Next step: Mustangs advance to PIAA tournament with 4-3 win over Knoch
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands’ Joe Chambers releases a pitch to a Knoch batter during Wednesday’s WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game at Ross Memorial Park. Chambers pitched a complete game with 12 strikeouts in the Mustangs’ 4-3 win.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands’ Ty Sankovich laces a single into right field against Knoch during Wednesday’s WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game at Ross Memorial Park. Sankovich had two hits and drove in the go-ahead run in the Mustangs’ 4-3 win.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands third baseman Alex McClain prepares to throw to first base for the out after fielding a Knoch ground ball during Wednesday’s WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game at Ross Memorial Park. The Mustangs played error-free ball in a 4-3 victory.
Laurel Highlands players, including (from left) Braeden O'Brien (22), Frank Kula (3), Ty Sankovich, Patrick Cavanagh (10) and Joe Chambers (1), celebrate after defeating Knoch, 4-3, in Wednesday's WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game at Ross Memorial Park.
Laurel Highlands coach Brad Yohman talks to his players during a mound visit in Wednesday's WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game against Knoch at Ross Memorial Park.
Laurel Highlands pitcher Joe Chambers throws the final pitch to catcher Patrick Cavanagh in Wednesday's WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game at Ross Memorial Park. Knoch's Eli Sutton took the pitch for a called strike three for the final out in the Mustangs' 4-3 win.
Laurel Highlands' Ty Sankovich dives safely back into first base as Knoch first baseman Jackson Pacek awaits the late pick-off throw during Wednesday's WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game at Ross Memorial Park.
Laurel Highlands coach Brad Yohman looks on between innings during Wednesday's WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game against Knoch at Ross Memorial Park.
Laurel Highlands' Joe Chambers connects with a pitch against Knoch during Wednesday's WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game at Ross Memorial Park. Chambers was the winning pitcher and hit a run-scoring single in the Mustangs' 4-3 win.
WASHINGTON — Joe Chambers was pitching well but Laurel Highlands needed an offensive spark to help support its ace.
The Mustangs finally got that in the fourth inning … from Joe Chambers.
The senior ripped a run-scoring single down the left-field line to ignite a four-run rally that propelled Laurel Highlands to a 4-3 win over Knoch in the WPIAL Class AAAA third-place consolation game at Ross Memorial Park on Wednesday.
Chambers pitched a complete game with 12 strikeouts and Ty Sankovich had two of the Mustangs’ four hits, including the go-ahead single in the key fourth inning, as LH advanced to the PIAA tournament for only the third time in program history.
“I’m super proud of this group of kids and this coaching staff,” Laurel Highlands first-year coach Brad Yohman said. “We’ve put a lot into this season. These kids just worked so hard.”
The fourth-seeded Mustangs (15-7) defeated Beaver in the quarterfinals, 3-1, before falling to top-seeded Montour in the semifinals, 4-2, but kept their season alive by fighting back from a two-run deficit to knock off the sixth-seeded Knights (13-9).
Laurel Highlands will face Erie Cathedral Prep in the first round of the state playoffs on Monday with the site and time to be determined.
Chambers retired the final 11 batters in earning the win over Beaver and extended that streak to 19 outs in a row by mowing down the first eight Knoch hitters.
The Knights then put together a two-out, two-run rally by stringing together a single by Dathan Gillis, a walk by Angelo DeLeonardis and RBI singles by Brady Wozniak and Eli Sutton.
Yohman used a mound visit during the inning to try to get his right-hander back on track.
“He just wanted to reset things, calm it down, felt like the game was moving a little too fast and I was out of my rhythm,” Chambers said. “He wanted to regroup and let me take a deep breath.”
Chambers struck out the next four batters following Sutton’s hit.
Laurel Highlands had threatened in each of the first three innings but Knoch starting pitcher DeLeonardis was able to keep the Mustangs off the board.
Sankovich led off the bottom of the first with a single and Carson D’Amico walked with one out but third baseman Wozniak turned a 5-3 double play to end the inning.
In the LH second Braeden O’Brien reached second on an infield error, Tristan McCoy was hit but a pitch and Chambers bunted the runners up but DeLeonardis got out of the jam with a pair of groundouts.
Sankovich’s bid for an extra-base hit leading off the third was foiled by centerfielder Isaac Roddy’s diving catch in left-center.
“We put some traffic on the bases early on,” Yohman said. “Credit to DeLeonardis, he got out of a couple big jams, and that ball Ty hit, that’s easily a double or maybe even three if that kid doesn’t make that catch.”
The Mustangs finally broke through against right-hander DeLeonardis in the fourth inning.
Alex McClain was hit by a pitch and O’Brien drew a walk to start the rally. One out later Chambers’ single brought in McClain to make it 2-1.
“I felt I needed to go up to the plate and get some momentum going,” Chambers said.
The tide quickly turned the Mustangs’ way at that point.
C.J. Gesk singled to center to load the bases and left-handed hitting Devan Krivosky, a surprise starter in left field, tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right as courtesy runner Braeden McKnight advanced to third.
“We wanted to get another left-handed bat into the lineup,” Yohman said. “We thought Devan could maybe get into a pitch that’s running into his barrel as opposed to running away from another right-handed hitter and it worked out.”
Gesk took off from first with Sankovich batting and the lefthander singled through the hole vacated by Knoch shortstop Gillis covering second base with McKnight scoring to put LH in front to stay, 3-2.
“It was a hit and run,” Sankovich said. “I got a good pitch on the outside corner and I just shot it through.”
“I thought Ty was really good in the box today and made some huge plays in the field,” Yohman said of his junior shortstop. “He’s been really due to bust out. We all know what kind of hitter Ty is and he stepped up in a big way today.”
That was all for DeLeonardis who was relieved by Jacob Stallsmith.
On the first pitch after the change, Sankovich stole second and Gesk came home with what proved to be the winning run when the throw sailed high.
“It’s kind of a safety double steal,” Yohman said. “C.J. got a good read and took off.
“Offensively, we’ve been struggling to score runs in the playoffs so I thought new pitcher on the mound, let’s roll the dice and see if we can create some action. Sometimes you put a little pressure on the defense and they make a mistake.”
Chambers held the fort from there.
Knoch put two on after there were two out in the fifth on DeLeonardis’s infield single and a Wozniak walk but Chambers got a strikeout to end the inning.
The Knights threatened to tie it in the seventh.
Pinch-hitter Jacob Wagner singled, took second on a wild pitch as Gillis and DeLeonardis both struck out and came home on Wozniak’s single to center to whittle the lead to 4-3.
Chambers got Sutton on a called third strike to end it and the Mustangs celebrated.
“I can’t say enough about Joe Chambers,” Yohman said. “He’s done this all year for us. We had a lot of confidence with him on the mound. Joe did the job.”
Laurel Highlands played error-free ball behind its ace.
“Our defense is underrated sometimes,” Sankovich said. “Today we were really good out there.”
Laurel Highlands was in a similar situation a year ago when it lost in the semifinals and suffered a 3-2 loss to Blackhawk in the third-place game.
“This year I feel like the guys wanted it more,” Chambers said. “They were behind me the whole game.”
Laurel Highlands previously qualified for the PIAA playoffs in 1983 under Tom Landman and in 2019 under the late Scott DeBerry.
“We had aspirations of winning a WPIAL title this year,” Yohman said. “We fell a little bit short. But in the preseason nobody had us in the top six. We’re in the top three in 4A, moving onto the states. That’s a great accomplishment.
“But we’re not done. We believe with the group we have if we catch a little fire offensively we can string some wins together.”