Mifflin County breaks through, earns first PIAA berth in program history

BY BRIAN CARSON

CRESSON — For years, Erie McDowell had been the gate at the end of Mifflin County’s baseball season, the program waiting in May to remind the Huskies how narrow the road can become.

On Tuesday, Mifflin County kicked the gate open.

The Huskies pounded McDowell 11-1 in five innings to win the District 6/10 Class 6A subregional championship and earn the first PIAA tournament berth in program history. Mifflin County, which began play as a consolidated high school in 2012, improved to 14-6 and added another line to a season that already included the Mid-Penn Commonwealth regular-season title and the District 6 Class 6A championship.

The Huskies will face the WPIAL District 7 champion in the first round of the PIAA playoffs Monday, June 1.

“It’s definitely gratifying,” Mifflin County coach Ray Hoppel said. “The goal of our staff, three years ago when we took over, was to be in this position on a consistent basis. Our 2024 team got the ball rolling by winning districts and advancing to the subregional game, and our 2025 team made the district finals as well. This year’s team has taken it another step. I’m very happy for the kids. They’ve worked very hard and earned every bit of this.”

Some wins look accidental. Others seem to have been forming for a while, hidden in the practices, the close games, the old losses, and the work nobody keeps in a box score.

This one looked ready almost from the start.

Mifflin County scored twice in the bottom of the first, answered McDowell’s only run with six in the second and spent the rest of the evening playing like a team that understood the moment without being swallowed by it.

McDowell, which had won the last three subregional titles, finished 14-7. The Trojans managed three hits against Chase Hartung, who worked all five innings, struck out six and allowed one earned run. He threw 78 pitches, 44 for strikes, and never let McDowell turn one run into pressure.

“Chase has been our leader the last few games, but it’s been a pretty solid four-man group for us most of the season,” Hoppel said. “Also, (pitching coach) Brett (Leister) does a tremendous job with them, and he’s to be commended. He does a great job getting them ready for anything they’ll see from our opponents.”

Hartung pitched like someone who knew what the offense had given him. After McDowell pushed across a run in the top of the second, Mifflin County didn’t give the Trojans time to imagine the game had changed.

Reese Christine led off the bottom of the second with a home run, a swing that turned the dugout loose and sent the inning spinning away from McDowell. The Trojans had scored. The Huskies answered before doubt had time to find a seat.

“Reese’s leadoff HR to start the bottom of the second inning was a real boost after giving up the run in the top half,” Hoppel said. “That energized the dugout, and the hitting was definitely contagious from that point on.”

The Huskies finished with 12 hits, five walks and 10 RBIs. Evan Strohecker went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and a stolen base. Mason Weaver had two doubles and drove in a run. Caden Leister had two hits and two RBIs. Ethan Lepley drove in three. Christine homered and drove in a run. Jace Smith had a hit, a walk, was hit by a pitch, and scored three times. Kaden Shirey reached base three times, scored once, and drove in a run.

That’s how games become short, with one hitter handing the at-bat to the next until the pitcher feels surrounded.

McDowell starter Gavin Chaffee took the loss after allowing nine earned runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings. Jack O’Neill worked in relief, but by then the game had already turned hard toward Mifflin County.

“We have had pretty good practices the last few weeks,” Hoppel said. “We have won in different ways throughout, and that’s certainly given us some confidence. I felt like our guys were fairly prepared for today, but baseball can be a funny game. A bounce here or there that doesn’t go your way can change the complexion of a game quickly. But we left little doubt after that second inning.”

Baseball always keeps a few traps hidden. A bad hop can start trouble. A walk can grow teeth. A bloop single can land where nobody can reach it, and suddenly, a nice game is in trouble.

Mifflin County never lets those things collect.

The Huskies gave up one run and responded with six. That was control. That was the old problem being handled before it became familiar again.

Mifflin County scored two runs in the first, six in the second, one in the third, and two in the fifth to end the game. McDowell scored its lone run in the second and had one extra-base hit, a triple by Owen McGrath. Jacob Stephan and Owen Chylinski had the Trojans’ other hits.

The Huskies played errorless baseball behind Hartung, a piece of the evening that mattered. In a game with history attached to it, they didn’t make the mistakes that let history get cruel.

The win also gave Mifflin County baseball its biggest state-stage moment in years. The Huskies are the first high school baseball team from Mifflin County to reach the PIAA tournament since 2010, when Indian Valley lost to Hershey 15-8 in the first round at Shaner Sports Complex in Boalsburg.

They will try to become the first team from the county to win a state playoff game since 2007, when Lewistown, coached by Hoppel, defeated Greencastle 5-2 at Shaner.

That connection gives this run a perfect symmetry. Hoppel coached the last Mifflin County team to win a state playoff game. Now he will take the Huskies into the state bracket for the first time in program history.

The opponent will be difficult. At this point, they all are. The tournament has a way of reducing baseball to its hardest truths. One missed pitch can end the season. One bad inning can open the door.

“There aren’t many teams left, and everyone left is outstanding,” Hoppel said. “The margin for error shrinks from this point on. We have to play our best baseball each game if we hope to move on to the following round. But we are playing with a lot of energy and a lot of confidence. If we play our game, we’ll be a tough out.”

On Tuesday, Mifflin County played that game.

Hartung filled the strike zone. The defense gave McDowell nothing extra. The lineup took one early opening and widened it until the old obstacle looked smaller than it had in years.

For a program that had been building toward this, the final score felt like a receipt.

The gate opened. The Huskies walked through.