The Knuckleheads started the eighth inning with two straight hits to take a 3-2 lead. Cassady then struck the next batter out. A walk loaded the bases with two outs, but Cassady got a ground out to short to end the threat.

Still, the Flyers needed a run to stay in the game. With two outs, Cassady hit a hard ground ball to short. The shortstop couldn’t come up with the ball cleanly, and Chase Collins scored to tie the game and send it to the ninth.

The Knuckleheads scored two to start the inning, taking a 5-3 lead.

But the Flyers bounced back, scoring a run on another error when Roberts hit a line drive to short.

Steely Edwards entered the game to run for Roberts. He stole second. Three pitches later, he broke for third. The catcher’s throw went into left field, allowing Steely Edwards to sprint home and tie the score at 5.

Collins came in to pitch in the top of the 10th. He struck out the leadoff man for the second out. Two pitches later, Roberts threw the runner out trying to steal third, ending the inning and setting up Rash’s RBI single in the bottom of the inning.

Mahle and Ryan Edwards turned two double plays in the game.

In the championship, the Chargers Select scored three in the bottom of the first off Rash. Only one of the runs was earned and Rash only allowed one hit in his final two innings.

The Flyers rallied with one out in the fourth.

Mahle singled and Ryan Edwards walked. Rash had a bunt single to load the bases. Collins singled to put the Flyers on the scoreboard. Silas Lincoln then doubled to tie the score at 3. Cassady hit a sacrifice fly to put the Flyers up 4-3.

The Flyers added two more runs in the fifth and one in the sixth.

Johnson pitched three shutout innings to close out the game and the Flyers’ 7-3 win.

That put the Flyers at 4-0 in the tournament after two pool-play wins.

The Flyers beat the Knuckleheads 3-2 in pool play. Tim Finley went 3-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Mahle was 1-for-2 with two RBI.

The Flyers cruised to an 8-3 win in the second game of pool play after jumping to a 6-0 lead through the first two innings.

On the tournament, Collins hit .500. Rash hit .462 and on the mound went 2-0 over five innings with two earned runs allowed.

Roberts drove in five runs and hit .385. He also threw out a whopping five of 10 baserunners trying to steal.

On the mound, Johnson went 5 scoreless innings, allowing only three hits.

The Flyers are now 17-2. They return to action this weekend in the Tournaments for a Cause Hits for Heroes tourney.