Freedenberg tosses shutout, Camp Hill wins Class AA baseball title
HARRISBURG >> Somewhere in the shuffle of Tuesday's emotionally draining marathon against Oley Valley in the district semifinals, Camp Hill head baseball coach Mike Dickson pulled aside Andrew Freedenberg and told him he would be on the mound in the district championship.
Dickson's move worked to perfection.
Freedenberg tossed a complete-game four-hit shutout as Camp Hill hung on to defeat Upper Dauphin Area, 1-0, and claim the District 3 Class AA championship.
The Lions move on to the first round of the PIAA state tournament, Monday against District 4 runner-up Troy at a site and time to be determined. UDA will face Richland in the first round of the state tournament, also on Monday.
Freedenberg was sensational on the mound, and he needed to be as the Camp Hill offense stranded six runners.
He needed to be even more in the top half of the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs. Facing Casey Wise, who had one of the four UDA hits, Freedenberg got a visit on the mound from Dickson after giving up two singles and a walk to land in the proverbial jam.
"He's great," Freedenberg said. "He knows exactly when to come out. He came out and said, 'Strikes only, let's get this last guy, you got it, you're the guy,' and I said, 'Let's do it.' Just got to focus on the next batter when you're pitching and I did and it turned out in our favor."
Dickson said he was direct with his pitcher.
"I told him, 'You got one more out, go after this guy,' and he said, 'Alright,coach.'"
Freedenberg got out of the first allowing no damage despite leadoff man Tanner Miller advancing to third.
In the bottom of the first, Lions leadoff man Jack Dunphy reached on a single and stole second and third to set the table for cleanup hitter Kyle Remig. Remig provided all the offense needed when he ripped a double scoring Dunphy for the 1-0 lead.
"It feels great, but I would've liked to have had a few more runs," Dickson said. "The other day you asked for a walk-off, you got a tight game, a walk-off the other night and now a one-run ball game. A little too close for comfort, but it's still a 'W' in the end."
In the top of the third, Freedenberg worked his magic again, after hitting leadoff man Travis Dietrich, then issuing a walk to Peyton Barge. From there he got Miller to fly out, survived an error by shortstop Mark Leach, and got Wise and Kyle Gloumer to end the threat.
At that point Dickson had a hint it might be Freedenberg and Camp Hill's night.
"I didn't want to think that," Dickson said. "It was starting to form in the back of my mind, but I knew I wanted more runs. We talked about that in the last 48 hours, we wanted more runs, we didn't want a one-run ballgame like the other night and go into a marathon.
"We wanted to score early and often. We scored early, but not often. The one held up."
UDA stranded nine runners and was limited to three hits over the final five innings.
When Freedenberg and Dickson chatted on Tuesday night, it put Freedenberg in the right state of mind.
"As much preparation as you can possibly get in to prepare for a game of this magnitude you have to try to do. I was a little nervous but obviously I was excited, it was an opportunity. We have a great team, with a fantastic defense, great coaching staff and I knew if I came out here and did my job they would all do theirs," Freedenberg said.
Equally clutch was UDA's defense, specifically corner infielders Drake Lenker and Matt Dietrich. Gloumer matched Freedenberg pitch-for-pitch scattering five hits and allowing just the one run.
"We struggled to get on top of the high fastball tonight," UDA head coach Ryan Lentz said "I think we had eight or nine fly outs. That kind of hurt us coming off a game where we banged out 17 hits. I was a little nervous that we did all of our hitting in that game, but give (Freedenberg) credit, he threw strikes, he was around the plate, he pitched a good game for them."
Camp Hill 1, Upper Dauphin 0
Upper Dauphin0000000—040Camp Hill100000x—151
CH, Freedenberg and Remig. UD, Gloumer and D. Lesher.
2B — CH, Remig.