Surging into the playoffs

May 08, 2008 08:26 am

— DANVILLE -- Completing a surprising surge that began just 12 days ago with a crucial road victory at Mifflinburg, the Danville Ironmen are heading to the District 4 playoffs for the first time under second-year head coach Devin Knorr.
Andrew Shoop hurled the first complete game of the season for the Ironmen and Jake Gronsky notched two extra-base hits and drove in two runs in a commanding 9-0 Susquehanna Valley League victory over Warrior Run.
"We're finally getting into a flow," Knorr said of his 10-7 Ironmen (overall and SVL), winners of five of their last six games. "We had a slow start with our bats (this season), but our defense has been playing well, we've been hitting and pitching.
"We're peaking at the right time."
Shoop carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning, before a Todd Brouse single got the Defenders (1-16, 1-16) off the pine. The junior showed tremendous control the entire afternoon, giving up five hits while fanning five, with only one walk. His two-run double in the bottom of the third, a powerful blast that landed just in front of the center field fence, plated Gronsky and Nick Bloskey, jump-starting a four-run inning by the Danville offense.
"(Shoop) did a nice job with his spots," Knorr said. "He was excellent around the plate, moving the ball, and he kept his pitch count down."
After Shoop's double increased the Ironmen lead to 3-0, Andrew Hahn delivered on Senior Day with a two-out single to left, scoring Shoop from second, for a 4-0 Danville lead. Fellow senior Justin Koch, batting as the DH in the sixth spot, singled to center to send Hahn home and the Ironmen rout was on, 5-0.
"We wanted to give all the seniors a chance today and they gave us great production," Knorr said. "Everyone on the team knows how hard those guys have worked for us all year."
With Shoop dominating on the mound, the Defenders were only able to advance two runners beyond first base the entire game. Shoop's Warrior Run counterpart, pitcher Ethan Ernst, also went the distance. Two fielding errors extended innings in which Danville scored runs, but the Ironmen also pounded out 11 hits in just six innings at the plate.
Ernst was the only Defender to record multiple hits off Shoop, singling in the fourth and seventh innings.
"He's a very capable player," Warrior Run coach Pierce Wilson said of Ernst. "It's unfortunate. We're not there with him.
"He's doing everything he can, we just don't have anyone to back him up."
Danville added three more runs in the fifth, to end any hope of a Defenders comeback. Following a walk by Koch and an error in center that allowed Zach LeVan to reach base, senior Todd Moser drilled a triple over Brouse's head in right field, plating both runners, for an 8-0 lead. Gronsky, who tripled home Brad Harvey in the fourth, doubled this time, scoring Moser for the final 9-0 margin.
"Danville has a great coaching staff," Wilson said. "Devin is doing a tremendous job with them. Those kids have been around baseball a long time."
Knorr summed up the game's importance, adding: "I'm really happy with our effort (today). It's always nice to get that 10th win at home."

Photos

Danville's Nick Bloskey gets his bat on the ball for a base hit during Wednesday's game against Warrior Run.