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The BA baseball team finished its District 6-AA championship game against Richland Tuesday night with almost as many errors as it had hits.

It was a recipe for disaster as the Blue Devils lost 6-0 at PNG Field in Altoona.

Even though it was a heartbreaking lost, the boys advance to the PIAA state playoffs against WPIAL champion Neshannock.

Starting pitcher Chad Luensmann suffered his first loss of the season, pitching six innings, nine hits, five errors, six strike outs, and four walks.

The game was 0-0 until the third inning in which Richland scored one to go up 1-0.

Trailing by 1, BA made some noise in the third with runners on second and third when Zach Mock was gunned down at third on a close play that third baseman Randy Zitterbart said changed the game.

“That call shifted momentum,” he said.

Things fell a[part in the fourth when the Rams came through with three more to take a commanding 4-0 lead.

The Devils managed only five hits, and Mock credited Rams starterJohnny Kutchman.

“He didn’t give us many fastballs,” Mock said. “He had us reaching out for curves and not getting the bat on the ball.”

Zitterbart said the loss could help the team moving forward.

“It’s a motivator for us to do better and practice harder,” he said.