Devastating defeat: Mustangs season ends in PIAA quarterfinals with walk-off loss to Titans
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
West Mifflin’s Devin Matey trots to home plate with his team’s first run after a bases-loaded walk during Thursday’s PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinal playoff game against Laurel Highlands at Greater Latrobe High School. The Titans drew 11 walks, including one with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off 4-3 win over the Mustangs.
Laurel Highlands’ Ty Sankovich jumps high in the air onto home plate after hitting a two-run homer against West Mifflin as he teammates celebrate during the fifth inning of Thursday’s PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinal playoff game at Greater Latrobe High School. Sankovich also doubled and was 3 for 4 but the Titans won, 4-3.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
LATROBE — One of Laurel Highlands’ best baseball seasons ended the same way it started but in much more devastating fashion.
The Mustangs fell to section foe and WPIAL champion West Mifflin for the third time this year, suffering a 4-3 walk-off loss in a PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinal playoff game at Greater Latrobe High School on Thursday afternoon.
Corey Kuszuj’s bases-loaded walk capped a two-run seventh inning that lifted the Titans (20-3) into Monday’s state semifinals where they will face Montour in a rematch of the WPIAL final which West Mifflin won 5-4 in 12 innings.
Laurel Highlands finishes with a 17-8 record, a WPIAL Final Four appearance and a first PIAA win in its pocket.
Laurel Highlands opened its season by dropping both games of a doubleheader at West Mifflin, 7-4 and 5-1, which propelled the Spartans to the Section 3-AAAA championship. The Mustangs finished second.
One couldn’t blame the Mustangs if they felt they were the better team in the third meeting despite the ending.
Laurel Highlands out-hit the Titans, 7-5, built a 3-0 lead and were flawless defensively but handed West Mifflin 14 free base runners thanks to 11 walks (one intentional), two hit batters and one catcher’s interference call.
“This one’s tough,” LH coach Brad Yohman said. “I really felt that we were the better team coming into today. I know that sounds kind of crazy when you’re going up against the current WPIAL champ but I really liked where we were as a club coming into today’s game. We were stringing together some really good baseball.
“We know we can play with West Mifflin. We know we can play with Montour (which beat LH 4-2 in the WPIAL semifinals). We beat an incredible team Monday in Erie Cathedral Prep (4-3 in the PIAA first round). We know the caliber of team we are.
“I’m proud of these kids but right now it’s more about hurting for these guys. They laid it all on the line today. It’s just unfortunate.”
The loss spoiled an outstanding performance by LH’s Ty Sankovich who was 3 for 4 with a double and a two-run homer which put the Mustangs up 3-0 in the top of the fifth.
Devan Krivosky started on the mound for Laurel Highlands and pitch four scoreless innings before running into control problems in the fifth. The left-hander stranded two runners in the second, third — thanks to a diving play on a sharp grounder by third baseman Alex McClain — and fourth.
After striking out Zane Griffaton leading off the fifth, Krivosky walked Jake Walker but then picked him off first with Braeden O’Brien throwing to Frank Kula for the tag out at second. The Titans worked two more walks, prompting Yohman to call on McClain to relieve Krivosky. McClain walked Eric Link and Bert Kovalsky to force in a run before getting a fly out.
West Mifflin made it 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth when Kuszuj was hit by a pitch, went to third on Griffaton’s book-rule double and scored on Devin Matey’s ground out.
Link was hit by a pitch to lead of the seventh and start the Titans’ game-winning rally. Kovalsky appeared to ground out but the home plate umpire ruled catcher’s interference thus awarding him first base.
Yohman then called on O’Brien to relieve McClain. Mike Lydon drew a walk to load the bases, Ryan Lang hit an RBI single to right to tie it at 3-3 and set the stage for Kuszuj’s walk-off walk.
“A little liberal there with how those guys were hanging over the plate,” Yohman said of the hit batters and catcher’s interference. “I had a conversation there with (the umpire) but it’s his judgment, he’s going to rule it however he rules it.”
West Mifflin head coach Jeff Kuzma said of West Mifflin’s unorthodox comeback, “Who would’ve thunk it?”
Asked what he told his team when if fell behind by three runs, Kuzma said, “Stay the course. Our game plan is our game plan. If you’re going to beat us you’re going to beat our game plan. We stayed the course, made the plays when we had to, got the pitching when we had to.”
Part of West Mifflin’s game plan it to have its batters show bunt often to try to distract the pitcher.
“That’s the brand of baseball West Mifflin plays,” Yohman said. “We were prepared for it. We knew it was going to happen. We saw it when we played them early in the year. It really forces you to bear down, lock in and hit spots. But those guys were out there giving it everything they had trying to make pitches. It’s the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. There’s a lot of pressure.”
The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead in the fourth against West Mifflin starter Buck Pierson. C.J. Gesk, who had two hits, singled to left and Joe Chambers singled to center. Gesk took third when O’Brien hit into a force out and came home on McClain’s sacrifice fly.
Laurel Highlands went up 3-0 in the fifth. Ben Diamond walked, prompting Kuzma to relieve Pierson with Lang. Kula laid down a sacrifice bunt and Sankovich followed with a two-strike blast over the center field fence.
“Ty’s had an incredible postseason,” Yohman said. “He’s been squaring the ball up, he’s been seeing the ball big. The pitch that he hit out, that was just a really good adjustment on his behalf with a two-strike count. He was able to barrel it up and shoot it over the deepest part of the park.
“That really picked us up there. That’s the caliber of player he is.”
Lang earned the win in relief, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and one strikeout.
Krivosky gave up one run on three hits with six walks and four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. McClain was charged with three runs on two hits with three walks (one intentional), two hit batters and one strikeout in taking the loss.
Tristan McCoy was 1 for 3 for LH. Carson D’Amico (walk, hit by pitch) and Ben Diamond (two walks) both reached base twice.