Latrobe makes epic comeback in Westmoreland County summer baseball playoffs

By: Paul Schofield
Friday, July 31, 2020 | 9:11 PM

Latrobe’s Westmoreland County American Baseball League team pulled off the improbable Friday.

The Jethawks fell behind 11-0 to Yough in Game 1 of the WCABL semifinals on Friday and fought back for a 13-12 victory.

Tucker Knupp reached on an error with two outs in the seventh inning to score Ben Rafferty and Vinny Amatucci to give Latrobe the stunning victory.

“I told them, ‘Let’s not make this a habit,’” Latrobe coach Jason Bush said. “We’ve had a couple comeback wins and I’m really proud of them. Eleven is a little bit ridiculous and we got a chuckle from them. Hey, they didn’t quit.”

Yough scored 10 runs in the opening inning by pounding out eight hits and capitalizing on a couple Latrobe miscues.

Michael Bell drove in three with a single and triple and Caden Kastronis had a big two-run single.

The lead grew to 11-0 in the second inning after Steve Manon scored when Ray Halahurich reached on an error.

Latrobe got back into the game with a six-run second inning and it added two more runs in the third inning on a Clay Petrosky base hit.

Petrosky went 4 for 5.

In the bottom of the seventh, Latrobe received four walks. The first run scored on a wild pitch, and then the winning runs scored on the error.

“I told the players we have to move on and focus on Saturday,” Yough coach Craig Spisak said. “It’s just one game, and you have to give Latrobe credit for hanging in there.”

Drew Clair had three hits for Latrobe.

Cody Ulander had three hits for Yough.

Latrobe’s relief pitchers of Peyton Henry, Ethan Landgeorge, Jake Bleehash and Ben Anderson combined to allow one run over the final five innings.

“We told them Yough is a good team and we should expect another punch from them on Saturday,” Bush said. “They are a quality team. We’re going there expecting a great baseball game.

“We have to be ready to play and not put ourselves in a deep hole again. We have to play a complete game.”

Bush said he didn’t think starting pitcher Ethan Boring pitched poorly. It was more of Yough finding holes.

“The bullpen did a great job,” Bush said. “It was a good job from everybody. It was a wonderful job from them.”

The start of the other series between Bushy Run and Murrysville will begin noon Saturday at Haymaker Park with a doubleheader.

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: Latrobe, Yough