| If the outfield wall at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park was just a foot higher, the Titusville Rockets may still be alive in the PIAA state baseball playoffs. Down two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning with runners on first and second, Kameron Mong, a .429 hitter, stepped to the plate with two outs. He took a ball deep into the gap in left-center field. The runners were going on contact. Adam Reynolds, pinch running for Blake Schmidt, who reached on a single, was already rounding third when the ball landed in the outfield. The speedy Jaxon Covell wasn’t too many steps behind him and was getting the windmill arms from coach Roy Schweitzer at third. Covell never looked back and sailed across home plate for what he thought was the tying run. But Mong’s shot hit the hard outfield turf and bounced over the wall for a ground rule double. Covell was sent back to third, and the run was taken back off the scoreboard. The inning wasn’t over though and with runners at second and third, senior Brett Schmidt, a .391 hitter, was chomping at the bit to get into the batter's box. He saw a pitch he liked but unfortunately got too far under it, popping it up into shallow left field for the final out. Mohawk, the District 7 fourth-seed, advanced with a 5-4 victory. It was an unusually sloppy game for the Rockets on the mound. None of the Warriors runs were RBI’s. Two runs were on bases-loaded walks by Brett Schmidt, two were on wild pitches by Covell and the last was on a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner that resulted in a throwing error scoring what ended up being the winning run. “Pitching was a little hard, this was the biggest game we’ve ever played and the nerves and the tension — you know they are kids, young adults 18 and under,” coach Roy Schweitzer said, struggling to find a reason why the team came up short. “You don’t have words for something like that, especially after you had chances after chances of opportunity and didn’t come through.” After dropping two runs in the first, the Rockets came out swinging. Ian McDonald drove the first pitch to the outfield, but right at the Mohawk left fielder. Covell was hit by a pitch and was quickly on second with a steal. Mong was walked for the first of three times on the day. They had a double steal before Brett Schmidt was hit by a pitch, and the bases were jacked with only one out. What was usually a recipe for a big inning in place, ended in two strikeouts and three left on base. In the third inning the Rockets took their only lead of the game. McDonald again took the first pitch but this time he found the turf in right field. Covell followed with a base hit to center. Mong and Brett Schmidt walked. Hunter Obert drove in a run on a fielder’s choice that also resulted in a throwing error scoring the go-ahead run. Obert ended up on second, but unfortunately was caught off the base on a Brody Sellen line drive out to the first baseman for a double play, ending the inning. Mohawk used the sacrifice bunt as an art form, advancing runners into scoring position all day. In the fourth they tied the game after getting a runner to third on a bunt. A wild pitch a couple throws later scored him. It happened again an inning later almost the same exact way. Then a bunt resulted in a throwing error in the sixth. Titusville ends the season as the most successful baseball team in school history with an 18-4 record and their first ever District 10 title. |        |
At the end of the game Schweitzer took his six seniors aside to express his gratitude for their work ethic and dedication.
“(I told them) to spend these last moments together with each other. The younger guys need these seniors so much on this bus ride home tonight. I told them this doesn’t put a damper on the season they had. I told them how proud we were of them.”
“(I told them) to spend these last moments together with each other. The younger guys need these seniors so much on this bus ride home tonight. I told them this doesn’t put a damper on the season they had. I told them how proud we were of them.”
View more photos from throughout the season at sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p749975340
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