BASEBALL: Chambersburg can't capitalize in extra-inning loss to Carlisle

SCOTLAND >> The roller coaster ride that is the Chambersburg baseball season continued Tuesday.

A day after an impressive 6-0 win over Greencastle-Antrim, the Trojans laid an egg. They put up seven hits but left nine runners on base and couldn't cash in during a 4-2 Mid Penn Commonwealth Division loss to Carlisle in nine innings.

"It's disappointing. We should have won this game," said Chambersburg's Austin Suders, who finished 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. "We had plenty of opportunities, but we just couldn't get the hits when we needed them."

The Thundering Herd (4-15, 4-9 MPC) also missed out on plenty of chances – they left 12 on base – but finally broke a 2-2 tie with a big ninth inning.

Josh Winton led off with a walk, and Jake Milligan and J.J. Robinson followed with singles to push Winton across and give Carlisle a 3-2 lead. Corey Thomas then walked to load the bases, and Billy Burger walked to give the Herd a two-run lead. Carlisle has beaten the Trojans (10-8, 6-7 MPC) in both meetings this season.

"I don't know what it is, but we always seem to play our best ball against Chambersburg," Carlisle coach Travis Smink said. "We played a clean game defensively and just battled throughout."

Chambersburg coach Bob Thomas said, "We played a great game against Greencastle and had 11 hits, but today we just couldn't hit the ball. It's just the way our season has been going."

The Trojans, who never led, had their best chance to win in the eighth inning. Hunter Brindle was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bryce Fiegl. Colten Brookens, who was pinch hitting for Suders after he was replaced for a pinch runner in the sixth, hit a hard bouncer back up the middle, but pitcher Paul Conner snagged the ball out of the air. He turned and caught pinch runner Hayden Kissel trying for third, and Brookens advanced to second during the rundown. Then, Manning Brookens laced a line drive into rightfield, but Thomas caught the ball on one hop and fired home to nail Colten Brookens at the plate.

"They made some great plays there in the eighth to stop us from scoring," Thomas said.

Carlisle jumped out to an early lead on an RBI groundout by Hunter Swartz, and starting pitcher Colten Sweeny held the Trojans bats at bay for most of the game. Making his varsity debut, Sweeney gave up just one run on four hits with three strikeouts in five innings.

"He's been impressive at the JV level, so we wanted to give him a chance," Smink said. "He was admittedly a little nervous early, but he settled down and pitched a very good game."

The only person who figured out Sweeny was Suders.

He had a leadoff single in the fifth inning, and pinch-runner Johnnie Myers came around to score to tie the game at one. Then in the sixth, Jack Davenport, who finished 4-for-5, gave the Herd a 2-1 lead on an RBI triple, but Suders again came through.

After Bryce Fiegl drew a two-out walk, Suders lined a 2-1 pitch into right-centerfield to tie the game. Suders also had a single in the second inning and is now six for his last seven at-bats.

"I was just trying to look for a pitch to drive," Suders said. "We had two outs, and Bryce was on first, so I just wanted to get a hit and make some things happen. I've been feeling really comfortable in the box lately."

NOTES >> Matt Stonesifer finished 2-for-5 with an RBI for the Trojans, and Tristan Daywalt pitched eight solid innings in a no-decision ... He gave up two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts ... Chambersburg has won back-to-back games just twice this season, but it also hasn't lost back-to-back games.

Carlisle 4, Chambersburg 2 (9 inn.)

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E: Chbg 1; LOB: Car 12, Chbg 9; 2B: Davenport, Suders; 3B: Davenport; SAC: Milligan 2, Fiegl; SB: Milligan, Robinson; CS: Silvious, Thomas, Christian.

Carlisle pitching

Chambersburg pitching

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HBP: by Sweeney (Christian), by Conner (Brindle), by Daywalt (Burger).

T: 2:40.

JV: Chambersburg 7, Carlisle 5. Colby Rosenberry finished 2-for-5, and Brenton Byers was 2-for-4. Christian Cooper finished with 2 RBIs.