HS Baseball: Setlock, Grace shine as Blue Mountain defeats Shenandoah Valley in Schuylkill League quarterfinal
Blue Mountain's Dean Faust (12) slides into home plate safely during Game 1 of the quarterfinal round of the Schuylkill League playoffs Monday at Stump Stadium. The Eagles defeated Shenandoah Valley 5-2 and advanced to the semifinal round (Photo by Kelly Wiley).
PINE GROVE — Aidan Grace set the tone early and Evan Setlock carried the momentum late for Blue Mountain.
Grace and Setlock highlighted a collective effort that saw the Eagles defeat Shenandoah Valley 5-2 in a Schuylkill League quarterfinal baseball game Monday at Walter Stump Stadium.
“Big-time players will produce in big-time games,” Blue Mountain coach Jarrod Kramer said. “(Grace and Setlock) came through in the clutch. Those guys don’t shy away from the moment. Setlock’s hit was huge: two outs with runners in scoring position with that big double.”
Grace delivered an RBI single in the top of the first inning to give the Eagles an early lead, and after briefly falling behind, Blue Mountain (13-7) surged back with a pair of runs in the fourth and never looked back.
Setlock earned the win on the mound, tossing 6.1 strong innings. The junior right-hander allowed six hits and two unearned runs while striking out four and walking none in a 102-pitch effort. Grace came in to secure the final two outs, fanning two and earning the save.
“Grace is a competitor,” Kramer said. “When the game is on the line, he wants the ball.”
Shenandoah Valley, the Division II runner-up, capitalized on two Blue Mountain errors in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead, but the Eagles answered in the top of the fourth. Matt Grasso’s RBI single to center tied the game for the Eagles, and Aiden Finn followed with a groundout to second that plated the go-ahead run.
Blue Mountain tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning thanks to back-to-back doubles by Grace and Setlock, widening the gap to 5-2. That proved to be enough, as the Eagles’ pitching tandem closed the door over the final three frames.
Grace finished 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, while Setlock went 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs. Brady Strause reached base twice, scored a run and was hit by a pitch, while Grasso and Riley Sebastian each added a hit for the Eagles.
Blue Mountain totaled six hits and took advantage of four extra-base knocks — two of them doubles by Grace and Setlock — to generate their offense.
For Shenandoah Valley (14-7), Chase McCole, Haden Kechula and Johnny Burke each recorded two hits. The Blue Devils matched the Eagles with eight total hits but were undone by two costly errors and stranded opportunities.
