Section games to close out the season against Cornell and Chartiers-Houston awaited the Avella Area baseball team.

Both this year and last year the two games against those section rivals would determine whether the Eagles would advance to postseason play.

Last season, Avella fell to Cornell, 5-2, and Chartiers-Houston, 15-0, and missed the playoffs. Avella would not let a repeat happen this year. The Eagles knocked off Cornell and Chartiers-Houston in one-run games to cap the regular season with a 12-6 overall record and 11-4 mark in Section 2-A, clinching second place behind Chartiers-Houston and earning a WPIAL playoff berth.

Avella was scheduled to play Union this past Friday in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs.

"It was definitely important closing out the regular season strong," Eagles second year coach Jason Fogg said. "Those games prepared us for the playoffs because there will be a lot of one-run games in the playoffs and if you can come out on the right end of those games, you'll be OK."

The difference from last year's 2-5 record to end the regular season and this year's 5-1 might have a lot to do with just being healthier.

Last year the Eagles were without pitcher/third basemen Ethan Fernbaugh. He was injured two games into the season and missed the rest of the year. Four games later, shortstop Cole Heckman was injured and lost for the season as well.

Fernbaugh returned healthy this year and became the team's No. 2 starter and a potent offensive weapon.

"No doubt in my mind the difference from last year to this year was having Ethan back and healthy," said Fogg, a former assistant at Bethany College in West Virginia. "To have another No. 2 guy to be able to throw in there is a real help."

The No. 1 starter this year is senior Chris Khouri. He is also a utility infielder capable of playing multiple positions. Khouri and Fernbaugh both compiled records of 4-2 on the mound. Khouri struck out 50 batters in 42 innings.

With the bat Khouri led the team with a .571 average. He also had 21 extra-base hits, including four home runs and 14 doubles. Fernbaugh is batting better than .400 with two home runs. Coming into the season, Fogg was worried about the middle of his lineup being able to drive in runs, but Khouri did not disappoint this year, knocking in a team-high 30 runs from the No. 3 spot in the lineup.

Khouri and Fernbaugh were two of eight returning starters for the Eagles. Senior catcher Matt Spencer and senior second baseman Sam Beton were two of the top hitters on the team, each batting around .350. Khouri and senior first basemen Steve Campbell are the team captains on this senior-laden team.

"Senior leadership has been huge for us this year," Fogg said. "We have eight seniors on the team and they pulled this team together."

With all the returning starters Avella had available, Fogg still felt the regular season was a bit of a disappointment. The Eagles did get off to a strong start in section play, winning their first five contests.

"Winning those games early on was excellent," Fogg said.

"It gave the team confidence that we were able to take care of business before we got to the big dogs in the section. It was very important to take care of business in those games."

After the winning streak, the Eagles dropped four of their next five games, including critical section contests against Cornell and twice to Chartiers-Houston that knocked them out of contention for the section title.

"I would have to say that overall I am a little disappointed. If we field a few balls against Chartiers-Houston, we can be right there," Fogg said, referencing the Eagles' seven-error game against the Bucs.

"Chartiers-Houston is a very good team and we just gave them extra outs and they took advantage of it."

Seniors Mason Adams and Matt Longstreth started in the outfield with Adams in center and Longstreth in left.