Finally!
Lori C. Padilla
Brownsville’s D.J. Zimcosky lifts starting and winning pitcher Dylan Brosky after Brosky recorded a strikeout to close out Wednesday’s WPIAL Class AAA Championship game against Avonworth at Wild Things Park. The Falcons defeated the Antelopes, 5-2, for their first WPIAL baseball title.
Brownsville players celebrate after winning the WPIAL Class AAA baseball championship against Avonworth on Wednesday at Wild Things Park. The Falcons downed the Antelopes, 5-2, for their first WPIAL baseball championship in school history.
Lori C. Padilla
Brownsville head coach Skooter Roebuck congratulates Josh Davison after placing the gold medal around his neck during Wednesday’s medal ceremony at Wild Things Park after the Falcons defeated Avonworth, 5-2, to win their first district title in school history.
Brownsville's senior baseball players pose with the championship trophy after the Falcons defeated Avonworth, 5-2, on Wednesday at Wild Things Park to capture their first WPIAL baseball title in school history. From left are Trevor Stewart, Johnny Hovanec, Brody Bagwell, Zach Whitlock, Shandon Marshall, Dylan Brosky, Colton Dellarose, Josh Davison and Ricky Marucci.
Brownsville's D.J. Zimcosky hugs his dad, Dave, after the Falcons downed Avonworth, 5-2, to win the WPIAL Class AAA baseball title on Wednesday at Wild Things Park.
Brownsville third baseman Rocco Frisco calls off pitcher Dylan Brosky and catcher D.J. Zimcosky to grab a pop up during the WPIAL Class AAA championship game on Wednesday afternoon Wild Things Field.
Brownsville's Shandon Marshall slides into home to score an insurance run for the Falcons in Wednesday's 5-2 victory over Avonworth in the WPIAL Class AAA championship game at Wild Things Park. The Antelopes' Jake Sommers watches the play develop.
Brownsville's Ricky Marucci beats out the throw for an infield single as Avonworth first baseman Ryan Felter stretches in an attempt to make the out in Wednesday's WPIAL Class AAA title game at Wild Things Park.
WASHINGTON — Skooter Roebuck has collected plenty of hardware over his 25 years as head coach of Brownsville’s baseball team, including 11 section titles and one WPIAL runner-up trophy.
But neither Roebuck nor any other baseball coach in the Falcons’ history had been able to bring home a prized WPIAL championship trophy.
Until Wednesday.
Dylan Brosky was stoic on the mound with a complete game and D.J. Zimcosky drove in a pair of runs with a double and a single as fourth-seeded Brownsville defeated second-seeded Avonwoth, 5-2, in the WPIAL Class AAA championship game at Wild Things Park.
“This is just amazing,” Brosky said of holding the WPIAL trophy and wearing a gold medal. “This is just awesome. Never happened before. We did it.”
Roebuck echoed Brosky’s feelings.
“It feels awesome,” he said. “Just unbelievable.”
Brownsville scored two runs in the first and one in the third to build a 3-0 lead.
Avonworth pulled within one with two runs in the bottom of the third, but the Falcons tacked on insurance runs in the sixth and seventh.
Brosky allowed one hit in the bottom of the seventh before wrapping things up, ending it in style with a strikeout, prompting the Falcons to celebrate in a huge pile in front of home plate.
The large throng of Brownsville fans that were on hand roared their approval throughout the game and as the Falcons were crowned champions with the medal ceremony and trophy presentation.
“Loud. Awesome. Crazy,” Brosky said when asked about the Falcons faithful.
“I was nervous because I didn’t know how our kids would react,” Roebuck said of the fans.
Brownsville, which has scored multiple first-inning runs in each of its playoff games, did it again against Antelopes losing pitcher Ryan Felter.
“I don’t know what it is,” Roebuck said. “That wasn’t our M.O. We were sluggish during the regular season and it seemed like the fourth or fifth inning we would wake up. But we came out swinging the bats in all three playoff games this year.”
Trevor Stewart worked a walk to lead off the game, Colton Dellarose singled to right and Brody Bagwell hustled to first to prevent a double play on a grounder with Stewart taking third. Stewart alertly came home on a delayed double steal as Bagwell took second, and Zimcosky followed with a blast to deep left-center for a run-scoring double to make it 2-0.
“It was a 3-2 fastball away,” Zimcosky said of his big hit. “I just drove it to left-center field, trying to get the run in. I was really pumped up for the game. I was real excited to just get after it.”
“He’s been swinging the bat like we knew he could,” Roebuck said of Zimcosky. “He looks really confident up there. He’s driving the ball the other way. They see that big body, they’re going to try to stay away, and when he can drive the ball into that outfield gap, he can be real dangerous.”
Brosky was appreciative of the early runs.
“It’s easier to pitch with a lead,” Brosky said.
Stewart sparked the Falcons to another run in the third when he tripled into the right-field corner and scored on Dellarose’s ground out to make it 3-0.
The Antelopes scored their only two runs in the bottom of the third. Jack Reed reached on an infield hit and came home one out later on back-to-back singles to center by Turner Grau and Jax Miller. Grau scored on a throwing error as Miller stole second to make it 3-2.
Brownsville threatened to blow the game open in the fifth when Johnny Hovanec doubled and went to third on Ricky Marucci’s single, giving the Falcons runners on the corners with no outs and the top of their order coming up. Avonworth manager Dan Pomposelli called on Grau to relieve Felter and he retired the next three hitters on a pair of pop outs and a ground out to keep the Antelopes within one run.
Brownsville finally pushed across a fourth run in the sixth when Brosky walked, and courtesy runner Shandon Marshall went to third on Josh Davison’s double to left and scored on Rocco Frisco’s ground out.
The Falcons tacked on one more insurance run in the seventh as Ricky Marucci reached on a hustling infield hit, went to second on Stewart’s sacrifice bunt and scored when Zimcosky drilled a single to center.
Brosky finished up from there. The senior right-hander allowed just one earned run on eight hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
Roebuck wasn’t about to remove his starter unless he hit the 100-pitch limit.
“He’s our horse,” Roebuck said. “We were going to ride him.
“He’s mid-80s with a good curveball and his curveball gets a whole lot better and his change-up moves when he’s getting a little bit tired. We mixed that in late.”
Brownsville out-hit the Antelopes 11-8 and accounted for each of the game’s four extra-base hits.
“Our offense was really electric today,” Zimcosky said, “and that’s what we needed in a game like this.”
Brosky, who drove in the winning run in the seventh inning of Brownsville’s 6-5 semifinal win over top-seeded Riverside, came through again on the big stage, but didn’t want all the credit.
“I don’t feel like I did it all,” Brosky said. “Without my teammates, we wouldn’t even be here.”
Stewart was a sparkplug for the offense with two runs, a triple, a walk, a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt. Zimcosky, Dellarose and Marucci each had two hits.
Roebuck felt this was a season that a championship could happen at the beginning of the year.
“It was now,” he said. “We have nine seniors. Two of them have been with us since their freshman year, the rest of them for three years.”
Roebuck looked around at the festive surroundings at Wild Things Park and smiled.
“Things must have changed a lot in 19 years,” he said, recalling his last trip to the WPIAL final when Brownsville lost to Waynesburg Central, 7-6, in 1999. “This is whole lot bigger. We played the WPIAL championship game at Charleroi High School then. This is a little bit different atmosphere.”
Zimcosky broke into a big smile as he looked around and the championship soaked in.
“It feels amazing,” he said.
The Falcons will open PIAA play on Monday at Washington & Jefferson with the time and opponent to be determined.