Tuesday, June 2, 2009

District 3 big schools go splat

Monday was very unkind to big-school baseball teams in District 3.

Chambersburg, Central Dauphin and Warwick were all sent packing in Class AAAA while Manheim Central, Palmyra and Donegal got the boot in AAA. Twin Valley, the 3-AAA, is the lone survivor of the seven to qualify.

What's strange is that the small schools in the district, which are few and far between, all flexed their muscles in the PIAA opening round.

In Class AA, District 3 champion Brandywine Heights bombed District 12 runner-up Nueva Esperanza, 17-2, in three innings while runner-up Tulpehocken took it to District 12 champion Kennedy Kenrick, 8-1.

In Class A, reigning PIAA champion and District 3 winner Camp Hill downed District 12 winner (see a pattern?) GAMP, 6-0, while the magical story of Berks Christian continued with a 3-2 win over District 5 winner Northern Bedford.

As for that pattern, we wonder why in the world District 12 is alloted so many bids in the small school ranks. We're fine with two bids in both AAAA and AAA but two in AA? This was the first year for two bids to 12-AA and it makes numerical sense due to the Philadelphia Catholic League joining the ranks this year.

But history warned against another bid in Class AA. GAMP participated in the AA field in 2005 and 06 and lost both games. In 07 it was Prep Charter, which fell to Pine Grove, 8-0. Last year it was much the same as Prep Charter fell to Pine Grove, 11-0, in five innings.

We simply think that extra bid could be better used elsewhere.

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