Homer City Post 493 ended its regular season with a doubleheader split last night against Young Township, earning the third seed in the District 31 playoffs, which begin tonight against…Young Township.
In the opener, Homer City scored the first six runs and won the first game, 8-2, collecting only two hits but taking advantage of nine walks. Nash Budner and Max Drew had the two Homer City hits, both singles, but Drew, Ben Cowburn, and Hunter Kunkle all drew two walks. Braden Bonatch scattered nine hits over six-and-a-third innings for the Bearcats. For the Renegades, Kaden Rupp, Brayden Wright, and Luke McCullough all had two hits.
In the nightcap, Post 493 again took a 6-0 lead, with five in the first and one in the second, but Young Township came roaring back, picking up a run in the third, four in the fifth, and two in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off 7-6 win. Nick Kinter had two hits and drove in three runs for the Renegades, and Ben McConnell and Luke McCullough each had two hits. Eli Morrow and McCullough threw six-and-a-third innings of one-run relief, striking out eleven. Drew Fisher had three hits, Connor James had two hits, including a homer and four RBIs, and Ben Cowburn and Nash Budner each had two hits for the Bearcats.
After playing eighteen games in twenty-two days, Homer City finished 9-9 and in fourth place in District 31, but third place 14th Ward opted out of the playoffs. The schedule for the best-of-three calls for Post 493 to play tonight at 6 at First Commonwealth Bank Field in Homer City, followed by a game tomorrow at 5:30 at Young Township, and a third game, if necessary, back at First Commonwealth Bank Field at 6 o’clock on Thursday. Latrobe is the number one seed and gets a first-round bye. Second seed Bushy Run will play Plum in the first round.
YOUTH LEGION
There will be no Region 7 Youth Legion tournament this season, according to a mutual agreement by the six teams (Bushy Run, Norwin, Kiski Valley, Young Township, Armstrong and Indiana).
