SELINSGROVE -- Just because Zach Mills has only thrown one inning this summer for the Selinsgrove American Legion team doesn't mean the righty's arm wasn't in shape.

"I've thrown every Saturday for my adult team," Mills said. "Other than the inning I threw in relief against Sunbury/Northumberland, I haven't thrown against kids my age since the high school season."

Making his first start of the season in the winners bracket final of the Susquehanna Valley American Legion League playoffs, Mills tossed six shutout innings against Bloomsburg in an 8-1 Selinsgrove victory on Friday evening.

"I just kept the ball down and hit my spots," Mills said. "I was able to do that consistently and that's all a pitcher can ask."

Selinsgrove (13-7) will host the survivor of the elimination bracket final on Monday at 5:30 p.m. Selinsgrove will have to be beaten twice not to advance to next weekend's Region V Tournament. Bloomsburg and Berwick play today at 5:30 p.m. to determine Selinsgrove's opponent.

Mills retired the first nine hitters of the game before Adam Diltz singled to open the fourth. He was backed up by a nearly flawless Selinsgrove defense that committed just one error, its lone miscue in the first two games of the playoffs. Mills had eight groundball outs in six innings. He finished with four strikeouts and one walk.

"The only game that Zach threw he came out of the bullpen against Sunbury/Norry and I later found out that's not a role he was used to," Selinsgrove manager Bryan Mohr said. "He threw an excellent game. We played great defense behind him. We're just playing excellent baseball right now. That's why we're winning."

Selinsgrove took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Paul Eyster walked and Derek Moyer had an infield single. Nick Gaugler followed with an RBI single. Selinsgrove had runners on second and third with one out after a Justin Portzline sacrifice, but Bloomsburg starter Noah Martz escaped without anymore damage, retiring the next two hitters.

He wasn't so lucky in the third. Eyster led off with a single and went to second on an outfield error. After a walk to Moyer, Gaugler launched a 3-1 pitch over the center field fence to give Selinsgrove a 4-0 lead. Portzline then doubled and went to third on Kevin Robinson's single.

Ben Miller followed with a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 advantage before Robinson was doubled off first on the play. Mills and Nate Rovenolt each singled before Mills scored on an error for a 6-0 Selinsgrove advantage.

Selinsgrove added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Miller had an RBI single. In the fifth, Moyer had a sacrifice fly.

n Jersey Shore 14, Milton 4

(6 innings)

JERSEY SHORE -- An eight-run sixth inning put the game out of reach for Milton as it fell to Jersey Shore in the winners' bracket of the West Branch League playoffs.

Jersey Shore scored seven of its eight runs in the sixth inning off four walks and three Milton errors. Derek Smith was 3-for-3 with a double, and Andy Welsh had a two-run home run in the fourth inning for Jersey Shore.