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Calm Chartiers-Houston lets its play do the talking

4 min read
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Echoing across the Clarion-Limestone athletic complex Tuesday afternoon was a boom box sitting in the outfield as undefeated District 9 champion Moniteau began its pregame ritual.

The Warriors started by taking hard practice cuts to send softballs banging against the fence to interrupt the music. It ended with a Moniteau player jamming a long, pointy stick – with the resemblance of a skull head at the top – into the dirt of the on-deck area as her teammates watched and cheered wildly.

There were many reasons for the Warriors to be confident, but the dangerous team turned out to be the group everyone counted out and was quietly playing catch in left field.

Only one team remained loud – mostly through encouraging messages to one another – as it battled what was considered an uphill fight before a pitch was even thrown.

It wasn’t the team making noise prior to the game.

Chartiers-Houston (17-4) took its first-round game inning by inning against Moniteau’s dominant, four-year starting pitcher Kennedy DeMatteis, working deep into each count to eventually pull out a 1-0 win.

It was the first game this season that the Bucs won while scoring fewer than four runs.

The challenge C-H will have to overcome as it warms up in the outfield of California University’s Lilley Field today before its 2 p.m. PIAA Class AA quarterfinal matchup against Frazier (19-2) is to forget what happened in the regular season.

For Chartiers-Houston, advancing to the semifinals against either South Side Beaver or Seton-La Salle could be as simple as playing a style similar to what it utilized to knock Moniteau from the ranks of the unbeatens – limit errors and work pitch counts.

Frazier freshman starting pitcher Logan Hartman struck out nine in each of the Commodores’ two section victories over Chartiers-Houston, which included a two-run seventh inning and 4-3 walk-off victory April 18.

Frazier coach Don Hartman, formerly the California High School baseball coach before resigning in November 2013, is looking to return to the PIAA semifinals after taking the Trojans there in his last season.

In other games:

West Greene (23-1) vs. 6-2 Claysburg-Kimmel (15-6)

Site: Somerset High School

Time: 4 p.m.

Everything is coming together at the right time for West Greene as it continues to dominate Class A during its quest for a state championship. With a 10-0 win Tuesday against Shanskville-Stonybrook in the first round of the PIAA tournament, the Pioneers have outscored opponents 70-1 in the last six games. Since April 24 – the start of West Greene’s 11-game winning streak – the Pioneers have scored 120 runs while giving up only four. Winner of eight in a row, including an 11-5 victory over Coudersport to advance to the quarterfinals, Claysburg-Kimmel relies on offensive production from Keyara Morgan, Courtney Garver and Mikalynn Bauman. The Bulldogs also like lighting up the scoreboard, scoring double-digit runs in eight games this season. Morgan leads Claysburg-Kimmel with a .500 batting average and 10 doubles.

Belle Vernon (20-1) vs. Mt. Pleasant (14-3)

Site: California University

Time: 4 p.m.

Belle Vernon hasn’t scored more than four runs in a game throughout their four playoff games, but it doesn’t seem to matter when junior Bailey Parshall pitches. If pitching and defense is what wins games late in the year, no team better implements those on a game-to-game basis than Belle Vernon. The Leopards have given up more than one run only three times the entire season. Parshall, who has been the starting pitcher every game, has 10 shutouts, including one against Mt. Pleasant. Belle Vernon knocked off the Vikings in the WPIAL quarterfinals, 1-0, on the same field where they meet today. The lone run scored on an RBI double by Belle Vernon’s Alex Sokol that drove home Kourtney Gavatorta. Parshall had 10 strikeouts. The winner advances to the semifinals against either Kennard Dale or Yough Monday at a site and time to be determined.

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