MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Montoursville second baseman Royce Bowes (9) forces out Crestwood’s Jack Rodgers before turning-two in the first inning.
Montoursville is not relying on one or two players these days. All the Warriors are rallying around each other and carrying an equal amount.
That togetherness and belief in each other has helped Montoursville become one of the state’s top eight Class AAAA teams. Those qualities shined through Monday against Crestwood as 11 players reached base, Logan Kirby threw a one-hit shutout and the defense played strong in an 18-0, three-inning first round win.
Next up is Thursday’s state quarterfinals where Montoursville (18-4) will play Fleetwood.
“We’ve been playing hard and playing together the entire year,” third baseman Zack Neill said after going 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs against Crestwood. “That’s what has helped us get here, playing hard always.”
It was not all sunshine and rainbows throughout the season and Montoursville lost three heart-breakers. All that seemingly did, however was make this time hungrier. The seniors had yet to win a district championship and they helped set the tone as all the underclassmen joined in, helping Montoursville win its last four games, including that elusive district crown.
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Montoursville’s Royce Bowes (9) scores on a Brody Aldenderfer sacrifice fly in the first inning.
Good times off the field have led to good times on the field. When others might have broken apart, Montoursville pulled closer together.
“We’re having a lot of fun. We do a lot oft hings together as a team,” first baseman Brayden McCourt said after going 1 for 1 with two RBIs and two runs against Crestwood. “We go out to breakfast together; we do out of school activities together. We have really good chemistry and that definitely translates to the field and in us trusting each other. We’re playing together as a team.”
Ironically, the turning point may have come following a win. Montoursville routed Shamokin, 11-1 early last month but coach Jeremy Eck was furious afterward. It was not the result which upset him, but the team’s approaches.
Eck and his assistant coaches saw Montoursville doing things, which if not corrected, could hurt it as the season progressed, preventing it from making a playoff run. The Warriors heeded the advice, turned up the energy and have kept it high ever since.
Once the players and coaches were all on the same page, Montoursville started writing quite a story.
“It’s been a unique year for us. There have been no issues but we want guys to buy in from Day 1 and it didn’t necessarily happen. I think we knew we were going to be a pretty good team this year and could have a lot of success but doing it our way or doing it individually are two different things,” Eck said. “It wasn’t that the guys didn’t believe in us or trust us, but we’re at the point now where everyone has bought in 100 %. As a coach, it’s nice to see that they have fully bought in now to doing things the way we’ve preaching doing it.”
That has included executing the small things which often help determine games. Those little things might not look big at the moment, but it is the sum of them done well which helps produce big wins.
Montoursville is not a team featuring several power hitters. The Warriors, in fact, have one home run this year. But the Warriors hitting well collectively, moving runners, and doing whatever it takes to reach base is just as dangerous as smashing the ball out of the park.
Montoursville proved it again Monday as ever starter reached base. The Warriors scored 11 first inning runs, seven more in the second and piled up the runs while doing so in several different ways.
“We’re not going to overpower you with power,” Neill said. “We play hard and we beat people with our heart and desire to win.”
“We kind of taken the mantra of just doing whatever it takes. We’ve got guys moving, bunting, slashing. If you can do that stuff effectively you don’t need to drive the ball out of the park,” Eck said. “I like it. That’s kind of how we are at this point and I’m OK with that. We’ve won a lot of games like that over the years.”
That includes this season. And it’s not those who produce hits in a given game.
KJ Moore reached base three times and scored each time after being hit by a pitch and walking twice. Brody Aldenderfer hit a sacrifice fly and drew two walks, one driving in a run. That’s two players who combined for six plate appearances, officially going 0 for 0, but who made huge impacts.
That is how it has been down the stretch, too. The Warriors are not playing for themselves but for each other. Whatever it takes to win, they are willing to do.
“We don’t have any D1 commits or any studs hitting .600,” McCourt said. “You have to play together to win at this point.”
That is the goal going forward. Eck’s main message throughout the postseason has not so much focused on winning or losing, but more on leaving the field with no regrets. It’s been about letting the players know if they leave everything they have on the field, go all-out all the time and enjoy the moment than they should be able to sleep easy regardless of the outcome.
It sure helps each player knowing he has trusted friends around him as they pursue that goal. At this point, the Warriors have become more than teammates. Together, they fight on.
“We have each other’s backs all the time,” Neill said. “We do everything together.
“We’re family at this point.”