SLIPPERY ROCK — The end was always going to hurt.

Nobody could’ve predicted it would hurt as bad as it did.

Youngsville (10-8) led, fell behind, led again, fell behind again and forced extra innings before ultimately falling 14-13 in eight innings to the Cochranton Cardinals in a District 10 Class A semifinal Friday at Slippery Rock’s Jack Critchfield Park.

The loss brings to an end the Youngsville High School varsity sports programs as all teams have now been eliminated from postseason contention. Cochranton advances to Monday’s Class A championship against West Middlesex.

The Eagles may have gone down, but they went down with a fight — something not unexpected from the average Youngsville fan.

Friday’s game figured to be a pitcher’s duel between Youngsville’s David Manning and Cochranton’s Walker Carroll — a Division I commit to West Virginia University. It turned out to be anything but.

The third-seeded Cardinals got the early jump on the second-seeded Eagles, scoring a pair of two-out runs in the top of the first. Carroll extended the inning with a single and scored moments later on Bradyen Burnette’s two-run homer to deep center.

Youngsville responded by tying the game in the bottom of the first with some two-out magic of its own. Manning and Braydon Baker walked before Talon Mesel hit an RBI single to plate Manning and make it 2-1. Two batters later, Bryce Spinks worked a bases-loaded walk to bring home Baker and tie the game at 2-2. The Eagles forced Carroll to throw 38 first-inning pitches.

The teams traded zeroes until the bottom of the third when Youngsville took its first lead of the game as Mesel was able to score on a passed ball.

That one-run lead was blown wide open in the bottom of the fourth when the Eagles plated four runs to take a 7-2 lead. James Johnson singled and Cole Johnson was hit by a pitch before Baker cracked a one-out double to plate a run.

Cole Johnson would later score on a squeeze bunt from Mesel, Baker scored on a passed ball and Mesel scored on a balk and the Eagles were in firm control of the contest.

In the fifth inning the Eagles appeared to be cruising along as they got the first two outs and a fly ball was hit to center for the potential third out. Unfortunately, the ball was dropped, the inning continued and the Cardinals made Youngsville pay.

Cochranton banged out three straight hits after the error and had cut the lead to 7-5 before the top of the fifth ended.

After shutting Youngsville down in the bottom of the fifth, Cochranton used a five-run sixth to take a 10-7 lead.

With runners on second and third with two out, Youngsville coach Eddie Dorunda made the decision to intentionally walk Burnette, who had homered earlier in the game. Cochranton’s Andrew Albert was up next and was promptly hit by a Baker pitch that forced a run home and made it 7-6.

Ben Field added an RBI single for the Cardinals to tie the game and Tim Deeter broke the game open with a three-run double that cleared the bases and gave Cochranton a three run edge.

Youngsville didn’t back down.

Mesel led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk and Dylan DePasquale followed with a single. With one out, Josh Pikna singled to load the bases and Aaden Patch drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 10-8. James Johnson was up next, hitting a two-run single that plated DePasquale and Pikna to tie the game.

Moments later, Patch was able to tag up on Cole Johnson’s sacrifice fly and the Eagles found themselves three outs from a victory.

Manning was reinserted into the game to pitch and quickly got the first two outs of the inning. Trent Hoban kept Cochranton’s hopes alive by drawing a two-out walk and Carroll made it sting with a triple that knotted things up. Carroll scored on the same play on an error and Cochranton was back in front.

Again, Youngsville didn’t back down.

Mesel, DePasquale, Spinks and Pinka all walked in succession to make it 12-12 with nobody out and the winning run 90 feet away. After a strikeout, James Johnson was called out for making contact outside of the box — a controversial call to be sure — leaving the bases loaded with two down.

Cole Johnson was up next and took a good cut, but flied out to end the inning and force extras.

Manning had one pitch remaining to begin the eighth and Field singled to chase Manning and bring Cole Johnson into pitch. After an out, Cochranton freshman Stephen Schwartz doubled home a run to put the Cardinals back ahead. Before the inning was over, Coleton Mattocks would add an RBI hit to make it 14-12.

Baker roped a one-out double in the bottom of the eighth and Mesel followed with an RBI hit that got the Eagles back within one. After a second out, Spinks reached on an error that extended the game and again put the tying run 90 feet away. However, Field struck out Pikna to end the game and send Cochranton to the D-10 final on Monday.

James Johnson, Baker, Mesel and DePasquale all finished with two hits for Youngsville. Mesel scored a team-best four runs and James Johnson and Mesel each had two RBIs. Eagles’ batters drew 17 walks in a game that featured 377 total pitches.

Dorunda said after the game that he would like to thank the Boosters as well as Youngsville athletic director Clay Hayes for all the help provided to him during his five-year tenure as coach.

COCHRANTON (14): Mattocks, c, 6-1-2-1, Hoban, cf, 6-1-2-1, Carroll, p-1b, 6-2-2-1, Burnette, ss-p, 4-3-2-2, Albert, 3b-p-ss-2b, 4-2-1-1, Field, 2b-p, 5-3-3-3, Deeter, dh, 4-0-2-3, Wisenstein, lf, 0-0-0-0, Schwartz, 1b-3b, 4-1-1-1, Moore, rf, 5-1-2-0, Totals: 44-14-17-13

YOUNGSVILLE (13): James Johnson, c, 6-1-2-2, Cole Johnson, 3b-p, 4-1-0-1, David Manning, p-ss-p-ss, 3-1-0-0, Braydon Baker, ss-p-3b, 5-3-2-1, Talon Mesel, cf, 3-4-2-2, Dylan DePasquale, 2b, 3-1-2-0, Bryce Spinks, lf-rf-lf, 3-0-0-1, Josh Pikna, 1b, 3-1-1-1, Aaden Patch, rf, 4-1-0-1, Totals: 34-13-9-9

Cochranton 200 035 22 — 14 17 3

Youngsville 201 404 11 — 13 9 3

2b- Braydon Baker (Y) 2, Deeter (C), Schwartz (C). 3b- Carroll (C), Burnette (C). HR- Burnette (C). WP- Field. LP- David Manning.

SOFTBALL

NICKEL SHINES FOR BIG REDS

MEADVILLE — Harper Nickel was 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBIs, lifting West Middlesex to an 8-0 victory over Youngsville in the District 10 Class A semifinal softball game Friday at Allegheny College.

With the loss, Youngsville (6-11) is eliminated from postseason contention while the Big Reds advance to face Cambridge Springs in Monday’s Class A final.

Youngsville was facing an uphill battle Friday, going against the top-seeded Big Reds. West Middlesex erupted for 13 hits, while Youngsville had just a single base runner when Marli Rectenwald reached on a walk in the second inning.

Friday’s game wasn’t as lopsided as the final score indicated. The Lady Eagles trailed just 2-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning before Nickel’s second homer of the game ignited a five-run offensive outburst.

Senior Kamden Swearingen held her own on the mound, striking out five and walking none for Youngsville.

“We, as coaches, are incredibly proud of what the girls accomplished this year,” said Youngsville coach Neal Kent. “We were only down two in the fifth inning and only four of their runs were earned, so we were right in the game.”

YOUNGSVILLE (0): Alyssa Gentz, c, 3-0-0-0, Caitlyn Pikna, lf, 2-0-0-0, Maci Benton, cr, 1-0-0-0, Hailey Gray, ss, 3-0-0-0, Ireland Abraham, 3b, 3-0-0-0, Marli Rectenwald, cf, 1-0-0-0, Kamden Swearingen, p, 2-0-0-0, Kennedy Allen, 2b, 2-0-0-0, Peytynn Kirby, rf, 2-0-0-0, Paige Stover, dh, 2-0-0-0, Totals: 21-0-0-0

WEST MIDDLESEX (8): Nickel, 2b, 4-4-4-3, Leonard, 1b, 4-1-2-1, Blanton, 3b, 4-1-3-2, Long, p, 4-0-2-0, Kimmel, ss, 4-0-0-0, Thornton, lf, 3-0-1-1, Lapevich, c, 3-0-0-0, Harkless, rf, 3-0-0-0, Robich, rf, 0-1-0-0, Bowers, cf, 3-1-1-0, Totals: 32-8-13-7

Youngsville 000 000 0 — 0 0 2

West Middlesex 101 051 x — 8 13 0

2b- Thornton (W), Long (W) 2, Nickel (W). 3b- Bowers (W). HR- Nickel (W) 2. WP- Long. LP- Kamden Swearingen.