Slow start dooms Waynesburg in loss to No. 1 Avonworth
WASHINGTON 无毛视频� Perry Cunningham realized for his Waynesburg Central baseball team to have a chance at pulling an upset of top-seeded Avonworth on Tuesday it would need to keep the game close.
无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e the No. 1 seed for a reason, so we knew we had to minimize the big innings,无毛视频� said the Raiders无毛视频� second-year coach. 无毛视频淯nfortunately, right out of the gate they put up a four spot.无毛视频�
The Antelopes rode their early 4-0 lead to a 6-0 victory in the WPIAL Class 3A first-round playoff game at Ross Memorial Park.
After Avonworth starting pitcher Cooper Scharding retired Waynesburg (7-13) in order in the top of the first, the Antelopes opened the bottom of the inning against CJ Corvin with a single by Scharding and a Raiders error. Case Latore and Jack Dolan followed with a two-run triple and an RBI double and two batters later Sam Hustwit hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
The Antelopes would only manage five more hits the rest of the game, but their pitching limited Waynesburg to a pair of doubles, one each by Grant Pack and Kory Taylor, to help them stay in control and advance to next Tuesday无毛视频檚 quarterfinals against No. 9 Charleroi.
无毛视频淲e knew the margin for error was going to be small,无毛视频� said Cunningham, whose team handed second-seeded Seton LaSalle its lone Section 4 loss of the season. 无毛视频淲e knew we were going to have to obviously get more than two hits. Credit to their guys. Their arms came in and they threw the ball really well, spotted up and had some velo and had good secondary off-speed pitches, too, and gave our guys some trouble.无毛视频�
Scharding took a no-hitter into the fourth that was broken up by Pack无毛视频檚 two-out double to right field but he got a fly out to end his final inning of work. Scharding allowed the one hit and no walks with seven strikeouts in his four innings.
Finishing up the shutout for Avonworth were Nathan Slater, who struck out one in tossing a 1-2-3 fifth, and Carson Franc, who gave up only Taylor无毛视频檚 hard-hit, two-out double to left-center in the sixth in working the final two frames with three strikeouts.
Corwin pitched admirably against the Section 2 champion Antelopes (16-5), surrendering six runs, only three of which were earned, on eight hits in five innings.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 what we saw all year from him quite honestly, he battled and grinded,无毛视频� Cunningham said. 无毛视频淲hen I made my mound visit in the first inning I asked our catcher if we were missing location and he said no, they无毛视频檙e just barreling baseballs that were on the corners, and some of those were even off the plate.
无毛视频淚 said alright then we better start going with a different plan and start moving in.无毛视频�
Avonworth parlayed an error, a triple by Scharding and a single by Nick Blackson into a pair of insurance runs in the fourth inning.
无毛视频淭hat was the key,无毛视频� Cunningham said. 无毛视频淭hey would get runners on and move them around and we were struggling to get anyone on base.无毛视频�
Austin Surber relieved Corwin and pitched a scoreless sixth inning with two strikeouts.
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 think our guys were overwhelmed or intimidated,无毛视频� Cunningham said. 无毛视频淭hey competed hard, they didn无毛视频檛 back down from the challenge. They just ran into a better team.无毛视频�
The Raiders had their moments. Catcher Taylor threw out Avonworth无毛视频檚 Newton Coffey trying to steal second to end the fourth inning. Waynesburg second baseman Jarret Tretinik turned a double play with shortstop Surber to thwart an Antelope rally in the fifth. Tretinik was the only runner besides Pack and Taylor to reach second base when he was hit by a pitch and stole second base in the third.
It was the final game for Waynesburg seniors Corwin, Taylor, Surber, Jeffery Blair, Hayden Field and Brendan Cole.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e got six seniors and a number of them have been here for four years,无毛视频� Cunningham said. 无毛视频淚 told them I无毛视频檓 proud of them and, as I always say in these year-end conversations, there无毛视频檚 a lot of life lessons that baseball can provide us, like accountability, discipline, attention to detail, dealing with failure, that they无毛视频檙e going to encounter in their life, whether it无毛视频檚 with their jobs or their families.
无毛视频淓ven though our journey as a baseball team ends today and these 19 guys will never be on the field together again, they can still be friends and teammates the rest of their lives.无毛视频�