NATRONA HEIGHTS - Having seen the home team blow a two-run lead on consecutive nights, Natrona Heights did most of its damage early - then held on for dear life.

Natrona Heights used a six-run second inning to take a 7-1 lead and posted an 8-6 triumph over Cranberry Township in Game 4 of their Eagle County League baseball semifinal series Wednesday at Highlands High School.

The Game 5 winner today will advance to the championship series, which begins Saturday at Highfield Park against Saxonburg.

"What screwed us is we should have won this series," said Natrona player-coach Chad Gourley.

"We were up two runs in the second game and they scored six in the seventh inning. Then, they were up two runs in the seventh inning (Tuesday) and we scored six.

"The key for us is if we get the lead early, we're all right," Gourley added.

For the second consecutive game, Cranberry Township proved to be its own worst enemy.

In Tuesday's 9-5 loss in Game 3, Cranberry stranded 15 runners. On Wednesday, they left 13 more, an average of two per inning. They left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings Wednesday.

"Twenty-eight in two games, that's a lot," said Cranberry player-coach Bill Clinefelter. "No one goes out there thinking they're going to pop up or ground out.

"I'm certain we haven't lost three games in a row all year," he added.

Cranberry trailed 7-1 after two innings, but a two-out, two-run double by Clinefelter in the third inning and a two-out, two-run home run by Adrian Sykes in the fifth inning pulled Cranberry to within 7-5.

Clinefelter and Justin Patsilevas followed with singles and Garrett Steiner walked to load the bases, but Natrona pitcher Chris Kelly got Bill Stehle to ground out to end the threat.

Natrona Heights opened the fifth with a pair of walks, but the runners were stranded to keep the game at 7-5.

Cranberry's Chris Dubensky opened the sixth with a single and Jason Swalga legged out a grounder when Kelly's toss to first caused a collision and the ball rolled away, allowing both runners to move up.

Cranberry's Brendon Steiner then lined a shot down the first base line off reliever Kris Kemp, but the ball was speared on the fly by first baseman Andrew Andryka.

Greg Miller was walked intentionally to load the bases. Mike Gogolin walked to drive in one run, but Sykes grounded into a fielder's choice at home and Clinefelter flied out to deep left centerfield.

Natrona Heights added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Phil Coffin had a bad-hop RBI single over shortstop Gogolin's glove.

Cranberry jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on Brendon Steiner's solo home run, but Natrona countered in its half when Coffin had the first of his three RBI singles.

In the second inning, Natrona had the first six batters reach safely and used five hits and three errors by Cranberry to open a 7-1 advantage.

Abati's two-run single and RBI singles by Zak Sabotka and Coffin helped Natrona seize control early.

Cranberry 102 021 0 - 6 12 3

Natrona Hts. 160 001 x - 8 10 1

WP:

Chris Kelly (5+ IP) 3 strikeouts, 5 walks.

LP:

Bill Stehle (6 IP) 5 strikeouts, 4 walks

Cranberry Township (19-13-1):

Brendon Steiner HR, 3B; Greg Miller 2B; Adrian Sykes HR, 2 RBI; Bill Clinefelter 2B, 1B, 2 RBI; Justin Patsilevas 2-1B

Natrona Heights (20-13):

Raymond Abati 1B, 2 BB, 2 SB, 2 RBI; Phil Coffin 3-1B, 3 RBI, SB; Zak Sabotka 1B, RBI

Today:

Natrona Heights at Cranberry Township, 6 p.m.