One disastrous inning Monday afternoon sapped the potential for another Hurricanes surge.

A Liberty team that surrendered more than six runs in a game once all season gave up nine in the third inning. A pitcher who allowed 10 runs in 50 innings before Monday, Alex Super, was charged with 12 in four innings at Bears Stadium.

The Hurricanes also committed four errors, three in the decisive third inning, while falling 12-0 in five innings to District One champion Pennsbury in a PIAA 6A baseball semifinal.

The Falcons (21-6 overall) advanced to Friday's PIAA 6A title game against District 3 champion Dallastown or District 6 champion State College. The deepest playoff run by Liberty (25-4) since its 2002 state-final appearance ended a win shy of Penn State in stunning fashion.

The Hurricanes entered the state semifinals averaging 7.3 runs per game. They had scored at least two times in their first 28 games this season.

Pennsbury ace Billy Bethel shut them out with five strong innings. He allowed seven hits four in the first two innings but pitched out of trouble before the Falcons exploded in the third.

Add in the throwing and fielding errors, and Liberty looked nothing like the team that had emerged as the Lehigh Valley's best over the past 2 1/2 months.

"We've never as a team done that. Never," Liberty senior catcher Jared Burcin said. "It seems unreal to me. It's something I can't describe."

Added Liberty coach Andy Pitsilos: "That was uncharacteristic of how our season's gone. That was uncharacteristic of our team. We kind of made a few errors in that third inning, and things started to snowball. That happens. We give them credit. They hit the ball."

Liberty missed a couple of early chances to leave Pennsbury feeling the pressure to rally. The Hurricanes stranded runners at second and third in the first inning. They had a runner thrown out trying to steal second and left two more baserunners in the second.

Liberty still trailed just 1-0 at that point. By the time the Hurricanes had their third at-bat, they faced a 10-0 deficit.

The Falcons collected seven straight one-out hits against Super in the third and took advantage of a double error after that to build their huge lead. Liberty had the chance to get out of the inning trailing only 3-0, but a potential double-play ball scooted through their infield and up the middle.

Pitsilos kept Super on the mound throughout because he thought his stuff was better than the results. Super surrendered two more runs in the fourth before Ian Dougherty pitched a scoreless fifth.

"It wasn't really his fault," Pitsilos said. "He was still down in the pitch count a little bit. There were some errors in there, and he still had his stuff. It wasn't like he lost it. We just made some mistakes."

Those mistakes made for a quick trip from Bethlehem to Boyertown. They didn't obscure the other great moments from a season that included a District 11 title and a berth in the EPC title game.

"It was just as a team having fun," Burcin said. "It was everyone playing together and playing as a team and enjoying baseball, like everyone should."

samiller@mcall.com

Twitter @mcallsmiller

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Liberty0 0 0 0 0 - 0 7 5

Pennsbury0 1 9 2 0 - 12 12 1

Super and Burcin; Bethel and Tesarck. WP: Bethel. LP: Super.

A productive return

Senior shortstop Elias Gross returned to the lineup after missing most of Liberty's state opener and all its state quarterfinal because of back spasms. He smacked singles in each of his first two plate appearances before flying out to end the game.

Gross also made a nice throw after fielding a ball deep in the hole, firing to first for the out.

"It felt good," Gross said. "I just wanted to come out and have a good last game. I wish it wasn't our last, but I was doing everything just to play today."

This and that

Pennsbury pitcher Billy Bethel has thrown 11 innings and allowed one unearned run in the PIAA tournament. He will be available to pitch in the state final. Burcin ripped a double in his final high school at-bat in the top of the seventh. He went 4-for-11 with five RBIs in three state tournament games. Jake Wagner joined Gross with multiple hits, going 2-for-2.

Link:

Liberty's postseason run ends in PIAA 6A baseball semifinals - The ... - Allentown Morning Call