Greensburg Salem, New Castle to continue quarterfinal game Tuesday
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Monday, May 20, 2019 | 9:20 PM
Greensburg Salem pitcher Jack Oberdorf throws during a WPIAL Class 4A playoff game against New Castle Monday, May 20, 2019, at Fox Chapel High School.
Greensburg Salem’s Jack Oberdorf dives to home plate after being tagged during the 10th inning against New Castle.
Greensburg Salem pitcher Matt Wicker throws during a WPIAL Class 4A playoff game against New Castle Monday, May 20, 2019, at Fox Chapel High School.
Greensburg Salem’s Jack Oberdorf tags out New Castle’s Nic Morell at second base during their WPIAL Class 4A playoff game Monday, May 20, 2019, at Fox Chapel High School.
New Castle pitcher Rocco Bernadina throws during a WPIAL Class 4A playoff game against Greensburg Salem Monday, May 20, 2019, at Fox Chapel High School.
Greensburg Salem baseball coach Bill Wisniewski knew being seeded No. 1 in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs wouldn’t be easy.
He just looked back to last season when his Golden Lions knocked off top-seeded Blackhawk to reach the semifinals.
If Greensburg Salem wants to reach the semifinals this season, it must find a way to do something it didn’t do in its quarterfinal game against New Castle on Monday at Fox Chapel.
The two teams played 10 innings of scoreless baseball before WPIAL officials suspended the game because of darkness.
The game will continue at 4 p.m. Tuesday at North Allegheny.
The winner will play Blackhawk, which edged Mt. Pleasant, 7-6, in eight innings in the first game of the doubleheader.
The closest either team came to scoring was in the bottom of the 10th when Greensburg Salem senior Jack Oberdorf was gunned down at the plate on Matt Wicker’s double to left-center field.
Good relay throws from center fielder Matt Senchak to shortstop Rocco Bernadina and then to catcher Brayden Cartwright were able to get Oberdorf at the plate.
“Matt got to the ball quickly and got the throw off quickly,” New Castle coach Bill Cook said. “Rocco then made a great throw.”
But the game was dominated by the pitchers. Wicker pitched six innings and Oberdorf the final four. They allowed six hits.
Bernadina blanked the Golden Lions over seven innings, allowing five hits. Vince Soukovich pitched the final three frames.
“I felt the pitchers dominated the game,” Wisniewski said. “We didn’t move runners up and didn’t get the big hit.
“Our pitchers pitched out of jams; it was two great teams going at it.”
Both coaches have the night to think about their strategy for the game’s continuation, with a trip to the semifinals on the line.
Check out an archived broadcast of this game on the TribLive High School Sports Network.
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
Tags: Greensburg Salem, New Castle
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