PHOTO GALLERY | Mainline Pharmacy edges Martella's Pharmacy in 8 innings, clinches JCBL regular-season title
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Mainline Pharmacy needed extra innings and had to overcome an unusual three-run single by Martella’s Pharmacy Monday night with the Johnstown Collegiate Baseball League regular-season title at stake.
Even though manager Chance Osborne had to watch the final out from the stands, he savored the ending in Mainline Pharmacy’s 5-4 victory over Martella’s Pharmacy in eight innings at Sargent’s Stadium at the Point.
PHOTO GALLERY | Mainline Pharmacy defeats Martella’s Pharmacy 5-4 in 8 innings
“Anytime we play Martella’s, we know we’re in for a ballgame and it’s not going to be over until the final out is made,” said Osborne, whose team edged Martella’s Pharmacy 4-3 in the regular-season series to lock down the top spot and secure a berth in the 81st All American Amateur Baseball Association Tournament next month.
“It means a lot to us to overcome adversity,” he said. “We’ve been on both sides of that. Now, we’ve got to carry that momentum.”
Mainline Pharmacy rookie first baseman Colin Dinyar, a recent all-state player at Conemaugh Township Area High School and Pitt-Johnstown signee, smashed a 410-foot, two-run homer over the fence in center field to spark a three-run fifth inning. Then, he doubled off the screen in left to set up the game-tying run in the top of the seventh.
“We stayed confident,” Dinyar said. “Everyone on this team is confident in each other and we’re all confident in ourselves that we can hit and come back to win.”
Each team has one game remaining Tuesday, but Mainline Pharmacy holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. Osborne’s team successfully defended its 2025 JCBL regular-season crown.
Mainline Pharmacy won both the local playoffs and AAABA Tournament in 2025, beating Martella’s Pharmacy in an all-Johnstown tournament final.
“We do have one more game left, but the season begins Friday,” said Osborne of Mainline Pharmacy’s semifinal series against No. 4 seed The O.
Martella’s Pharmacy will face third-seeded The Hill Group.
“Obviously, any spot in the tournament is what the goal is,” Osborne said. “This group, consistently since we’ve been a part of it, that’s never what we’re satisfied with. We take pride in working to be Team 1.”
Each starter was effective early in Monday’s contest.
Martella’s Pharmacy right-hander Garrett Emerick had a perfect game until No. 9 hitter Aidon Snowberger singled to center with two outs in the bottom of the third.
Mainline Pharmacy righty Bryce Madden held Martella’s Pharmacy without a hit in the first two innings and one knock through three. Jack Messina singled, moved up on a walk and a fielder’s choice before scoring on a delayed steal of home after the throw on a first-and-third play in the third.
Mainline Pharmacy answered with two huge hits in the top of the fifth.
Bryce Roberts was hit by a pitch with one out. Dinyar hit the next offering over the fence located past the brick wall to make it 2-1.
Andrew Miko nearly cleared the screen for a double. He later scored on a throwing error to give his team a two-run lead.
“Honestly, I was just trying to move the ball and try to get runners into scoring position so we could get back up to where we need to be,” Dinyar said of the home run.
Martella’s Pharmacy retook the lead on Lucas Oleksa’s unconventional bases-clearing single to right field.
With one out, three straight Martella’s Pharmacy batters walked to load the bases. Oleksa laced a single to right field, easily scoring Cainen Atherton from third base.
Ben Ryan, who was on second, broke for home. Right fielder Snowberger’s throw beat the runner to the plate. Ryan was called safe on a close play.
Oleksa took off for second on the throw to the plate and was thrown out by catcher Trey Wingard, but not before Steve Budash scored the go-ahead run.
“We saw it a lot different than it was seen (by the umpire), but sometimes that’s the way the game goes,” said Osborne, who was ejected for contesting the call. “I was looking for clarification. Sometimes you have to overcome things like that. I was proud of these guys.”
Mainline Pharmacy made it 4-all with a run in the top of the seventh. Wingard hit a leadoff single, Dinyar doubled off the screen, Andrew Miko was hit by a pitch and Tanner Stroup’s groundout plated a run.
“It got runners into scoring position,” Dinyar said. “Everyone on our team can hit, so just putting runners into scoring position is a big thing for us.”
Xander Richardson singled and later scored on Wingard’s sacrifice fly to give Mainline Pharmacy a 5-4 advantage in the top of the eighth.
“I told our guys last week when this game was setting up that it was the start of our playoffs tonight,” Martella’s Pharmacy manager Kerry Pfeil said. “This is absolutely how this series has been this year.
“I think in five of the seven games, the team that looked like it could win it late ended up not winning it. It was a battle. You’ve got to give credit to them. They came back.
“I give credit to our guys. It was a great, competitive game. Somebody had to lose.”
