Hamburg at North Schuylkill

Owen Zimmerman homered and drove in three runs and Ethan Naftzinger escaped a bases-loaded jam in the final inning as Hamburg advanced to the PIAA Class 4A semifinals with a 3-2 win over North Schuylkil at Stump Stadium in Pine Grove. The Hawks (21-7), who set a school record for victories, advance to the Final Four for the second time in four seasons. They will play District 4 champ Selinsgrove, a 6-3 winner over Springfield Township, Monday at a site and time to be determined. To get there they had to survive constant threats from the District 11 champion Spartans, who stranded 16 runners and left the bases loaded in the third, sixth and seventh innings. Naftzinger, who came on to get the final out of the fifth inning, got University of Connecticut recruit Reggie Crawford to fly out to end the game. North Schuylkill (22-4) pulled within a run with an unearned run in the seventh. The Hawks extended their lead to 3-1 in the top of the seventh when Zimmerman walked with the bases loaded. Jared Sterner picked up the win, going the first 4 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and a run. He walked four and hit two batters.