BASEBALL: Mercersburg Academy falls to Springside Chestnut Hill in PAISAA second round

MERCERSBURG >> Mercersburg Academy's baseball team rallied to force extras on Thursday, but it was Springside Chestnut Hill that got the last laugh.

Springside broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the eighth inning to pull out a 5-4 win in the second round of the PAISAA Tournament.

"I was very proud of the guys," said Mercersburg coach Karl Reisner, who was coaching his final game with the Blue Storm. "We got down early and really scraped back. We had our chance to win, but they had the top of their order up in the eighth, and they took advantage."

Mercersburg, which ends its season with a 19-6 record, fell into an early 4-1 whole but scored two runs in the fourth to fall behind by one.

In the seventh with the score still 4-3, Deji Andrew started things with a base hit, and Tristan Baker also singled to put runners on first and second. Chris Adusei-Poku then tied the game with an RBI single to score Andrew, and Brandon Thomas nearly ended the game, but his deep drive to centerfield was caught to send the game into extras.

Baker finished 3-for-4 for the Blue Storm, and Shugo Tahara drove in a pair.

Springside 5, Mercersburg 4 (8 inn)

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W — Hoffman; L — Miles Hearon (4-2).

2B — (M) Deji Andrew, Tristan Baker.