Juniors headed to states with dominant performances

7/7/2024

To say the Titusville/Mid-East/Cochranton junior league team can play would be an understatement. This team can hit and those that might not be sluggers know how to lay down important bunts.

This team can play.

There was no District 1 contest this year, they decided to create an all-star team through a try-out from three communities that battled each other all rec ball season.

Titusville players include top-notch pitchers Nora Lesko and Mary Herman as well as Kennedy Baker, Addy Cherry and Kylie Crocker. Cochranton supplied Kamryn Reese, Jordan Groger and Zayda Lojek while Mid-East provided a feisty rock-solid catcher Payton Phillips, Sam Burnoski, Mackenzie Gerow, and Abigail Mawhinney.

"It was fun playing rec league games against each other," coach Matt Crocker said. "Tough pitching but but (the)teams were putting together good hits.Now It's fun seeing them come together."

In the section tournament held at Cranberry High School, the squared off first against Dubois exploding for 18 runs winning 18-8. Then they fifteen- runned Union City to reach the finals where they would face them again. This time going the distance to win 11-3. They scored 44 runs in just three games.

"When you're around other good hitters you can just relax and put you best foot forward and that's what they are doing now," Crocker said of the girls confidence.

And they are relentless.

A Jordan Groger bunt dropped dead about 3 inches from home plate forcing a throw to first that scored a gutsy base-running Mary Herman barreling in from third.

Crocker said Groger and Zayda Lojek are doing what is asked of them and really putting the team in a good place to score.

"They are putting down good bunts each time and almost beating them out. That's huge," Crocker said. "They deserve RBI's for those bunts that put us in position."

He also said that he has many options in the pitching circle. "We really have five good pitchers. It's a nice problem to have."

He noted that the teams they faced thus far in sections had one or two only. He expects that to change in the next round.

Crocker and the coaching staff knows what they have to do to be successful moving forward.

"Don't get in their way, that's really the main thing. Just keep trusting them to do what they do," Crocker said.

"There is not much you can do wrong, They're all sticking and all hitting and they have a lot of fun."

They are the funniest group. They are so quiet. We call them the silent assassins," Crocker said.

"They just play ball, they don't get real vocal but they know what to do and they trust each other.

"They've really come together quick and done a nice job."

They move on to the state championships being held in Union City. There first game is scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday. Up until now they have been cruising without much of a challenge, so the coaches are putting in the time on understanding how sports work with these young athletes.

"Don't get ahead of ourselves and always concentrate on the next game," Crocker said about getting his team focussed and ready for the next challenge. "Just live in the moment, play in the moment and everything else takes care of itself."