It has often been said in sports that it is much more difficult to defend a championship than it is to win the first one.
Tyrone Legion manager Kevin Soellner would agree.
Tyrone Legion won its third consecutive George B. Kelley Federation title Saturday night at Vets Field, riding two big innings for a 17-6, mercy-rule victory over Sheetz. The victory clinched the best-of-five series in four games for Tyrone Legion, which shook off a first-game loss with three consecutive victories in as many nights over Sheetz.
Tyrone Legion scored five runs in the top of the first inning and brought the 10-run mercy rule into effect with a nine-run explosion in the top of the sixth.
Rodney Shultz paced Tyrone’s batting attack with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate that included two RBIs and two runs scored, while Brandon Lucas and David Lang both had two hits and drove in three runs, and Ross Gampe had two hits and two RBIs.
Shultz, Lucas, Bryce Hunter and Michael Buck are recent Tyrone Area High School graduates who have played on all three Tyrone Legion Kelley Federation championship teams.
“When we started (winning the Federation title in 2019), I said that the hardest thing to do is to overcome winning, because it’s easy to have a letdown after winning,” Soellner said. “As hard as it is to get there the first time, it’s probably harder (to repeat).
“When you win the first time, some players might think that it will automatically happen again, just because they are on a good team,” added Soellner, who is also the head coach of the Tyrone scholastic team that won a PIAA Class 3A state championship this past spring.
Tyrone Legion maintained its focus throughout this year’s league championship series, pounding out 10 hits and capitalizing on 10 walks and five Sheetz errors in Saturday’s clinching victory.
Nick Lehner gave Tyrone Legion a solid effort on the mound, pitching all six innings for the complete-game victory, spacing 10 hits, striking out six and not walking a single batter.
“Nick didn’t walk a batter, threw nothing but strikes, and it was phenomenal for him to be able to do that and pitch the whole six innings,” said Soellner, who was attending funeral services Saturday for his father, Max, who had passed away earlier this week.
Jim Lang and David Mease filled in as managers for Tyrone Legion in Soellner’s absence during Saturday’s clinching win. Soellner expressed his thanks to the area baseball community for extending its support to him during what has been a difficult couple of weeks.
“It was good to get this one for Coach Soellner,” Shultz said. “I know that he has been going through a hard time with his father recently passing, so it was great to win it for him.
“It’s definitely a good way to end my Federation career,” added Shultz, who will continue his baseball career on the collegiate level at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. “(Winning) three straight championships sets the tone for our team in the future.”
Lucas agreed.
“It feels great,” Lucas said. “It’s always good to do well in summer ball so the guys that we have coming back on next year’s high school team will be ready for next season.”
Tyrone capitalized on several walks and errors and Gampe’s RBI single to take a 5-0 lead in the first inning.
Ahead 8-3 in the top of the sixth, Tyrone put together its nine-run rally that was highlighted by Hunter’s two-run triple.
Jacob Detwiler, Alex Yost, Michael Boston and Connor Lindsey had two hits apiece for Sheetz, which also had 10 hits.
TYRONE (17): B. Hunter cf 411, Shultz 2b 333, Gampe 3b 422, Lucas 1b 421, LeGars eh 300, A.J. Coleman ph 121, N. Lehner p 110, M. Buck c 200, Seeger ph 100, Lang ss 312, Brooks rf 120, Light lf 320. Totals – 30-17-10.
SHEETZ (6): Yost cf-ss-p-ss 412, Harbaugh rf-cf-lf 400, Rhodes p-cf 301, Detwiler c 222, Boston ss-1b-2b-1b 312, Gochnour 1b-3b 210, Lindsey lf 2b-ss-2b 312, Shehan 3b-rf-1b-rf-p 301, Ferguson 2b-lf-p 200, Winters rf 100. Totals – 27-6-10.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Tyrone 500 219 X–17 10 6
Sheetz 021 103 X– 6 10 5
E–Gampe 2, Brooks 2, Lang, B. Hunter, Ferguson, Shehan, Lindsey, Gochnour, Boston. 2B–B. Hunter, Lucas, Yost, Detwiler. 3B–Boston. RBI–Lucas 3, B. Hunter 2, Shultz 2, Gampe 2, A.J. Coleman, M. Buck, Brooks, Light, Detwiler, Boston, Shehan, Lindsey, Gochnour. WP–N. Lehner. LP–Rhodes. SO–Rhodes 1, Ferguson 1, Shehan 1, N. Lehner 6. BB–Rhodes 5, Yost 1, Ferguson 2, Shehan 2.
