SATURDAY JUNE 18 2016

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JOHNSON TIES
LANDRY FOR LEAD
AT 4-UNDER
IN U.S. OPEN, 3B

ROLL ON RED RAIDERS Masullo

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Bellefonte captures 1st baseball state championship in school history

turns in
dominant
effort
BY RYNE GERY

rgery@centredaily.com
UNIVERSITY PARK

ABBY DREY adrey@centredaily.com

Bellefontes Garrett Reiter bunts during the PIAA Class AAA championship game against Susquehanna Township on Friday at Medlar Field at
Lubrano Park. Below: Fans fill the stands to cheer the Red Raiders on to their first state title in baseball in school history.

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Red Raiders beat Susquehanna

Township 2-0

BY RYNE GERY

rgery@centredaily.com

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Pitching, defense, clutch hitting

power Bellefonte to win
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Its just one heck of a run that Ill

never forget
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UNIVERSITY PARK

Three police vehicles and two

firetrucks led the Bellefonte baseball teams procession down East
Bishop Street.
The Red Raiders players leaned
out the windows of the yellow
school bus decorated with signs
that read: Congrats. State
Champs. Roll on Raiders. Ten
more fire, police and medical

vehicles from Bellefonte, Pleasant

Gap and Spring Township immediately followed the team bus.
Sirens sounded. Horns blared.
People applauded.
Bellefonte beat Susquehanna
Township 2-0 in the PIAA Class
AAA championship game Friday
at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park,
capturing the first state championship in baseball in school
history.
Im on top of the world, Bellefontes Tyler Kreger said.
Dom Masullo pitched a com-

plete game, striking out five and

allowing five hits to lead the Red
Raiders to the victory.
Kreger finished 1 for 4 with an
RBI, and Garrett Reiter finished 1
for 3 and scored a run to pace
Bellefonte offensively.
The Red Raiders (16-11) completed their run to the state title
against the Indians (19-9) in a
stadium packed with supporters.
The Bellefonte fans rose to
their feet when their team struck
SEE TITLE, 2B

About 30 seconds after the

final out, Dom Masullo came to a
realization.
Bellefonte was now the best
team in Class AAA in Pennsylvania.
In the middle of the Red Raiders celebration on the field, Masullo shed tears of joy.
I just couldnt help it, Masullo said. I mean it was just such
an amazing story and an amazing
win. Amazing season, too.
The senior right-hander pitched
a complete game to lead Bellefonte to a 2-0 win over Susquehanna Township in the state
championship game Friday at
Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Morehead State commit
struck out five, walked one and
allowed five hits in the dominant
outing.
According to Masullo, it was his
best performance of the season.
Today, I didnt throw one
pitch that I thought was a bad
pitch, Masullo said.
Masullo finished the year 8-3
with a 2.15 ERA.
He pitched in six of the teams
seven district and state playoff
games, earning five wins and one
save.
After the celebration Friday,
Masullo embraced his father, Pat,
who was an assistant coach this
season.
Pat Masullo watched his son
get up at 5 a.m. to work out at the
YMCA in Bellefonte during the
offseason.
I would get up at 5:30 and Id
go look in his room and hed be
gone, Pat Masullo said.
Masullo grew up pretending to
be Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan
Ryan while playing catch in the
backyard.
I cant tell you how many
games hes pitched in the backyard as a little guy, his father
said.
Masullo was drawn to Ryan
because he threw hard.
The Bellefonte right-hander
had to learn it didnt matter how
hard he threw early in the season.
By the end of the season, Red
Raiders coach Dan Fravel saw
Masullo mature into a pitcher
who trusted his teammates.
Masullo hit the high 80s with
his fastball throughout the game
and touched the 90s on the radar
gun at times.
But he pitched to contact, finishing with five strikeouts.
He knows hes a better pitcher
than they are hitters, Fravel said.
SEE DOM, 2B

U.S. OPEN

Foley, Howe looking

to make cut Saturday
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Foley finished first round 5-over par

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Howe at 9-over through 13 holes in second round

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Foley starts, Howe finishes second round Saturday morning

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BY JOHN MCGONIGAL

jmcgonigal@centredaily.com
OAKMONT

Any way you look at it, its

been an odd and definitely
less-than-ideal first couple of
days for the two former Nittany
Lions golfers at Oakmont Country Club.
Plagued by three rain delays on
Thursday and changing weather
conditions on Friday morning,
Kevin Foley battled through his
first round and still has his entire
second round to play on Saturday

morning before knowing whether

or not he made the cut.
And TJ Howe, scheduled to
complete 36 holes on Friday
alone after his tee time was
washed out on Thursday, will
have to finish his second round
Saturday morning after darkness
cut it short at 8:42 p.m.
As Friday concluded at the U.S.
Open, Foley was 5-over par,
while Howe stood at 9-over par.
The latter was 6-over after his
first round, and 3-over through 13
holes in the second.
Im not on pace to be up there
toward the top of the leader-

board, but well see how this

round two goes, Foley said.
Howe said after his first round
that he felt fine physically.
If anything, he thought doing
36 holes would be better than
playing as originally scheduled on
Thursday.
With the crazy schedule Ive
had the past couple of weeks, I
thought having a day off would
help me a little bit, the Osceola
native said.
But early on, the break in action seemed like it hurt his play.
Howe was erratic with the driver
in the first round, hitting 7 of 14
fairways, and cold with his putter.
I didnt play a very solid front
nine, he admitted.
But the 2010 All-American
rebounded. Howe finished out
his first round par, birdie, par and
par.
That gave him confidence as
he prepped for the second 18.
It gives me a chance, Howe
said.
As Howe mentioned, its not as
if his body is unfamiliar with
playing 36 holes competitively in
a day. Just two weeks ago he
SEE OPEN, 3B

HIGH SCHOOL

South beats North

in annual Lezzer
Lumber football game
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QB-WR combo from Central

leads way in 37-15 win
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Penns Valleys Ben Alexander

catches 4 passes for 62 yards
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Charles Ross of St. Joes caught 5

passes for 30 yards
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BY GORDON BRUNSKILL

gbrunskill@centredaily.com
ALTOONA

It was a loss that didnt sting

quite as much.
The South team beat the North
37-15 Friday night at Mansion
Park in the 32nd annual Lezzer
Lumber Classic All-Star Football
Game.

With less than a week of practices, basic offenses and some

relaxed play, the pressure was off
even as the South won for the
second straight year in the series.
Among the big contributors for
the North in the loss, quarterback
Mikey Kresovich was 5 of 13
passing for 45 yards and a pair of
interceptions, Ben Alexander
caught four passes for 62 yards
leading the team in receiving
yards, while Charles Ross of St.
Joes caught five passes for 30
yards. Alexander also caught a
two-point conversion.
It was awesome, Alexander
said. Its a great group of guys.
Just felt that brotherhood and
that fun, and just go out there
and play hard again one last time
SEE LEZZER LUMBER, 3B