Johnstown’s Paul Carpenter Capital Advisors used a mammoth three-run home run by Patrick Ferguson in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the Cleveland Blaze 7-6 in a AAABA Tournament semifinal Friday night at Point Stadium.
The win puts the Johnstown-2 franchise into the AAABA Tournament championship game against the Zanesville Junior Pioneers at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Point.
A first-time champion will be crowned regardless of the winner because neither Johnstown-2 nor Zanesville ever has won a tournament title in the previous 71 tournaments.
Chris Common went 3-for-4 for Paul Carpenter Capital Advisors. Starting pitcher Justin Vardian retired the first nine batters he faced and pitched into the sixth.
Reliever Brandon Rowland worked out of a bases-loaded, no outs jam in the sixth and finished to earn the win.
Cleveland’s A.J. Strnad hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth, Luke Caple had two hits and two RBIs, and Thom Mulig drove in two runs for the 3-2 squad.
The link to the Tribune-Democrat story on the Friday night game follows: