SELINSGROVE — No matter he was fueled by Monday — vengeance, redemption, historical past — Ryan Reich delivered what he known as “undoubtedly one in all my higher performances.”
Selinsgrove’s standout right-hander was masterful in a 6-0 win over Wyoming Valley West, firing a three-hitter with 13 strikeouts because the Seals received the Districts 2/4 Class 5A quarterfinal sport.
In truth, although, it was not vastly completely different from the sport he pitched a yr in the past when the Spartans beat him 1-0 with a walk-off flare one out shy of additional innings.
On Monday he was razor-sharp from the beginning, acquired some early run assist, and minimize the guests’ lineup to ribbons.
“I got here into it as every other sport,” he mentioned, “however I knew at the back of my thoughts that they bought one of the best of us final yr. So, clearly, I wished to take it to them.”
Nothing Wyoming Valley West’s offense mustered rose to the extent of a “jam,” and the few occasions the Spartans moved a runner to second base have been adopted by sequences of just about unhittable pitches. They put six batters on base — by no means a couple of in an inning — and three have been erased on the basepaths.
Reich threw 58 of his 81 pitches for strikes, and threw first-pitch strikes to twenty of 25 batters. He ended every of the fourth by means of seventh innings with strikeouts.
“Him popping out and holding his pitch depend low, pounding the strike zone, upping his velocity on the proper occasions — he wasn’t at all times pumping out upper-80s — I simply thought he threw a heckuva sport,” mentioned Seals coach Brent Beiler. “We heard we have been taking part in Wyoming Valley, and I can solely think about he was chomping on the bit. He undoubtedly wished to get again on the market.”
Selinsgrove (18-2) received a Class 5A playoff for the primary time in program historical past. The second-seeded Seals host No. 3 Pittston in a semifinal Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. The Patriots downed No. 6 Crestwood, 13-8, on Monday.
“We got here out weapons a-blazin’ and just about simply performed our sport,” mentioned Seals senior Teague Hoover, who was 2-for-4 with a first-inning RBI. “It was actually good win. Actually good for us, however we’re not performed but.”
On this date final yr, Selinsgrove traveled to Kingston for its first Class 5A district sport. The Seals struggled in opposition to Valley West’s Mason Sgarlat, then a sophomore, managing just one hit and a handful of walks within the loss. The Spartans struck out 11 occasions and had two hits and a stroll off Reich, who threw 90 pitches in 6 2/3 innings. Anthony Severns’ sinking liner to proper subject was the distinction.
“I have been dwelling on that loss,” mentioned Hoover. “We have been hoping to go actually far final yr, and we bought one-hit. That hit exhausting.”
“Once I discovered we have been taking part in (the Spartans once more), I am like, ‘Oh, my gosh. We will face the identical pitcher as final yr. Identical lineup,’” mentioned Beiler. “However I’ve a whole lot of confidence on this yr’s hitting crew, and we hit a bit of higher — a bit of stronger for certain.”
Reich opened Monday’s sport with a strikeout in a seven-pitch inning. The Seals scored three runs within the backside half on a pair of infield errors, a Hoover hit, and two pitches that skipped to the backstop.
Josh Domaracki reached when his grounder bought previous second baseman Trevor Klem, and Gannon Steimling’s popup was dropped a number of ft to the left of the mound. Hoover adopted with a pointy single to middle and stole second. Courtesy runner Caleb Hicks scored on a wild pitch, and Hoover adopted quickly after on a handed ball.
“I actually bought fortunate on the market with the first-inning runs,” Reich mentioned. “That feels so good. Mentally, it simply helps me out a lot.”
The closest factor Wyoming Valley West (7-13) got here to a run was within the third when Anthony Bayo labored a one-out stroll and was bunted to second base. Spartans leadoff batter Max Lopuhovsky grounded a ball to Seals third baseman Tyler Swineford, who skipped his throw previous first baseman Ben Gearhart. Gearhart shortly tracked down the ball and fired it to Steimling on the plate to nail Bayo to finish the inning.
The Spartans additionally had a runner caught stealing by Steimling and Hoover within the second, and a leadoff single within the fourth erased by Reich’s pickoff throw to Hoover at second base.
Reich recorded all however one of many Spartans’ final 11 outs by way of strikeout, with the exception being a gold-star play Hoover made on a grounder up the center within the sixth.
“He was on hearth,” mentioned Hoover. “That is most likely one of the best I’ve seen him pitch this complete yr, and he is had a whole lot of actually good begins. He was on.”
It was the Seton Corridor-bound senior’s fourth double-digit strikeout sport of the season, and the 13 strikeouts matched the second-most in his profession behind solely the 16 Shikellamy hitters he fanned on Might 9.
“I am actually joyful. Going on the market and throwing so little pitches is at all times superior,” Reich mentioned. “My curveball felt extraordinary. I felt like I may throw that higher than my fastball, and my fastball felt fairly good, too.
“There weren’t many tough patches. We nonetheless have issues to work on, however, aside from that, I feel that is an excellent begin. Undoubtedly.”
DISTRICTS 2/4 CLASS 5A SUBREGIONAL
QUARTERFINAL
SELINSGROVE 6, WYOMING VALLEY WEST 0
Wyo. Valley West;000;000;0 — 0-3-3
Selinsgrove;300;012;x — 6-7-3
Mason Sgarlat, Mason Matello (6) and Brian Gill. Ryan Reich and Gannon Steimling.
WP: Reich. LP: Sgarlat.
Wyoming Valley West: Luke Buss 1-for-3; Noah Gorham 1-for-3; Carlos DelRosa 1-for-2.
Selinsgrove: Josh Domaracki run; Steimling RBI; Teague Hoover 2-for-4, double, run, RBI; Mark Pastore run; Tyler Swineford 2-for-3; Reich 1-for-3; Tucker Teats 1-for-3, run; Ben Gearhart 1-for-1, run.