CLAYSBURG — Claysburg-Kimmel waited decades — and a couple of extra innings — to win its first state playoff game in baseball.
The Bulldogs want more, but won’t soon forget the first one.
They won a wild, intense, chippy, raucous opener on a chilly Monday night, using a walk-off walk to finally get past Greensburg Central Catholic, 11-10, in 9 innings in the PIAA Class A first round.
The Bulldogs (17-7), who fell behind 8-1 early, loaded the bases in their final three innings before finally clipping the Centurions (17-2), who used four pitchers, including No. 1 Tyler Samide, who threw 107 pitches in relief.
The marathon game lasted nearly four hours
GCC starter Alec Martin left in the third with some discomfort in his back. The plan was not to go to the bullpen so early.
Stephen Kochis worked early relief before Samide came in.
“What a great game,” GCC coach John Boyle said. “Give credit to Claysburg. They fought. Pitch after pitch, they fouled off. They hung in there.
“We ran out of pitchers.”
Pinch-hitter Paul Kenneth-Strayer drew a full-count walk with two outs against reliever Dan Brady in the ninth, and Ayden Soler scored to win it.
The Bulldogs celebrated like they had won the whole tournament. They move to the quarterfinals to play Elk County Catholic (19-3).
Claysburg-Kimmel was coming off its first District 10 title since 2007.
GCC was the WPIAL runner-up.
“It’s all for the boys,” Bulldogs coach Kyle Glass said. “Our seniors stepped up. We have been in close games all year, and our guys always give a great effort.”
GCC appeared headed for a rout early.
The Centurions used a grand slam from Anthony Grippo to take a 7-1 lead in the second.
It was 8-1 after Wil Bateson’s bunt RBI in the third.
But Claysburg-Kimmel chipped away — and chipped away — behind a chatty, buzzing home crowd to evetually force extras.
It answered GCC’s seven-run second with a six-run third to close the gap to 8-7.
A three-run error by catcher Grippo, who went against future Penn State teammate Mason Campagna, cut it to 8-6.
Campagna’s RBI single made it 8-7.
GCC went ahead 9-7 in the sixth on an RBI double by Brady.
But the Bulldogs tied it in the sixth on a solo homer by Gavin Treon, who came on to relieve starter Dustin Slowik on the mound, and a double to the fence by Paydden Knisley to make to 9-9.
GCC came back to regain a 10-9 edge in the seventh on an RBI double by Samide.
But Treon was walked intentionally to load the bases, and Slowik drove in the tying run with a groundout.
GCC and Samide got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, again issuing an intentional walk — to Campagna. But the Centurions weren’t so fortunate in the ninth.
How intense was it?
Umpires stopped the game several times to talk to coaches and fans. An assistant from Claysburg-Kimmel was ejected.
When Brady went to the bullpen before the ninth, he had a police escort.
Samide had two doubles and two RBIs, and Bateson had three hits and two RBIs for the Centurions, who lost in the quarterfinals last year.
Campagna was the winning pitcher and also had three hits and two walks. Slowik was 3 for 6 with two RBIs, Knisley had three hits and two RBIs and Treon had two hits.