LOCAL BASEBALL: Top-seeded Pleasureville overcomes rocky start to earn Legion playoff win

• Pleasureville earned an 8-4 American Legion playoff win over Spring Grove on Monday.
• Pleasureville entered the Legion tournament as the No. 1 seed.
• No. 2 seed Dover also won, earning a 2-1 triumph over Shiloh.

After a rocky start, Pleasureville lived up to its No. 1 seeding on Monday evening in a first-round York-Adams American Legion playoff baseball contest.

Post 799 fell behind eighth-seeded Spring Grove 4-2 after 2 1/2 innings before rallying for an 8-4 triumph in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament.

Grant Smeltzer was stellar in relief to get the win, allowing just two hits in four scoreless innings. He struck out four and walked one.

Pleasureville (11-1-1) won despite getting just four hits, two of which came from Landon Ness. One of Ness' hits was a double. Michael Nizinski also doubled for Pleasureville and scored two runs.

Spring Grove pitchers gave up eight walks, while its defense committed six errors, leading to six unearned runs for Pleasureville.

Ethan Zorbaugh led Spring Grove (6-7-2) with two hits (including a triple) with three RBIs and a run scored. Shane Kecken added two hits and two runs scored for the losers, while Zachary Kauffman doubled.

Conner Gesell pitched well in relief for Spring Grove, going 1 2/3 scoreless, one-hit innings.

Pleasureville will now play host to fifth-seeded New Oxford in a winners' bracket game at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday. New Oxford beat Southwest York in a first-round contest on Monday, 10-4.

Spring Grove, meanwhile, will battle fourth-seeded Southwest in a losers' bracket, elimination contest Tuesday at Southwest.

OTHER LEGION

PLAYOFF GAMES

Dover 2, Shiloh 1: At Sunset Park, Nathan Chronister pitched a three-hit complete game to get the first-round win for second-seeded Dover over seventh-seeded Shiloh.

Chronister struck out four and walked one.

Zach Gettys pitched nearly as well in defeat for Shiloh, also giving up just three hits and one earned run in a complete-game effort. Gettys struck out seven and walked three. Gettys also had two hits at the plate, including a double.

Shane Haffner had the only RBI for Dover (12-2), while Robbie Bertucio had the lone RBI for Shiloh (6-6-1).  

Northeastern 6, Stewartstown 5: At Stewartstown, sixth-seeded Northeastern earned a mild upset victory over third-seeded Stewartstown.

Northeastern (8-5) will battle Dover in a winners' bracket contest at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday at Northeastern. Stewartstown, meanwhile, will play host to Shiloh in a losers' bracket elimination contest at the same time.

Bryce Snyder and Robert Elzinga each had three hits with an RBI and a run scored for Northeastern. Spencer Rhoads doubled, walked twice and drove in three runs. Snyder got the win, going 4 2/3 innings and not permitting an earned run.

Garrett Lowe had three hits (including a double) with an RBI and a run scored for Stewartstown. Adam Freese added two hits, an RBI and a run scored, while William Cooper had two hits and a run scored. Timothy Grimsley doubled and drove in two runs for Stewartstown, while Garrett Meckley doubled and drove in a run.

Matthew Tracey pitched well in relief for Stewartstown, going three innings and not permitting an earned run.

New Oxford 10, Southwest York 4: At Hanover, Evan Haymaker had two hits (including a homer) with three RBIs and two runs scored to lead New Oxford (9-6) to the first-round triumph over Southwest (9-6).

Peyton Megonnell and Blake Phillips each added two hits and a run scored for the winners. One of Megonnell's hits was a double. Khalil Little tripled and scored a run for New Oxford.

Derek Huff (three hits, two doubles, RBI) and Zach Reed (two hits, homer, two RBIs, run) led Southwest.

Logan Strasbaugh went six innings to get the win, allowing two earned runs. He struck out six and walked one.

CENTRAL

LEAGUE GAME

Dover 9, Manchester 6: At Dover, Colby Shimmel led the home team to the victory by connecting for three hits, including two doubles, to go with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Also for Dover, Jeremy Bentzel had two hits, including a double, with four RBIs; Austin Rickrode had two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored; Brad Smith had three runs scored, one hit and two walks; and Eric McNeil doubled.

For Manchester, Logan Allison had two hits, two RBIs and one run scored; Dale Houser had three hits, one run scored and one RBI; Matt Jordan had two hits, one run scored and one RBI; and Ryan Schindler had one hit, one run scored and two walks.