WPIAL baseball: Despite early runs, Freeport bats stall in first-round loss to Waynesburg Central
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport’s Michael Hanz (88) celebrates after taking third base in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport’s third baseman Gavin Tola catches the ball in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport baseball fell to Waynesburg Central 6-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Freeport’s Chase Walker (24) and Owen Westendorf (17) fist bump during a WPIAL Class 3A baseball first-round game on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Gateway High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
MONROEVILLE — Early success against a pitching ace can set the tone for an entire baseball game.
Freeport was certainly hoping so when it scored a pair of runs in the first inning Thursday off Waynesburg Central’s Tyler Groves.
But the senior settled down, shutting out the Yellowjackets on just one hit the rest of the way in a 6-2 decision that ended Freeport’s season in a WPIAL Class 3A first-round playoff at Gateway High School.
“Our goal was to take advantage of plus counts, 2-0 and 3-1, if we got them,” Freeport coach Ed Carr said. “And early on, we were getting them, but after that first inning, we were not able to capitalize.”
Groves entered the game with an 8-0 record and ERA of 1.51. Freeport’s best chances to score again came in the top of the fourth and fifth.
In the fourth, the Yellowjackets were denied despite Kason Barker’s leadoff double.
In the fifth, Cam Zigo and Luke Whitfield drew walks. Trailing 5-2, the Yellowjackets sent the tying run to the plate in back-to-back at-bats with two outs.
But Groves shut the door by striking out Michael Hanz and Barker, the No. 3 and 4 batters in Freeport’s order.
Hanz had feasted on opposing pitching this season.
“We had our chances, just couldn’t come up with the big hit,” Carr said.
The Raiders (16-3) got on the board with a run in the bottom of the second when Groves hit a leadoff triple and came home on Kory Taylor’s sacrifice fly.
Through three innings, Freeport starter Owen Westendorf had pitched well and was still working with a 2-1 lead. But the Raiders broke out in the fourth.
Jacob Stephenson’s double brought in the tying run, and with two outs, Grant Pack laced a two-run double. CJ Corwin singled in a fifth run, and Westendorf was relieved by Dustin Kohan.
“We did enough offensively, had some two-out hits that were big for us today,” Raiders coach Perry Cunningham said.
A freshman, Westendorf struck out three, walked none and was charged with five runs on six hits in 3.2 innings.
“He was poised, had no fear and did a good job,” Carr said. “He had a couple of balls drop in (for hits), and those were not his fault.”
The Yellowjackets (13-7) still had time to answer, but Groves frustrated the team’s lineup. After getting out of the jam in the fifth, he set Freeport down in order over the final two innings with three strikeouts.
Groves, who threw exactly 100 pitches, struck out 11, walked two and allowed the two runs on just four hits.
“He had really good command today,” Carr said.
“It would have been easy for Tyler to fold after that first inning, but he’s a leader, a team captain,” Cunningham said. “He was hitting the corners with three pitches today — fastball, curve and change. When you can do that, hitters are at a disadvantage.”
Freeport earned a share of the section title this season with four other teams, all going 8-4 in section play. But the Yellowjackets were tagged with a No. 13 seed.
“Any time you get a seed that low, you think you deserved better,” Carr said. “But I don’t know how much seeding comes into play in baseball. I don’t think it was a factor today.
“We got a share of a section title, had won nine of our last 10 coming in here and we’re a young team with a lot coming back.”
Freeport 200 000 0 — 2 4 1
Waynesburg 010 410 x — 6 7 3
WP: Tyler Groves 7 IP (11K, 2BB); LP: Owen Westendorf 3.2 IP (3K, 0BB).
Freeport (13-7): Michael Hanz 2B R, Kason Barker 1B 2B R RBI, Chase Walker 1B RBI
Waynesburg (16-3): Austin Surber 2-1B, Tyler Groves 1B 3B 2R, Jacob Stephenson 2B R RBI, Grant Pack 2B R 2RBI, CJ Corwin 1B RBI
