Font ResizeThe Bulldogs jumped all over District 6 champion Hollidaysburg, en route to a 10-0, mercy-rule victory in five innings at Peoples Natural Gas Field in Altoona.
It was West York's first state playoff win in program history, and pushed the Bulldogs into a state quarterfinal Thursday. West York will play District 7's Belle Vernon - a 12-7 winner over Punxsutawny - at a site and time to be determined.
"We haven't won a game by 10 in a month or so," West York coach Roger Czerwinski. "Just a lot of good things happened today."
The Bulldogs (22-4) wasted little time building up a big cushion on Hollidaysburg. They notched back-to-back three-run frames in the second and third innings to take a 6-0 lead, and pounded out four more runs in the fifth to activate the 10-run rule.
Catcher Jesse Bortner had the afternoon's biggest blow, a three-run home run in the third inning to headline his 2-for-3 day.
But West York jump-started its offense with a bit of small-ball. With two runs already home in the second inning, shortstop Brock Gladfelter laid down a suicide squeeze bunt to score Cole Bixler.
"The second inning, we put a lot of pressure on their pitcher by running, stealing bases," Czerwinski said. "I don't know how many teams see that type of pressure day-in and day-out. If somebody were to ask me what was the difference was, clearly that was the difference in the second and third innings."
That was plenty of run support for Bulldogs pitchers Kaden Hepler and Joey Prego, who combined to allow one hit. Hepler, the team's senior right-hander, did not allow a hit in his four innings to push his record to 11-0 on the season with a 0.59 ERA. He struck out six, walked one and only threw 49 pitches.
"That's key for him, knowing that there's a chance he'll come back Thursday," Czerwinski said.
Czerwinski declined to name a starter for Thursday's quarterfinal. Hepler and junior left-hander Brandon Kinneman would be the two obvious options.
Pitcher Dom Viduya took the loss for Hollidaysburg.
