Laurel Highlands posts first victory
Right at the moment, the game was Paul Briczinski’s to win or lose, so he figured he had better do something about it. Josh Guittap literally lived out that old admonition to “take one for the team,” and wound up on the winning end of Briczinski’s move.
Their efforts, along with a total all-around game by Laurel Highlands, gave the Mustangs a comeback 3-2 win over visiting Hempfield – their first win of the season – on a perfect day for baseball, Thursday at the LHHS Field.
Going into the home end of the sixth, with the score tied 2-2, Guittap was sent up to pinch-hit. No sooner had somebody from the sideline reminded, “take one for the team” than Guittap was hit on the right wrist with a pitch. He moved to second on a passed ball, to third as Justin Luckey grounded to first and scored what proved to be the clincher as Briczinski lined a two-out single past first base.
Hempfield threatened in the seventh with Brandon Gnesda’s leadoff single and Tyler Anderson’s bunt, but Briczinski got a strikeout and a fly to left to end the inning and the game. That fly ball was only the fourth on the day for the Mustang gardeners.
Guittap said after the win, “My wrist is OK. I went up there just trying to get on base any way I could.”
Coach Tom Landman said, “Josh actually scored two runs for us today. He was a pinch runner for Scott Russell in the fourth, then batted for him in the sixth and scored the winning run. This was the first time Josh had been in the lineup all season, and he made the most of the occasion.”
Dan Eddy started for LH (1-2-1) and worked five innings, and then when he walked leadoff batter Nate Hopkins in the sixth, Briczinski got the call. Tony Tempo got aboard on an error and Tom Gearhardt bunted them ahead, but a suicide squeeze attempt backfired and Hopkins was caught trying to get back to third, ending that threat.
Dave Campbell went the distance for Hempfield, working a seven-hitter and pitching out of jams twice when the Mustangs loaded the bases in the third and fourth, capitalizing in the fourth. The Spartan outfielders had only two putouts for the day.
Landman said, “Both pitchers worked fine games, and then Briczinski came on and gave us a good relief effort and got the win, along with the winning hit. A big factor was that we made plays when we had to and we came back twice to win.”
Campbell had a home run and single and Tempo a homer to pace Hempfield at bat. Greg Palladino hit a double and Frank Faust a brace of singles for LH.
Hempfield led 2-0 in the fourth when Tempo lined a long shot over the fence in left with one out, and with two down Campbell cleared the left-center fence.
Laurel Highlands tied in its end of the inning. Faust led off with a single, Andre Rolaf bunted him ahead and he went to third as Paul Metz grounded out. Then Russell hit a two-out single, D.J. Yonash was alive on an error and Luckey singled in pinch runner Guittap with the tying run.
That’s the way it stood until the sixth when the Mustangs made their winning move.
Landman called the win “a real big one for us. I’m happy for the players. We had a couple good games and came up short, but today everything fell into place and we got that first win. Hempfield was in our section last year and we knew they had some good players coming back. I wish them the best of luck the rest of the season.”
Laurel Highlands will be at home Saturday with Ringgold, to start Section 2-AAA action, then goes to Carmichaels next Wednesday, to Connellsville on Thursday, then home on Saturday to Albert Gallatin, the latter two games in section play.