Trojans knock off two-time defending champ
The California High School baseball team that was saddled a 3-6 record and had given up double-figure runs in three consecutive games now seems like a distant memory to Trojans head coach Taylor Andrisko.
The gang that couldn’t pitch and couldn’t play defense has turned its season around and will be playing for a WPIAL championship next week.
California scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning – two on a tiebreaking book-rule double by Chase Cicchitto – and knocked off top-seeded and two-time defending champion Union 9-6 in the Class A semifinals at Ross Memorial Park.
California (14-7), the No. 4 seed, will play sixth-seeded Bishop Canevin (14-3) in the title game at Wild Things Park. The date and time have not been set by the WPIAL.
“What a grind,” Andrisko said. “The season could have gone the other way. We turned things around with pitching, defense and our concept of fighting for each other. There are 19 players on the team, and when one man falls it’s an 18-man rush to pick him up.”
Against Union, the player who thought he fell was Cicchitto, the Trojans’ third baseman. He made a throwing error during Union’s sixth inning, when the Scotties tied the score at 6-6.
“I felt like I lost the game,” Cicchitto said.
With no outs in the top of the seventh, Cicchitto stepped to the plate with teammate Rocky Lawson at third base and Aidan Lowden on second. Cicchitto wanted an opportunity at redemption and found it in the form of a hanging curveball from Union relief pitcher Anthony Roper.
Cicchitto smashed the pitch deep over the head of left fielder Mark Stanley. The ball bounced high over the outfield fence for a two-run double.
“I felt like I had to do something to redeem myself for the error,” said Cicchitto, who had two walks in three previous plate appearances. “I knew a third walk wasn’t going to do it, so if the pitch was over the plate, then I was swinging. It was right down the middle. … I had been struggling against curveballs all year.”
Cicchitto would make it 9-6 when Kris Weston followed with an RBI double to left centerfield.
Dom Martini, who was the winning pitcher in relief of Caden Monticelli, walked the first two Union batters in the bottom of the seventh, drawing a mound visit from Andrisko.
“I asked Dom if he was OK and he said he was feeling fine. So I said, ‘Then why aren’t we throwing strikes?'” Andrisko recalled. “I told him that he had been our guy all year and that he was going to get it done.”
Martini did as much. He struck out the next batter, then caught a wicked line drive hit back at him by Dennen Bowen, quickly turned and doubled Brennen Porter off second base for a game-ending double play.
Union (18-3) fell behind 3-0 and 4-1 but scored four times in the fifth inning and tied the score in the sixth.
California started well, taking advantage of eight walks over 3 1/3 innings by Union starting pitcher Dayne Johnke, but some sloppy Trojans baserunning kept Union within striking distance. California committed four outs on the bases, none of them on a straight steal.
“We shot ourselves in the foot a few times,” Andrisko said. “Our style of play is apply pressure and be aggressive, but we ran ourselves out of a couple of innings.
“But when they pulled to within 6-5, I asked our guys that if on the bus ride here I had told them we’d be up 6-5 in the sixth inning would they take it? They all said they would. So I told them we’re right where we wanted to be, so let’s go win it.”
Weston had three RBI for California. Caden Powell led off the game with a triple, sparking the Trojans’ three-run first inning.