When Sports Were Played: Walker was unhittable in WPIAL title game
For today’s “When Sports Were Played” we turn back the clock exactly 22 years, to May 28, 1998. That’s when Washington High School’s Diontae Walker pitched a no-hitter in the WPIAL baseball finals.
PITTSBURGH – Quiz time. What do Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, former Pirates All-Star John Candelaria and Washington High School junior Diontae Walker have in common?
Answer: Each has thrown a no-hitter from the mound at Three Rivers Stadium.
While Gibson’s gem for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971 and Candelaria’s masterpiece in 1976 occurred in major league games, Walker’s no-hitter might be the most impressive. That’s because the hard-throwing 16-year-old righthander turned in the most memorable performance of his life while a championship was on the line.
Walker fired a no-hitter Thursday afternoon and Washington continued its impressive hitting in a 7-0 victory over Freeport that gave the Little Prexies their second consecutive WPIAL Class AA baseball championship.
Washington (16-3), which outscored its four opponents 49-2 in the title run, will open the PIAA playoffs against West Middlesex, the District 10 runner-up. Sharpsville defeated West Middlesex 7-4 in the district title game.
Walker, who threw 100 pitches and struck out four, breezed through the first three innings before showing signs of tiring. He walked two batters in both the fourth and fifth innings but was able to get out of trouble by inducing inning-ending groundouts.
“I figured Diontae would go only four innings,” said Washington coach Bob Peton. “He pitched two innings Tuesday (in a 15-0 victory over Carlynton) and we had our entire staff eligible. But you never anticipate a no-hitter.”
Peton admitted he almost took Walker out of the game following the two walks in the fifth inning.
“There was no sense in pushing it,” he said. “But we were at Three Rivers Stadium and in a championship game, so we decided to let him try to get it. It’s something he’ll always remember.”
In addition to its lack of hitting, Freeport (20-1) will remember a key error that helped Washington score four runs in the top of the fifth and forge a 5-0 lead.
After losing pitcher Rick Lowry walked Dan Staniszewski and Steve Skaggs to start the fifth, Corey Francis put down a bunt that was fielded by Freeport catcher Josh Early. But Early’s throw to first base was in the dirt, allowing Staniszewski to score and Skaggs and Francis to advance into scoring position.
Scott Belcastro then hit a ground ball through a drawn-in infield that rolled into deep right centerfield for a two-run triple. Belcastro was thrown out trying to score on a ground ball, but Joe Gregula walked, stole second and scored on a pair of outs to give Walker and the Prexies a 5-0 cushion.
The only suspense remaining was if Walker could get the no-hitter.
“(My teammates) started telling me I had a no-hitter going in the fifth inning,” said Walker, who improved his record to 6-0. “I thought they were joking. I actually had to check the scoreboard.”
The closest Freeport came to getting a base hit was in the fifth. With runners on first and second with two outs, Joe Charlton hit a hard grounder up the middle. However, Gregula, the Prexies’ second baseman, fielded the ball behind the base and flipped to shortstop Randy Thomas for a forceout.
“I thought that was a hit when it left the bat,” said Walker.
Washington, which had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a two-out error, scored two insurance runs in the seventh. Gregula had a run-scoring single and Belcastro, who had two of the Prexies’ five hits, scored on Tim Carl’s groundout.
That set the stage for Walker, who was using his late-breaking slider whenever a key out was needed.
“We tried to mix up the pitches as much as possible,” said Washington catcher Brad Auld. “Keeping the hitters off balance was the key. … But Diontae’s slider was the out pitch today.”
Walker retired Dave Pavlina and Early on groundouts in the seventh, then struck out pinch-hitter Jeremy Riggle to set off a wild celebration on the pitcher’s mound.
“That kid threw a great game,” said Freeport coach Don Dell.