PHOTO GALLERY | 'Well-pitched game': Conemaugh Valley walks off Ferndale to win 6-1A pitchers' duel

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Conemaugh Valley’s walk-off victory over Ferndale actually revealed how effective each team’s pitching was in Friday’s District 6 Class 1A playoff contest.

The Blue Jays’ Donald Brown scored the game-winning run from third base after reaching base on a dropped third strike.

The Blue Jays won 2-1 over the Yellow Jackets at Pete Vuckovich Field without a hit in the seventh inning.

PHOTO GALLERY | Conemaugh Valley advances in D6-1A playoffs with 2-1 walk-off win over Ferndale

“Very well-pitched game,” Conemaugh Valley coach Jamie Eckenrode said. “We had to take a few chances at the end. That’s what happened. We got lucky.”

Luck might have played a factor, but the seventh-seeded Blue Jays (9-11) certainly can thank the lefty-righty tandem of pitchers Kyron Fields and Lance Masser for a shutdown effort on the mound.

Fields pitched 42/3 innings, allowing one hit and no earned runs while striking out 10 and walking two.

Connor Hrivnak, Joey Toth

Ferndale shortstop Connor Hrivnak (left) catches Conemaugh Valley’s Joey Toth in a pickle in the bottom of the second inning of a PIAA District 6, Class 1A first-round playoff game at Conemaugh Valley Junior/Senior High School in East Taylor, Friday, May 15, 2026.

Masser tossed 21/3 scoreless frames while retiring all seven batters faced.

“They were throwing strikes,” Eckenrode said. “We were getting ahead of batters and getting outs. We had an inning with a couple errors that let them get back in the game, but our pitchers threw crazy-good today.”

Sophomore left-hander Fields walked the first two Ferndale batters, then induced a groundout before recording nine consecutive strikeouts from the first inning into the fourth.

Ferndale’s Donovin Corson broke up the no-hitter with a two-out single in the fifth. He scored after a wild pitch and an error to make it 1-1.

Mike Zahurak, Lance Masser

Ferndale second baseman Mike Zahurak (left) applies a late tag as Conemaugh Valley’s Lance Masser steals second base in the top of the first inning of a PIAA District 6, Class 1A first-round playoff game at Conemaugh Valley Junior/Senior High School in East Taylor, Friday, May 15, 2026.

“I just started throwing good and got my head locked into the game,” said Fields, who tossed 73 pitches – 49 for strikes. “I was just focused and locked into the game.

“It means a lot. I love this team. I can’t believe we did it.”

Masser recorded the final out in the fifth and was perfect in the sixth and seventh frames to earn the win. He struck out the final two hitters as Ferndale players struck out 12 times.

“That’s just how it’s got to be,” Masser said. “Kyron’s our best pitcher and he’s going to carry this team because he has a great arm. I’m just going to try and help him out by getting that win.”

Ferndale sophomore right-hander Sy Werzyn pitched 62/3 innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out seven and walked one.

“The pitchers were hitting their spots – mixing it up and down, in and out,” Ferndale coach Mark Hrivnak said. “They were doing a fantastic job pitching. That’s the best pitching game we had all season.”

Conemaugh Valley took a 1-0 lead in the fourth, as Masser doubled and Gavin Buchan singled. Masser scored from third on an errant pickoff attempt at first base.

“We were on point,” Hrivnak said. “It just came down to one small mistake.”

The bottom of the seventh had twists, turns and momentum swings before ending in somewhat bizarre fashion.

With one out, Brown struck out swinging, but the ball bounced away, allowing him to reach first base. Freshman courtesy runner Jim Kichler stole second and moved to third on George Weimer’s single to right.

Eckenrode reinserted Brown as the runner at third base.

Ferndale reliever Connor Hrivnak entered and worked a 1-2 count on No. 9 hitter Hunter Blough before a wild pitch caromed up the first-base line and allowed the winning run to score.

“Relief,” Eckenrode said of his reaction to the ending. “Just trying to create some chaos there and put the pressure on.

“Luckily, it broke our way.”

Conemaugh Valley will travel to second-seeded Northern Cambria in Monday’s quarterfinal.

The Colts won 4-0 May 7 in the first game of a doubleheader, and the Blue Jays prevailed 2-0 in the second contest.

Ferndale closed a 7-12 season.

“The best team we had in the last three or four years,” Coach Hrivnak said. “We hit the ball.

“We put everything in play.

“We were in most games. We only had one blowout loss. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.”

Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat.

He can be reached at 814-532-5083.

Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.