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Little Lions top Huskies in nail biter

STATE COLLEGE – For the second night in a row, the Mifflin County baseball team found itself on the road to play a tough Mid-Penn competitor.
Thursday, the Huskies went toe-to-toe with its budding rivalry against State College.
Things looked good early as Mifflin County opened the game with the first run of the game.
However, in the second inning the Little Lions picked up two runs and was able to hold onto to the 2-1 victory.
With the nail biting loss, the Huskies fell to 1-1 while State College opened its season with the opening day win.
Mason Mellott picked up the win for State College while Mifflin County starter Ross Underhill took the loss.
Both teams not only battled each other but blustery cold wind, mid-30 degree temperatures and occasional rain.
“It was a tough one. I thought we hit the ball well but just couldn’t string the hits together,” Mifflin County manager Bernie Howard. “What hurt us was the consecutive double plays in the third and fourth innings.”
Leading the way offensively for Mifflin County were Isaac Maclay and senior Ty Bodtorf who both went 2-for-3. Bodtorf notched his team’s only RBI and Maclay roped the game’s only extra base hit with a double.
Teammate Cade Attick went 2-for-4.
State College’s Kevin Karstetter was the team’s only multiple hitter, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
In the first inning, Mifflin County got the game off and running when Ryan Walker reached base on an error by the Little Lions’ third baseman, keeping the inning alive.
Maclay kept the inning going when he smashed a single into left centerfield, putting runners on the corners for Bodtorf.
Bodtorf was up for the challenge when he hit a Mellot offering into right field, allowing Walker to score.
In the second, State College’s patience at the plate proved to be beneficial as it was able to put up two runs in the inning to take the lead.
Kenny Magnes led off with a sharp single into rightfield.
Though he was taken off the base paths when teammate Liam Clarke bounced into a fielders choice. Clarke outran a potential double play attempt and was safe at first.
Karstetter hit one of his two hits into left, putting runners on first and second.
Gavin Shaeffer-Hood watched and walked to load the bases for ninth hitter, Ryan Gess. Gess did not disappoint as he picked up an RBI when he dropped a single into shallow center.
The Little Lions scored their final run of the inning in a very non-orthodox way as lead off hitter Jack Hunley took one for the team as he got hit with an Underhill offering, scoring Karstetter.
From there, both defenses and pitching staffs took over as they seemed in post season mode as each side came up with clutch plays when they needed it.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the Huskies could not put enough hits together to plate another run to fall victim to the Little Lions.
However, their manager knows that it’s early in the season and his team has nothing to hold its head about.
“We play in a league that parodies each other and scoring one-two runs will win a game,” Howard said. “They were just a little better than we were tonight. We’ll bounce back. We always do. We don’t panic and we take it one game at a time and when we get to play tomorrow we’ll be ready.”
Mifflin County travels once again this time to Altoona.

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