Skip to main content

A 'balk-off' caps PIAA's longest baseball state title game

IMG_8358by:Andy Villamarzo•06/17/25•

Andy_Villamarzo

Syndication: York Daily Record
Cedar Cliff players celebrate after beating Red Lion, 4-2, at home in the District 3 Class 6A semifinals, Thursday, May 25, 2023. Red Lion can still make the state playoffs by beating Manheim Township in the third-place game at home next Tuesday.

We have all heard of the term for a walk-off home run or driving in the go-ahead score. Not many times do you hear about a game ending on a balk. Especially one that takes 13 innings to finish.

In a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class 6A championship baseball game, between Cedar Cliff and 3-time state champ North Penn, a sudden move moved in the go-ahead run.

According to a USA Today report, a ‘balk-off’ run would hand Cedar Cliff Colts their first-ever state championship on Friday the 13th. Go figure.

Per the report, in the bottom of the 13th inning is when Cedar Cliff would score the walk-off run with the bases loaded when North Penn pitcher Caleb Price would be called for a balk.

Cedar Cliff’s Michael Boblick singled to start the 13th frame and ended up being the would-be run that ended the contest. Boblick eventually ended up on third via an error and would score on Price’s balk with nobody out, thus handing the Colts their first state title in program history.

Both starting pitchers had stellar performances in the PIAA state title game, despite the game-ending balk. Per Phillyblurbs, North Penn’s Trevor Lugara went over eight innings, allowing four hits, eight strikeouts and only exited the game due to the PIAA’s 105-pitch rule.

Cedar Cliff sophomore hurler Peyton Price went eight innings himself, yielding seven hits, no walks and striking out four batters. The teams would combined for 15 total hits and three errors, with the balk becoming the main decider at the end.

Also per the USA Today report, the contest between Cedar Cliff-North Penn proved to be the longest state championship game in PIAA history.

The Colts ended the season with a 21-6 record and the Knights finish at 23-6, respectively.