Mounts Look Sharp

FREDERICKSBURG — Nate Young was in control on the mound while his teammates controlled the strike zone and propelled thirdseeded Ephrata to the District Three Class 5A championship game with a 12-2 victory over second-seeded Lower Dauphin on Tuesday at Wenger Field.

The Mounts will face eighth-seeded Cedar Cliff for the championship at 4:30 p.m. today, back at Wenger Field.

All of the District Three baseball and softball games originally slated for Thursday were pushed up to today, in order to get ahead of some bad weather that’s looming ahead of a tight timetable for completion of the tournament.

Ephrata (23-3) won its 17th straight on Tuesday, and will be shooting for its second district in three years.

“I have a question for our team," Ephrata coach Adrian Shelley. “Is (Wednesday’s) game bigger than ... McCaskey in the middle of the season? It shouldn’t be, because we needed to win that one. If it is, than we’re allowing moments to be bigger than they are."

The Mounts seemed very in the moment Tuesday.

Young, a senior lefty who said he’ll decide between playing college ball at Pitt, George Mason or Shippensburg within a week, allowed one hit and no runs while striking out nine through five sweaty innings.

“It’s great to be back (in a district final) and to have a contribution to make this time," said Young, who was a sophomore reserve on the 2016 team. “(Lower Dauphin) was made out to be a great team, but after a couple innings we knew we could hang with these guys."

The Ephrata offense had a modest six hits, five of them singles. But Lower Dauphin pitchers issued —or Ephrata hitters drew — 11 walks.

“We take a lot of pitches," Shelley said. “We do it so every single player can control the strike zone, which changes every day."

The zone was a low one Tuesday, so “don’t elevate" became a mantra.

Adam Schwartz reached base four straight times: double, hit-by-pitch, hit-by-pitch, walk.

Zac McGillan reached three straight: walk, walk, double.

Leadoff man Ricky Bromirski walked twice, singled and scored three times.

The outlier was Adam Maser, who bunted home a run in the second — at one point this year he bunted in 12 straight plate appearances — and had a two-run single an inning later.

The single came when he jumped on the first pitch thrown by the second of five Lower Dauphin pitchers. “The right approach isn’t the same approach every time," Shelley said.

Shelley said Schwartz, a UConn-bound senior righty who’s been his team’s No. 1, will likely get the ball for today’s final.

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