Freeport baseball takes series vs. East Allegheny seriously

By: Jerin Steele
Thursday, May 4, 2023 | 8:35 PM

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Freeport baseball coach Ed Carr said he and his team are looking at Monday’s series opener with East Allegheny like an MLB team would treat Game 6 in a playoff series.

The Yellowjackets will enter with a shot at a Section 3-3A title, whether it is shared with the Wildcats or outright, but they likely will need to win that first game to keep those hopes alive.

“We know when we play (East Allegheny) at their place on Monday, that game is going to mean something,” Carr said. “If we win that game, we know at the very least we get to go back home and have a Game 7-type feel. They may have already clinched a piece of that section title, but it’s still pretty good if we can win two against that quality of a team.”

East Allegheny is 8-1 in Section 3-3A play through Thursday. The Wildcats suffered their first section loss, 8-1 to Shady Side Academy on Thursday. Game 2 is set for Friday. The series was supposed to be played Monday and Tuesday, but poor weather has pushed it back. Freeport is 8-2 in section play and had its section bye week this week.

When the Yellowjackets and Wildcats meet, the matchup will feature strong pitching.

In nine of the 11 wins through Thursday, Freeport pitchers have allowed three or fewer runs, have thrown two combined no-hitters and have four shutouts. Sophomores Dustin Rape and Michael Hanz and seniors Zach Clark and Matt Corfield have led the way on the mound.

“Our pitching has been really good all year,” Carr said. “In the games we lost, our defense let us down at times. There’s also been times when our defense has been really good, and there’s times we’ve had some trouble finishing games. We’ll need to keep our focus in those situations going forward.”

East Allegheny has an ace of its own in senior Michael Cahill.

Cahill pitched the Wildcats to the Section 3-3A championship last year and in a run to the WPIAL quarterfinals. Cahill had a 0.22 ERA in 32 innings with 52 strikeouts, helping the Wildcats to a chance to repeat as section champs.

“Cahill is a good arm, and they have a good staff,” Carr said. “They’re confident and have a veteran group that won it last year. It’s a two-game series. We know very well we may have to win them both, but we’re happy we’re going into that series with a fighter’s chance. That’s all you can ask for.”

Regardless of the outcome, the Yellowjackets are in the playoffs, which is a big leap forward from the last two years when they won a combined 10 games. They already have eclipsed that mark with a dozen wins, including a 15-5 nonsection victory over Highlands on Thursday.

It’s been quite a turnaround, and though they want to win the section title, they also have their focus on making their presence known in the WPIAL playoffs.

“The seniors have earned this,” Carr said. “I told them if we don’t come away with the section title it’s not a failure for us. We’ve battled some nagging injuries and some guys in and out of the lineup. We had some guys start late and had to shelve some guys for a week or two. Through all of that, to still be right there, we’re happy. We feel like if we’re healthy we can make a pretty deep run in the playoffs.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Freeport