Fallston Advances With Dramatic Comeback Win

North East traveled to Fallston Thursday afternoon for a Sectional Quarterfinal matchup in the MPSSAA 2A East Region. Things got out of hand early for the host Cougars as they fell behind quickly 3-0 in the first. Vaughn England doubled to the left-center field gap to clear the bases for the Indians.

Fallston would get on back in the bottom half when Connor Pickle singled through the right side for an RBI scoring Dillon Sperl. But, in the top of the second, North East continued to find ways to score. After loading the bases once again, Matt Ross doubled on a line-dive bullet to left scoring all three runners. Ross was able to advance to third on an error and eventually scored on Kyle Miller’s double to center giving the Indians a commanding 7-1 lead.

North East's ace pitcher Miller, worked out of jams in each of the three innings he pitched getting big strikeouts in threatening situations. Following another England two-run double in the top of the fourth that made the score 9-1; Miller was taken out of the game on the mound seemingly in a move to save him for Saturday.

The move however would backfire as the Cougars loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fourth - down eight. A sac-fly by Sperl plated Andrew Noyes and following another pop up for the second out of the inning, it looked like North East reliever Collin Balthaser was going to be able to limit the damage. But Pickle had other plans and blasted a 3-1 line drive over the right field fence for a 3-run homerun.

Drew Kalista came on in relief for Fallston in the fifth and retired the side in just seven pitches keeping all the momentum on Fallston’s side. In the home half, the Cougars got the first two batters on as Kyle Moody singled and Noyes walked. Following a strikeout, Jake Bogdan scorched a double to center plating Moody and advancing Noyes to third. Sperl followed with a walk and with two outs, Pickle came to the plate with the bases loaded and his team trailing by just three. Sure enough, he delivered with a bases clearing double to tie the game up at nine.

With the intensity level through the roof, both teams recorded scoreless frames in the sixth. Kalista came back out for the seventh and despite allowing two hits in the inning, was able to keep the Indians off the board. In the bottom of the seventh, the incredible comeback was completed when Ja. Bogdan ripped a double to left-center field gap, scoring Jesse Schuster all the way from first.

Pickle (3-for-4, 7 RBI’s, HR, R) and Ja. Bogdan (2-for-4, 2 RBI’s, 2 2B’s, 2 R’s) led Fallston’s offense to their incredible comeback win while England (2-for-4, 5 RBI’s, 2 2B’s), Ross (2-for-3, 2 RBI’s, 3 R’s), and Miller (2-for-2, RBI, 2 R’s) all had a great day at the plate for North East.