ORWIGSBURG — It was a game a baseball purist would have loved.

And one that kept Tamaqua undefeated.

In a key Schuylkill League Division 1 matchup at Blue Mountain’s Allan Greenawalt Stadium on Thursday, runs were hard to come by, sensational plays were made, fundamentals were witnessed, and the pitching reminded those of a past era.

The Blue Raiders, a seasoned and exceptional team, had answers both early and late against the Eagles and pulled out a 2-0 victory.

The win boosts Tamaqua into sole possession of first in the division with a 3-0 mark, while Blue Mountain fell for the first time in league play and is now 3-1.

Pitching was on full display with two of the best — the Raiders’ Mason Ligenza and the Eagles’ Aiden Grace — taking the mound. The two locked horns from the first pitch through the later innings. Tamaqua’s Cooper Ansbach relieved Ligenza and posted three strikeouts to earn the save.

Ligenza tossed six innings, allowing just four hits — all singles — and no walks while sending eight batters back to the dugout on strikes. Ligenza used an 85-mph hour fastball and a filthy curve to kept the opponents off balance.

Blue Mountain’s Grace, designated hitter Frankie Russo, Brady Strause and Reilly Sebastian all registered hits, but could never string any together.

The Eagles did have a golden chance to take the lead in the home fifth. Staring at a 1-0 deficit, Blue Mountain got one-out singles from Russo and Strause, and a sacrifice bunt by Evan Setlock. That set the stage for Matt Grasso, who hit a hard shot to shortstop Ansbach. The smooth fielder gobbled up the grounder and threw across the diamond to retire Grasso at first.

“(Ligenza) was so tough on our hitters, we just couldn’t get a hit when we had runners in scoring position,” said Blue Mountain skipper Jarred Kramer.

Tamaqua head coach Jeff Reading was all smiles when asked about his team’s defense.

“That ball that Ansbach fielded was hit very hard, but you know we preach to our team you have to make plays, and that’s exactly what we did,” said Reading. “And that’s why we are winning (close) games, because we make plays when you need too.”

The Raiders haven’t exactly lit up the scoreboard of late, but they find ways to score runs when the door is open.

While Grace was tough on Tamaqua — even the dangerous Ligenza, who was hitless in three at-bats and struck out for the first time this season — the slack was picked up by other hitters.

In the first inning, Luke Kane singled back through the box on a 2-2 pitch, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI center to center by Ansbach — “Mr. Dependable.”

“I was just looking to go up the middle,” Ansbach said. “I was able to get around on the fastball, and in that situation all you want to do is try and go with the pitch, don’t do anything (out) of the ordinary.”

The Raiders threatened to add insurance in the fifth when Noah Mateyak led off with a single and then stole second. But Grace bore down and struck out the side to avoid any further damage.

“Grace through an outstanding game” said Reading. “We knew coming in that he was going to be a tough guy to face. Mason did a fantastic job, and what can you say abut Cooper the way he came in and threw strikes.”

Tamaqua managed to scratch out another tally in the seventh to take a two-run advantage. Ansbach picked up his second single and moved up on a stolen base. Two outs later, Logan Morgans delivered a hit to left to plate Ansbach and push the margin to 2-0.

“I wasn’t trying to do anything (fancy),” Morgans said. “I saw that fastball he threw me on the first pitch, and I got around and hit it squarely.”

It was a huge insurance run against one of the league’s top teams.

“Anytime you come here and get a win, it’s big,” Reading said.

DAZZLING … Tamaqua’s defense was stellar. Center fielder Mateyak came up with a super catch on a line drive smoked off the bat of Josh Hoover. Ansbach, at shortstop, and first baseman Luke Frohnheiser each came up with a few web gems.

CLUTCH … Ansbach and Mateyak both had key hits late in the game. Ansbach finished with two hits, and Max Najarro hustled for an infield hit, along with Kane.

ON THE SLATE … Tamaqua travels to Lehighton today for a non-league contest featuring two undefeated teams.

ON THE BUMP … Ligenza ended with 76 pitches, 55 for strikes. Grace hit 100 pitches on the nose, with 75 in the zone.

Tamaqua 100 000 1 - 2 6 0

Blue Mtn. 000 000 0 - 0 4 0

Ligenza, Ansbach (7) and Kane; Grace and Sebastian. W - Ligenza. L - Grace. S - Ansbach.

Records: Tamaqua (6-0; 3-0); Blue Mountain (4-4; 3-1).