Junior Pioneers upset New Orleans Boosters

JOHNSTOWN, PA – After sneaking into the AAABA quarterfinals with a 1-2 pool play record, the Zanesville Junior Pioneers proved they belong in the single elimination stages of the national tournament. The Juniors ousted Pool A winner New Orleans, 4-2, to punch a ticket to the semifinals, where they will battle Chicago Metro.

This marks Zanesville’s second trip to the AAABA final four and first since 1973.

The Juniors fell behind the Boosters, 1-0, in the first before knotting the score in the fifth on a Dylan McDermott triple scoring Caden Mumaw. Zanesville then grabbed a one-run lead in the sixth on an RBI single from Vayden Wood and would never trail the rest of the way.

Mumaw added an insurance run on a two-out double in the sixth, giving Zanesville a 3-1 edge. The Boosters cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the frame, but an infield single from Matty Lynn plated McDermott in the top of the seventh and bumped the Juniors’ lead back to a pair of runs.

Lynn proved to be clutch on the mound as well, coming on to pitch with a runner on first and nobody out to earn the save for Zanesville. Coshocton grad and Bluffton senior Dyson Bowman picked up the win on the hill, tossing six innings of work.

Chicago Metro used upset magic to advance to the semifinals, too. The Pool A runners-up took down Pool D winner New Brunswick (NJ), 5-4, in a 14-inning marathon. The Juniors will battle Chicago on Friday with the winner playing for the AAABA championship on Saturday.

AAABA TOURNAMENT

SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS

ZANESVILLE VS. CHICAGO-METRO
FRIDAY, 11 A.M.

CLEVELAND VS. FLOOD CITY
FRIDAY, 6 P.M.