Jasper, Cambria Heights shut out Westmont Hilltop in 6-2A baseball contest

EBENSBURG, Pa. – Garrett Jasper felt at ease as he prepared to pitch in a District 6 Class 2A first-round contest Friday night at the Central Cambria High School baseball field.

Once on the mound, the Cambria Heights senior right-hander remained in the comfort zone through most of 52/3 innings against Westmont Hilltop in a game moved to the turf at Central Cambria.

Jasper struck out 10 and walked three (all in the Hilltoppers’ sixth inning) as the third-seeded Highlanders won 3-0.

“Honestly, in pregame warmups, I just felt comfortable,” said Jasper after throwing 101 pitches, with 58 for strikes. “I was nice and warm, ready to go. I knew I just had to play catch with (catcher) Bryce (Lewis) back there.”

Jasper fanned each player in the sixth-seeded Hilltoppers’ lineup at least once, striking out the side in the second inning and punching out two batters in the first and fifth innings.

“When you put zero runs on the board, that’s a good outing,” Cambria Heights coach Josh Bracken said. “He’s been getting a little bit stronger as the year goes on. That’s a credit to him.

“I think he was able to paint the fastball and let that changeup-fastball tunnel work. Just not be afraid to challenge guys at times. Early in the game, he got a couple Ks up in the zone. Being efficient early always helps.”

Through five innings, Jasper faced 17 batters – two over the minimum.

“I was able to use all of my pitches today,” said Jasper, who also had two hits at the plate. “I didn’t focus on one. I used all of them and that worked well for me.”

Westmont Hilltop stranded five runners. The Hilltoppers had three hits.

“We got the start that we needed out of our pitcher, Brady (Gartner),” Westmont Hilltop coach Chris DelSignore said. “We just couldn’t get any kind of run production whatsoever. It was tough sledding out there, and Garrett Jasper had a lot to do with that.”

Highlanders right-hander Nolan Clawson moved from shortstop to the mound with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth inning. He ended the threat with a strikeout and retired the side in order in the seventh.

Clawson’s two strikeouts gave the Highlanders pitchers 12 punchouts in the game.

“He’s only a freshman and I don’t lack confidence in him,” Bracken said.

“He came in, did his job and did his job well.”

Westmont Hilltop (9-11) starter Gartner also had a solid outing, allowing three hits and one earned run in five innings. The junior struck out seven and walked four. Reliever Aiden Kohan had a clean sixth inning.

Cambria Heights scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth and made the margin stand.

Tristan Weakland drew a one-out walk, and Carson Lobick singled to left field. No. 9 batter Harrison Snyder put down a sacrifice bunt ahead of Ethan Kline’s run-scoring single.

A two-out throwing error allowed two unearned runs to score.

“That sacrifice bunt, that’s a freshman doing a job in a big-time situation,” Bracken said. “We had guys throughout the lineup contributing at different times.”

Kline had two hits, including a triple. Stephen Nelen doubled for the Highlanders.

“A lot of timely hitting – tough two-strike approaches,” Bracken said. “When we reduce our strikeouts, we obviously give ourselves a chance.”

Cambria Heights (12-8) will face second-seeded Bishop McCort Catholic in a semifinal at Sargent’s Stadium at the Point. While still not official Friday night, both Crimson Crushers Athletic Director Erika Strittmatter and coach Chris Pfeil believed the game will be Wednesday because Bishop McCort will hold its baccalaureate ceremony Thursday.

DelSignore’s underclassman team will build for next season.

“You’ve got to learn how to win,” DelSignore said. “Sometimes learning how to win is through losing. We’ve just got to take this and pull what we can from this, learn from it.

“We got a taste of playoffs. We like where we’re headed. Might not be as fast as what I want, but we’re in the right direction.”

Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.