PORT ALLEGANY — Port Allegany found itself in a familiar spot against a familiar opponent in the first round of the District 9 playoffs.
A year ago, seeded 8th in Class 2A, the Gator baseball team defeated Keystone to advance to the quarterfinals. This year, seeded 8th again, Port would need to defeat Route 6 rival Coudersport for the third time this season to replicate the feat.
Drew Evens, then just a sophomore, led the 2021 Gators with a breakout playoff pitching performance that blanked Keystone. In Monday’s pre-quarter, however, the now-junior enjoyed a milestone game that cemented his star status and propelled the Gators over Coudy.
Evens threw five no-hit innings, recorded the 100th strikeout of his career and belted a three-run home run to lead the Gators over the Falcons, 6-2, at Moose Park.
The homer, the first of Evens’ varsity career, was the big blow in an otherwise sloppy game. After capping Evens at 75 pitches, Port coach Josh McNeil managed his pitching staff optimally, keeping some of his top arms available for top-seeded Johnsonburg.
Given the emotion streaming from the Port dugout, however, Tuesday’s quarterfinals were the last thing on the Gators’ minds.
“We hit the ball really well,” McNeil said. “We made a few minor defensive mistakes, but we came out on top.”
Evens worked himself in and out of trouble in his five frames on the mound, walking four batters while hitting another with a pitch and absorbing an infield error. He picked off a runner at 1st base and saw another gunned down at 2nd by catcher Blaine Moses, as the Gators stranded five Coudy runners in the game.
“(Evens’) command was pretty good,” McNeil said. “He kept his composure, hit his spots and threw a very good game.”
Coudy ace Garrett Kellert countered Evens, working into trouble early on before escaping in a similar fashion. Port scraped a run across in the 3rd when Evens reached second base on an error and Sawyer Prince doubled him home.
However, Port’s big inning came in the 4th.
Coudy worked itself into a boatload of trouble before recording an out, as a leadoff walk preceded back-to-back booted ground balls. The second infield error allowed Port’s first run to score and brought Evens to the plate with two on.
The right-hander sailed a ball high over the fence in left center, sending the Port bench and surrounding crowd into a frenzy.
“Right before (his home run), I just told (Evens) we need a base hit; don’t get the ball up in the air,” McNeil said. “Then, the ball magically came up and went out. I’m pretty stoked for him.”
The next at-bat, Prince turned on a fastball and drove it hard off of the wall in right center, continuing Port’s momentum.
The Gators loaded the bases again, but Kellert did a heroic job of keeping the score at 5-0, inducing a strikeout and a groundout to escape further damage. Coudy’s mistakes were not isolated to that inning, as the Falcons made seven errors in the ball game while mustering just two hits.
“We were able to get a lot of guys on base, but (Evens) was able to buckle down,” Coudy coach Doug McClintic said. “Some calls went their way and we just weren’t able to punch the runs across. If we could have scored early, I think it would have changed the complexion of the game, but he was able to work through it and pick a couple guys off, and it made a difference.”
Coudy’s best chance came in the 6th when Kellert ripped a single on the first pitch he saw before scoring on a Gavyn Ayers triple. Jacob Hooftallen drew a walk immediately after, but Port reliever Ty Guilds retired the next three batters he faced to quickly end the threat.
Prince retired the Falcons in order in the 7th, throwing just 11 pitches to preserve his status for Tuesday. The lanky lefty will be in line to pitch a game familiar to him this evening, as he’ll be tasked with a deadly Jburg lineup for the second consecutive playoff tournament.
“(Prince) is looking for a little redemption from last year,” McNeil said. “He’s gotten a lot better and has become just a great overall baseball player. We’re in the same boat and we have a lot to think about for the next 24 hours.”
Prince finished 3-for-4 with an RBI at the plate, while Moses added a hit and scored a run. The Gators (10-5) will now look to avenge 2021’s 8-0 loss to the Rams in a district playoff game that was played much closer than the final score indicated.
“The goal was to go with (Evens) for 75, hoping we could get through the game, then bring in (Guilds) and (Prince) and possibly have them for Johnsonburg,” McNeil said. “It ended up working out in our favor.”
Coudy, meanwhile, ends its season at 8-8. The Falcons will lose Kellert to graduation but will return a largely youthful lineup that was among the Northern Allegheny’s best this season.
“It’s tough to beat a team three times in one season and Coudy is always a tough team to play,” McNeil said. “With Coach McClintic’s knowledge of the game and some of their leaders, they had a good ball team this year and they’ll have one next year.”
First pitch Tuesday at Jburg’s Knothole Park is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. The top-seeded Rams received a bye into the quarters.
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