H.S. Baseball: After improbable comeback, Wyoming Area preps for 4A state championship game

Down to their final out and a storm quickly approaching, the Wyoming Area Warriors appeared doomed in Monday’s PIAA Class 4A semifinal game.

Then came the incredible, the unexplained, the miraculous and — most of all — a victory that sent District 2 champion Wyoming Area (14-6) to Friday’s PIAA Class 4A baseball championship game against District 7 champion New Castle (17-9).

First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Medlar Field at Penn State University. The game will be televised live on PCN, with a replay slated for 4:15 p.m. June 26. Tickets can only be purchased at piaa.org/sports/tickets.

Wyoming Area drew five consecutive two-out walks in the seventh and then had JJ Hood’s rather routine grounder misplayed to plate the final two runs in their 5-4 win over D12 champion Bonner-Prendie. Four seventh-inning runs without a hit and the Warriors’ first run, which came in the second inning, was also on a bases-loaded walk.

“Again, a positive after a negative,” Wyoming Area coach Rob Lemoncelli after the Bonner-Prendie win and about 30 minutes before the field was turned into a swamp by heavy rain. “My kids never quit. Every single kid in there deserves it.”

In all, Wyoming Area had two hits — a single to left by John Morgan in the second and a single to center by Evan Melberger in the fifth. The Warriors, though, did make contact for the most part.

Hood narrowly missed a home run in the second that many bleacher umpires (aka Wyoming Area fans) insisted was fair. They flew out seven times, rocketed a liner for another out and grounded out four times. Their eight strikeouts weren’t a bad number this high up the state ladder.

Still, Wyoming Area can’t expect two hits to be enough Friday, especially because New Castle’s top-two pitchers are stingy when it comes to walks.

Notre Dame commit Anthony Miller has 78 strikeouts and 16 walks in 56.1 innings. The sophomore has surrendered 43 hits and has a 1.62 ERA. Senior Rocco Bernadina has committed to Kent State. He has 95 strikeouts and 18 walks in 62 innings. He’s allowed 33 hits and has a 2.37 ERA. Both will be available thanks to an extra day between the semifinals and championship game. Teams in Thursday’s state title games didn’t have the same luxury for anyone throwing 105 or more pitches Monday.

The Hurricanes also have hitters led by Logan Gibson (.444, 26 RBI), Miller (.420, 25 RBI), Bernadina (.411, 3 HR, 25 RBI) and Dante Micaletti (.395, 21 RBI). There’s no doubt who will get the first crack at taming those bats — UConn recruit Hood.

Hood struck out seven and allowed six hits in five innings vs. Bonner-Prendie, but didn’t figure into the decision. Three of the hits came in Bonner-Prendie’s three-run first inning.

“I think Hood’s toughest inning every outing is that first inning,” Lemoncelli said. “If he gets through that first inning and you don’t get him then, you’re going to have a tough time getting to him.”

Hood brings a 1.71 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 73.2 innings into the game. Hunter Lawall picked up the semifinal win with two innings of relief. He has a 2.23 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 44 innings. Like the New Castle pitching duo, both will be available.

East Tennessee State commit Jake Kelleher (.393, 1 HR, 20 RBI), Hood (.385, 3 HR, 20 RBI), lead-off hitter Melberger (.354, .500 OBP), Jack Mathis (.333, 12 RBI) and Lawall (.311, 2 HR, 15 RBI) are Wyoming Area’s top hitters.

Three other regulars reside near the Mendoza Line (.200 batting average), but have helped manufacture runs during the Warriors’ current eight-game winning streak.

New Castle qualified one other time for states, losing in the 4A quarterfinals in 2019. This season marked Wyoming Area’s first trip to the state postseason.