Yough rallies to sweep Bushy Run in District 31 semifinals

By: Paul Schofield
Monday, July 12, 2021 | 9:14 PM

Yough pitcher Allen Novacek got off to a shaky start in Monday’s District 31 American Legion semifinal against Bushy Run.

But after he was given a rosin bag to help his fingers grip the baseball after two innings, Novacek was tough to beat.

Yough rallied from a 6-0 deficit to defeat Bushy Run, 7-6, in Game 2 of the semifinals and advance to the District 31 championship game at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Latrobe.

And it was Novacek who delivered the winning two-run single in the bottom of the sixth.

Bushy Run will host Young Township in the third-place game at 5:30 p.m. at Penn-Trafford.

Bushy Run scored four runs in the first inning and added two in the top of the second inning for a 6-0 lead. The game was moved to the turf at Bushy Run after Game 2 was postponed Sunday because of heavy thunderstorms that made Yough’s field unplayable.

Yough started its rally in the bottom of the second inning as Jack Sampson highlighted the inning with a two-run double.

Novacek, who had three RBIs, hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and had the clutch hit in the sixth. He struck out seven and walked four, only one over the final five innings.

James Shoman, Kam Pritts and Sean Royer had two hits each for Yough.

Gio Scott doubled, and Jason Sabol had two hits for Bushy Run.

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.