Wyoming Area scores four times with two outs to win
CENTER VALLEY — Down to the last out Monday, Wyoming Area got a walk. Then four more in a row, yet the Warriors were still not ahead. And the game — and the season — seemed over when JJ Hood hit a grounder to second.
But an error tied the game and Casey Noone took advantage of the confusion to score a fourth run with two outs. The result led to an improbable 5-4 victory over Bonner-Prendie which sent Wyoming Area to the PIAA Class 4A baseball championship game.
District 2 champ Wyoming Area (14-6) will play D7 champ New Castle (18-9) at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Penn State.
“My guys got a lot of heart and they got a lot of will,” Wyoming Area coach Rob Lemoncelli said. “Every time that you have heart and will like that there is just something about it. It just happens.”
What happened was incredible for Wyoming Area and heartbreaking for D12 champ Bonner-Prendie (16-8).
Wyoming Area finished with two hits, none coming in the seventh inning. After two quick outs, pinch hitter Nathan Novakowski drew a walk. Jason Wiedl and Evan Melberger also walked to load the bases with the Warriors trailing 4-1.
Casey Noone and Jake Kelleher walked to force in runs to make it 4-3. JJ Hood then stepped to the plate. In the second inning, he just missed a home run down the left field line. This time, though, he hit was seemed to be a game-ending, season-ending grounder.
At least Hood thought so at the time.
“I was thinking that,” Hood said. “Their infield had been sound all game. I thought they were going to make a routine play. I looked and saw him throw the ball and turn to second. When he turned to second, he screwed up a little bit and he helped us.”
The miscue tied the game as Melberger scored. It also won it as Noone dashed home from second on the error.
“There were two outs so on contact I was going,” Noone said. “I knew I was the winning run and I ran as hard as I could and knew if we had any chance winning that game it was going to be me then and there scoring at home plate.”
Wyoming Area scored its other run in the second when Hood was hit by a pitch, Hunter Lawall walked and John Morgan singled to load the bases. Jack Mathis then walked to force in a run.
But after that, Bonner-Prendie pitcher Ryan Kearney regained his form and retired 16 of 17 Warriors before issuing a walk with two outs to Novakowski.
Wyoming Area fell behind 3-0 in the first inning as starting pitcher Hood surrendered three hits in the 40-pitch inning. Lawall got the pitching victory. He threw the final two innings and got out of a first-and-third jam in the seventh with two strikeouts.
PIAA 4A Semifinals
Wyoming Area 5, Bonner-Prendie 4
Bonnor-Prendie`AB`R`H`BI
Kehoe 3b`4`1`1`0
McGonigle ss“2`3`0
DeMucci c“1`0`0
Anderson 1b“0`3`2
Nocella pr`0`0`0`0
Henrich cf“0`0`0
Cannon lf`4`0`0`0
Sousa rf“0`0`0
Kearney p“0`1`0
Carr 2b“0`0`0
Totals`28`4`9`2
Wyoming Area`AB`R`H`BI
Melberger cf`3`1`1`0
Noone 2b“1`0`1
Kelleher c“0`0`1
Hood p“0`0`0
Petrosky cr`0`1`0`0
Lawall 1b“0`0`0
Morgan rf“0`1`0
Mathis 3b`2`0`0`1
Supey dh`2`0`0`0
Sorick lf“0`0`0
Novakowski ph`0`1`0`0
Wiedl ss“1`0`0
Totals`23`5`2`3
Bonner-Prendie`300`010`0 — 4
Wyoming Area`010`000`4 — 5
2B — McGonigle, Anderson. 3B — McGonigle.
Bonner-Prendie`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Kearney`6.2`2`1`1`3`8
Lazer L`0.0`0`4`2`4`0
Wyoming Area`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Hood`5.0`6`4`4`2`7
Lawall W`2.0`2`0`0`2`5