District 9 baseball: How hobbled Adam Manuel’s biggest hit of season lifted Karns City to Class 3A gold
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City's Mason Sherwin lays down a bunt against St. Marys in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City celebrates on the field after defeating St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City's Colton Christie (10) pitches against St. Marys in relief in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City's Joey O'donnell (12) snags the ball in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City defeated St. Marys 5-4 in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City's Joey O'Donnell (12) roars to his teammates after drawing a walk against St. Marys in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City starting pitcher Jacob Jones fires a pitch to a St. Marys batter in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City first baseman Koen Williams (20) snags a throw for an out as St. Marys' Ben Reynolds (8) ducks in the District 9 Class 3A baseball championship game Thursday, May 22, 2025, at DuBois' Stern Family Field. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
DUBOIS — Adam Manuel ignored the pain in his ankle and focused on a moment he’d waited his entire varsity career for approaching the batter’s box.
“Hit the ball,” the Karns City senior said. “I mean, it’s pretty simple. Catch the ball, put it out there.”
Deadlocked at four runs apiece with top-seeded St. Marys in the top of the seventh inning of Thursday’s District 9 Class 3A baseball title game, fellow senior Jacob Jones stood in scoring position. As he watched Manuel pinch-hit for Brock Dittman, Jones was confident in what was to come.
“I don’t have any doubt,” Jones said. “I have full faith in him.”
One pitch after whiffing on an offering to run the count full, Manuel roped a clutch single to left field, allowing Jones to come around for the go-ahead run in a 5-4 victory at DuBois’ Stern Field.
“Really bad ankle injury, worked hard with out trainers,” Gremlins coach Josh Smith said of Manuel. “He knows he’s a senior. ... He felt it was OK, taped it up real good. Didn’t think he was ready to play first base and be mobile, but as a senior, he knows that situation’s not too big for him. He understood to just get a barrel on it.”
Normally a starter, Manuel suffered the injury last week when he jumped up to nab a throw at first base and landed awkwardly.
“It’s pretty bad for being able to play on it a week later, but it is what it is,” Manuel said. “You’ve got to be able to play when your team needs you.”
After sending the ball to left field, he took off for first base, hoping Jones could get home safely for No. 2 Karns City (14-6).
“My arms are waving,” Smith said. “No matter what. ... He fields it clean, boots it, I’m sending (Jones). We’ve got to have a chance to get ahead. He kind of short-hopped the guy, and it worked out good. I just told Adam, ‘If you get a hit, get to first base. You know, I know you’re bad. Just get to first base.’ He was smiling the whole way.”
Jackson Vollmer led off the next half inning for the Dutchmen (11-9) with a double. Nearing his 105-pitch limit on the mound, Jones got Tysen Beimel to fly out and Ben Reynolds to ground out to third. Junior Colton Christie relieved Jones and induced a Ben Paul ground out. Paul had registered three RBIs earlier in the game.
In response to Paul’s two-run single in the bottom fifth, Christie’s two-out, bases-loaded single in the sixth inning plated Brennan Harmon, but Tyler Kelly was thrown out at home trying to give the lead back to the Gremlins.
Karns City led 2-0 entering the bottom fourth. Jones walked Beimel before Reynolds narrowly avoided grounding into a double play, then moved to second via a wild pitch and scored on a Paul single. On what would’ve been a close play at the plate, Gremlins catcher Troy Nagel bobbled the cutoff throw on that base knock.
Cam Coudrier hit a one-out RBI single to bring Paul home. In the top of the fifth, Jones’ RBI sac-fly made it 3-2.
Karns City will play Bedford, which beat Carrick 8-5 Thursday in a District 5/8 game, in a PIAA Class 3A subregional at 1 p.m. Monday at DuBois’ Showers Field. Manuel plans on being on the field for that one, too.
“Just keep rehabbing, keep doing my thing and get back out there,” Manuel said.
Karns City 101 011 1 — 5 7 0
St. Marys 000 220 0 — 4 7 0
W: Jacob Jones 6.2 IP (6K, 3BB). L: Louie Nedzinski 1IP.
Karns City (14-6): Colton Christie 1B RBI, Mason Sherwin 1B RBI, Jacob Jones 2B 2RBI R, Tyson Frazier 1B, Adam Manuel 1B RBI, Troy Nagel 2B, Tyler Kelly 1B 2R, Brennan Harmon R.
St. Marys (11-9): Jackson Vollmer 2B, Tysen Beimel 2-1B R, Ben Reynolds R, Ben Paul 2-1B 3RBI R, Cam Coudrier 2B RBI, Mason Nicklas 2-1B, AJ Himes R
