Ephrata, Warwick advance to LNP 17U Tournament semifinal round

The most important pitch in baseball?

Strike one.

Ephrata Lions pitcher Braden Murphy threw strike one to 14 of the 21 batters he faced Tuesday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium, key to the Lions advancing to the semifinals of the LNP 17U Tournament. The Lions broke out with a big fifth inning to make a 6-1 winner of Murphy, who was locked in a tight pitchers’ duel with Conestoga Valley’s Evan Wilson.

The Lions (12-2), the No. 3 seed in the tournament, will face Lampeter-Strasburg in the second game of a semifinal doubleheader Wednesday, following the conclusion of the first game, featuring Penn Manor and Warwick, a 9-4 victor over Hempfield on Tuesday night. Wednesday night’s twinbill is set for a 5:30 p.m. start back at the Clip.

Murphy took a three-hit shutout into the seventh inning before CV (8-6) pushed across a run in the seventh on a walk, single and run-scoring double play.

“I just tried to get ahead in the count early,” said Murphy, who walked three and struck out seven. “If I struggle, I take a deep breath. I’m not worried about strikeouts. They’re nice and all. I just try to make them hit the ball. I have a good defense.”

His defense recorded seven flyouts, five groundouts — including the twin killing in the seventh — and one infield popup. From the first out of the third inning to the second of the sixth, Murphy retired 10 of 11 batters.

“He’s learning how to do some different things with runners on base,” Lions coach Ricky Bromirski said. “He’s still progressing, but he’s done an excellent job so far for us this summer.”

Conestoga Valley vs. Ephrata - LNP Tournament 17U quarterfinals [photos]

Third baseman Landry Weidner made a spectacular play behind Murphy for the first out of the sixth, diving to field Gavin Sensenig’s grounder on the third-base line, popping up and throwing to the home side of first base, where Tyler Buckwalter applied the tag.

Wilson matched zeroes with Murphy for the first three innings before JD Muhr singled Ethan Gockley home with two out in the fourth.

Gockley factored in the Lions’ fifth inning outburst. Ethan Hunt walked with one out and Ty Custer was hit by a pitch. Back-to-back RBI singles by Chase Prange and Weidner broke the inning open and Gockley drilled a two-run single to right field, chasing home Prange and Weidner for a 5-0 lead.

“We put things together at the right time,” Bromirski said. “It comes down to the little things and we were able to execute with runners on base.”

In the second game, strike one was a rare sighting, at least in the early going as starters Derek Katch of Hempfield and CJ Easler of Warwick walked seven of the first 20 batters. Katch endured the greater damage by the five walks he issued in two innings of work as Warwick (9-5) jumped to a 4-1 lead en route to finishing off the defending champions.

Hempfield was its own worst enemy Tuesday, committing seven errors to go with issuing nine total walks.

Warwick’s CJ Easler did pretty well for a guy who walked the first two batters of the game.

“I threw my curveball well, starting in the second inning,” said Easler, who retired 13 of 14 at one point of the game. “I never really got a feel for my changeup, but I was able to spot my fastball after the first inning and kept commanding my curve.”

Easler took a one-hit shutout into the sixth inning before the Black (8-6) strung together four singles and a sac fly to pull to within three runs, 6-3.

“My pitch count was getting high,” said Easler, hinting that his tank may have been getting low.

Hempfield Black vs. Warwick - LNP Tournament 17U quarterfinals [photos]

Warwick’s offensive production was personified by leadoff batter Cole Gerhart. Gerhart was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a single and a walk, an RBI and four runs scored.

Warwick increased its advantage to 5-1 as Gerhart doubled and scored on a wild pitch. He reached on an error in the sixth, scoring Warwick’s sixth run on Josiah Smucker’s RBI groundout.

With the Black closing to 6-3, Warwick posted a three-spot in the top of the seventh with Gerhart capping the rally with an RBI double.

The Black loaded the bases on reliever Josiah Smucker in the seventh inning on a walk, hit and hit batter, plating a run when Landon Charles was also hit by a pitch. Smucker got Brayden Gebhard on a groundout to end the game.