Youngsville started senior righty Nathan Lucks and tried to keep him under 50 pitches in order to maintain his eligibility for Wednesday’s important game with Maplewood. Lucks grinded through three and two-third innings, allowing just one run on five hits with four strikeouts.

“We did what we had to do to win,” said Youngsville coach Eddie Dorunda. “As soon as I saw their lineup card, I had to go with Lucks because their ace hadn’t given up an earned run all season. Nate didn’t have his best stuff tonight so we decided to go with Wyatt (Dalrymple) with the 2-1 lead to pitch to contact.”

Lucks allowed only Brett Kania’s RBI single in the top of the fourth that cut the Eagles lead to 2-1 at that point.

Prior to Cambridge Springs’ run, Lucks’ offense provided a pair of runs in support. That support included a two-out RBI single from David Manning in the bottom of the first and Talon Mesel’s run on a passed ball in the bottom of the second.

Youngsville's Matt DeSimone takes a swing at a pitch during Monday's baseball game with Cambridge Springs at Davis Street Field in Youngsville. Photo courtesy of Jay Elfstrom

Youngsville (14-3, 12-3 Region 3) extended its lead to six runs in the bottom of the fourth.

The Eagles were able to load the bases with three walks and Manning scored when a balk was called on Blue Devils pitcher Kania. Mesel scored on Braydon Baker’s single, Cole Johnson scored on Matt DeSimone’s hit and both Baker and DeSimone would score on passed balls before the five-run inning was over.

“We broke it open there in the fourth to give us some breathing room,” said Dorunda. “We escaped with a W and kept all our pitchers eligible going into the Maplewood rematch on Wednesday.”

The Blue Devils sliced the lead to four in the fifth when Matt Ross hit a two-out, two-run single, but Youngsville got one of those runs back quickly in the bottom of the fifth on Manning’s second RBI hit of the afternoon.

An RBI double from Alex Doubet would make it 8-4 in the top of the sixth but that was as close as Cambridge would get.

James Johnson finished the scoring in the bottom of the sixth when he delivered a two-out hit that plated DeSimone.

The Blue Devils led off the seventh with a hit that was quickly erased by a double play and Manning got Quinn Simmerman to pop up to shortstop to end the game.

Manning was the lone Eagle with two hits in the game. Five other players all added one hit. Lucks got the win with Manning closing the door for the save.

The Eagles round out region play on Wednesday when they host Maplewood with Youngsville looking to avenge one of its three losses in 2024.

CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS (4): P. Gorton 4-0-0-0, Riley, 3b-p, 4-1-2-0, J. Gorton, 2b, 4-2-3-0, Kania, p-1b, 2-0-1-1, Ross, c-lf-3b, 3-0-2-2, Simmerman, 1b-p-rf, 3-0-0-0, Mazzadra, cf-c, 2-1-0-0, Doubet, lf-rf-lf, 3-0-2-1, Schmidt, rf-cf, 3-0-0-0, Totals: 28-4-10-4

YOUNGSVILLE (9): Matt DeSimone, cf, 4-2-1-1, James Johnson, ss, 2-1-1-1, Nathan Lucks, p-c, 3-1-1-0, David Manning, 1b-p, 2-1-2-2, Wyatt Dalrymple, 2b-p-1b, 2-0-0-0, Talon Mesel, lf, 2-2-1-0, Cole Johnson, c-2b, 2-1-0-0, Lane Buccardo, rf, 3-0-0-0, Braydon Baker, 3b, 3-1-1-1, Totals: 23-9-7-5

Cambridge Springs 000 121 0 – 4 10 3

Youngsville 110 511 x – 9 7 1

2b- Doubet (CS). WP- Nathan Lucks. LP- Kania. Save- David Manning.