WPIAL Baseball Consolation Tuesday Recaps

By: Bruce Markey
Tuesday, May 31, 2016 | 7:54 PM

While the spotlight was shining on the district championship games at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, there was important action going on right next door at Ross Memorial Park and the Washington & Jefferson College Sports Complex. A pair of battles in Class A and Class AAAA to determine third place in the district and a coveted spot in the upcoming PIAA state baseball playoffs. Here are recaps from those contests.

A special thanks to Mark Uriah and Greg Kuntz for their help on these recaps.

WPIAL CLASS AAAA Consolation:

Hempfield Spartans 3 – Canon-McMillan Big Macs 1 
Canon McMillan scored 1 run on 3 hits in the top of the first inning, but managed only 1 hit the rest of the game, falling to Hempfield 3-1 in the WPIAL Quad-A third place consolation game. Spartans’ starter Matt Tarabek picked up the complete game victory. He struck out six, with no walks and one hit batter. The win puts Hempfield (17-7) in the PIAA playoffs starting Monday against the WPIAL Champion. The Spartans scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs and the bases empty, Branson Aukerman reached on an error. Mitch Golden, Charlie Varriano & Justin Wright each followed with singles. Hempfield added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Again with two outs and nobody on, Varriano singled. Wright picked up his second RBI of the game, driving home pinch-runner Nick Shade with a triple. Zach Rohaley took the loss for the Big Macs (14-8). He went five and two-thirds, giving up three runs, one earned, on eight hits, with two walks and ten strikeouts.

WPIAL CLASS A Consolation:

Vincentian Academy Royals 11 – Union Scotties 1 
The ever-opportunistic Vincentian Royals took advantage of some major control problems by Union Scotties’ pitchers en route to a mercy-rule victory in the Class A Consolation matchup. Both teams were able to crack the scoreboard in the 1st inning.  The Royals’ Garret Barto drove in Christian Fedko with a single in the top of the frame.  Union answered as Logan Schuller’s RBI single drove in Joe Gunn. Vincentian got 3 in the 2nd and never looked back as they had 5 hits and sent 9 men to the plate, chasing starter Randy DeJohn after just 2 innings of work. Schuller relieved DeJohn in the 3rd, but he faced control problems of his own, as he walked 3 in the inning.  The Royals had 11 batters and scored 6 runs on just 2 hits to take a 10-1 lead. Christian Fedko led off the 4th with a double, and his 3 hits in the game gave him 100 for his career at Vincentian.  He scored his 4th run of the game on another RBI single by Barto to make the score 11-1 and put the 10-Run Rule into effect. Union threatened to prolong the game to the standard 7 innings in the 4th, but they stranded 2 runners and we’re retired in order in the 5th to end the game. The Vincentian Royals qualified for the PIAA State Playoffs with the victory, and they will represent the WPIAL along with Greensburg CC and Serra Catholic, the 2 teams in the Finals.  Their season continues at 15-6.  A successful season for the Scotties reached its conclusion at 11-6.