Pitcher Kaden Hepler, West York leave State College as Class AAA baseball champs

http://highschoolsports.pennlive.com/news/article/-4946566383254255316/pitcher-kaden-hepler-west-york-leave-state-college-as-class-aaa-baseball-champs/ FROM PENNLIVE UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Scripting the perfect ending to the most successful baseball season in West York history had to include Kaden Hepler. Truthfully, there wasn't a better candidate for the leading role. Hepler, the Bulldogs ace righthander, wanted to end his career “with a boom,” so a manly 149-pitch performance for the ages is what the West York phenom delivered Friday night at Penn State's Medlar Field. Teammate Brandon Kinneman chipped in three RBIs as the Bulldogs tripped Lampeter-Strasburg 9-6 for their first PIAA Class AAA baseball title. “I wasn't coming out of this one,” said Hepler, the Winthrop recruit who sealed a perfect 14-0 campaign with eight strikeouts and just four hits allowed. It helped that the Pioneers struggled defensively with five errors, two of them linked to a five-run second inning for West York (24-4). “They had some good hitters. Actually, one-through-nine can hit. But I was just trying to get that first pitch strike and then mix in other pitches down the stretch.” Hepler had plenty of time to throw his whole arsenal at Lampeter-Strasburg, the other District 3 combatant that edged 2010 Class AAA runner-up Hershey and defending state champ Northern to make the state showcase. The Pioneers (25-5) got pretty good work from ace Peter Darrenkamp, as well. But after L-S clawed within 5-4 on a Ray Lopez two-run double in the third, the Bulldogs went right back to work. Kinneman's RBI infield single in the fourth, coupled with a big three-run rally in the sixth landed Lampeter-Strasburg in a deep 9-4 hole. The Pioneers never recovered. “We did some uncharacteristic things. Pitching and defense is our strengths, but there were some opportunities that we didn't take advantage of and they did,” said L-S skipper Todd Garber. “You can't take anything away from them. They had 11 hits, and that's probably the best pitcher, if not the best pitcher, that we've faced all season.” Lopez, called to the mound in the sixth, and catcher Matt McCrudden shared five hits for L-S, hoping to nail down its third state title. Jerrin Toomey, Brandon Rauhauser and Brock Gladfelter banged two hits apiece for the champs. “I didn't really plan it like this, but I could not have been 14-0 unless we score runs,” said Hepler, following a lengthy celebration. “These guys did a great job and I feel so fortunate to win it with these guys. It's so great just to see the whole community come together tonight.”