In the fifth inning, they got burned.

The Big Reds scored six times in the top of the fifth and escaped with a 6-3 victory over the Eagles in a PIAA District 10 Class A semifinal Thursday at the Robertson Athletic Complex at Allegheny College.

“The team that made the least amount of mistakes ended up winning,” said Youngsville coach Eddie Dorunda, whose Eagles finished the season at 15-5. “Nate (Lucks) kept pitching out of jams but you can’t expect him to do that all game long. We had three different sacrifice bunt opportunities to move runners into scoring position and we didn’t get the job done. That’s what it comes down to. If we execute, we would’ve had the lead early and made them come from behind.”

Both starting pitchers — Youngsville’s Nathan Lucks and West Middlesex’s Kyle Gilson — set the opposition down in order in the first inning before Middlesex put together its first scoring opportunity in the second inning.

Photo courtesy of Jay Elfstrom Youngsville first baseman Wyatt Dalrymple (15) stretches out to make the catch ahead of West Middlesex’s Logan Kent.

The Big Reds collected three hits in the frame but were unable to score. A well-timed double play got the first two outs before Lucks fired a strike to catcher Cole Johnson who tagged the runner trying to score from third on a pickoff attempt to end the inning.

Youngsville got its first baserunner in the bottom of the second when Talon Mesel drew a two-out walk but he was quickly caught stealing to keep it 0-0 after two innings.

Lucks pitched out of trouble once more in the fourth when hits from Evan Gilson, Tyler Blanton and Koncar loaded the bases with just one out. The senior righty responded with two consecutive strikeouts to strand all three Big Reds runners and keep the game scoreless.

After Cole Johnson recorded Youngsville’s first hit of the game in the third inning, David Manning got the Eagles’ second hit in the fourth but again no real scoring threat came.

Then, the decisive fifth inning.

Aidan Puskar drew a walk on a full-count call and Roman Golub followed with a double for West Middlesex to put runners at second and third with no one out. A groundout from Bowen Briggs made it 1-0 West Middlesex and the Big Reds kept pouring it on.

West Middlesex ripped off five singles in a row, including RBI hits from Kyle Gilson, Blanton, Koncar and Logan Kent to push the lead to 5-0. Further damage was thwarted when Lucks fielded a bunt and made a great play to tag courtesy runner Brody Gilmore, who was trying to score from third on the play.

With two outs, the Big Reds got one more big hit as Puskar singled in his second at-bat of the inning to score Kent and make it 6-0.

Youngsville refused to roll over without a fight.

Cole Johnson reached on an error to start the bottom of the fifth and Lane Buccardo ripped a strong single to put two men on. Both moved into scoring position on Braydon Baker’s groundout, setting the table for a two-run single from Matt DeSimone that got the Eagles on the board.

After DeSimone’s hit, James Johnson followed with a single and Lucks’ RBI groundout cut the lead to 6-3. However, that was all the Eagles would get in the fifth and ultimately for the game.

“I am happy with how we battled back in the bottom of the fifth,” said Dorunda. “After it was 6-0, they could’ve just hung their heads and gave up but they kept battling.”

It stayed a 6-3 game until the bottom of the seventh when DeSimone and James Johnson hit back-to-back singles with one out to bring the tying run to the plate.

Lucks hit perhaps the hardest ball of the day but it was right at West Middlesex third baseman Golub for the second out and Kyle Gilson then struck out Manning to end the game and Youngsville’s season.

DeSimone and James Johnson led Youngsville with two hits apiece while three other Eagles batters had one hit apiece.

Despite the bitter end to the campaign, Dorunda hasn’t lost sight of this group’s impact on the program.

“It really stings because we are the better ball team,” he said. “But at this stage you have to bring your best game or you go home and today we didn’t bring our best game.

“It was a fun ride with this senior group. I’m proud of them for how far they’ve come and wish them the best in their futures,” Dorunda added. “They’ll always be a vital part of the Youngsville baseball program.”

WEST MIDDLESEX (6)

Roman Golub, 3b, 4-1-1-0, Bowen Briggs, dh, 4-0-0-1, Landon Zec, 2b, 0-0-0-0, Kyle Gilson, p, 4-0-1-1, David Lakatos, cr, 0-1-0-0, Evan Gilson, 1b, 4-1-3-0, Tyler Blanton, ss, 3-1-2-1, Caleb Koncar, c, 4-0-3-1, Brody Gilmore, cr, 0-0-0-0, Logan Kent, cf, 4-1-2-1, Noah Grandy, lf, 2-0-0-0, Devyn Bell, ph, 1-0-0-0, Aidan Puskar, rf, 2-1-2-1. Totals 32-6-14-6

YOUNGSVILLE (3)

Matt DeSimone, cf, 3-1-2-2, James Johnson, ss, 4-0-2-0, Nathan Lucks, p-c, 4-0-0-1, David Manning, 1b-p, 4-0-1-0, Wyatt Dalrymple, 2b-1b, 3-0-0-0, Talon Mesel, lf, 2-0-0-0, Cole Johnson, c-2b, 2-1-1-0, Lane Buccardo, rf, 3-1-1-0, Braydon Baker, 3b, 3-0-0-0. Totals 28-3-7-3

West Middlesex 000 060 0 — 6 14 2

Youngsville 000 030 0 — 3 7 4

2B-Roman Golub (WM). W-Kyle Gilson. LNathan Lucks.