Bulldogs edge Irish in sectional action

Deciding game set for tonight at Frank Loria Memorial Field to determine champ after TV’s 4-3 win

NUTTER FORT -- Second-seed Tygarts Valley claimed a 4-3 win over top-seed Notre Dame Saturday afternoon at Frank Loria Field Memorial Field to stay alive in Class A, Region II, Section 1 tourney play.

The Bulldogs, who have won four straight elimination games, and the Irish will meet for the title at 6 p.m. today back at Frank Loria Memorial Field.

Brandon Mahoney and Matthew Pratt combined on a three-hitter for Tygarts Valley.

Mahoney went the first 2 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and fanning two, while Pratt earned the win in 4 2/3 frames of relief, giving up one run on one hit and recording five strikeouts.

Issac Wolfe was tagged with the loss. He gave up all four runs on five hits, striking out four batters and walking six, including bases-loaded free passes to Noah Armstrong and Kendall Armstrong in the first to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.

Tygarts Valley extended the lead to 3-0 the following inning when Garrett Gibson hit a one-out triple and scored on Mahoney's groundout.

Notre Dame picked up a pair of runs in the third when Anthony Rogers scored on a wild pitch and Dom Bombardiere drew a bases-loaded walk.

An RBI single by Mahoney in the fourth plated Gibson, who had reached on a single, to push the lead back out to 4-2.

Another free pass with the bases loaded to Noah Mazzie in the bottom of the inning cut the deficit back to one run for the Irish.

Pratt worked out of a jam in the seventh when Mazzie reached on a hit-bats-man and moved to third with two outs via a Bombardiere sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch.

But the senior right-hander got a strikeout to end the game.

Gibson and Kendall Armstrong each had two hits for the Bulldogs, who are now 21-10.

Notre Dame fell to 16-8.