The KVAC baseball finale between Medomak Valley and Belfast on June 2 was a must win for the Panthers to have any hope of making the playoffs. Jack Davis hit a three run walk off homerun in the bottom of the 9th to propel Belfast to a 6-3 win.
Both teams finish the season with an 8-8 record, and neither qualified for the East B playoffs.
“It was a great game. Someone had to lose, and unfortunately it was us,” coach Richie Oliver said. “We left 12 runners on base, that really hurt us. We had a lot of opportunities and left a lot on base, and that came back to haunt us,” Oliver added.
“Obviously we would have liked to make the playoffs. We had a lot of injuries. We started out the season 2-5 and finished at .500. Getting Chris Benedict back was a big part of it,” Oliver commented on Medomak’s 6-3 finish.
Chris Benedict got the start for the Panthers (5I,3R,5H,4B,4K) and Taylor Williamson took the loss (3I,3R,6H,4B,2K). Berry collected the win for the Lions, and Bernosky started and Peters pitched two innings in relief.
Belfast took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, with the first run scoring on a wild pitch and the second on a Berry ground out.
Medomak got one run back in the 3rd on a solo homerun from Steven Genthner. Belfast scored one in the 5th on a Davis single, throwing error and wild pitch. The Panthers pulled within one in the 6th when Dustin Osier singled and scored on an Isaac Durkee single. Isaac Greenrose tied the game and forced extra innings in the 7th with a homerun.
Medomak out hit Belfast 12-10. Hitting for the Panthers were I. Greenrose with a homerun and single, I. Durkee, Williamson and Alex Greenrose 2 singles each, Genthner a homerun, and Dillon Reed, John Bartlett and D. Osier a single each. Hitting for Belfast were Davis with a homerun and 2 singles, and Bernosky, Stenhart, Berry, Ward, Chasse, Simmons, and Brown a single each.