Pine-Richland baseball secures key Section 1-6A win over North Allegheny

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, May 1, 2018 | 12:33 AM

Last week while sitting in last place in Section 1-6A, Pine-Richland baseball coach Kurt Wolfe challenged his players. He told them the playoffs started for them in the final three section games.

“Quarterfinals, semifinals and finals I told them,” Wolfe said about games with Seneca Valley, North Allegheny and Shaler. “We win them all and we are back in the playoffs where anything can happen.”

Two wins down, one to go.

The defending Class 6A champion Rams jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings, then held on to beat visiting North Allegheny, 7-4, on Monday afternoon.

Tigers starting pitcher Anthony Hattrup struggled with his control, and the Rams took advantage.

Graig Kunkel and Matt Wood both walked and scored on a two-run single by Troy LaNeve. He then scored later in the inning on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 after one.

A leadoff single by Wes Byrd and another walk of Kunkel marked the end of the day for Hattrup on the mound. Wood's RBI single off NA sophomore lefty Kevin Schott made it 4-0.

With the bases loaded and one out, J.D. Armstrong hit what looked like an inning-ending double play ground ball to short. Armstrong was called out at first, but after Wolfe asked for an appeal, the umps got together and ruled Tigers first baseman Cam Medic's foot came off the bag on his stretch. Armstrong was ruled safe and another run scored.

The changed call did not sit well with North Allegheny coach Andrew Heck, who protested and was eventually ejected.

The next batter, Josh Sherer hit a two-run single that put Pine-Richland ahead 7-0.

“I was worried that our guys would lose focus after the argument,” Wolfe said. “You always have concerns when you get a big lead early that the team will hit a lull. I think we did just that on offense.”

Give Schott credit for holding the Rams at bay as he pitched 42⁄3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out seven.

He allowed the Tigers to have a chance at a big comeback, and his teammates started to chip away at the lead.

After C.J. Weller and Turner White led off the third with singles, Caiden Wood delivered a two-out, two-run double to make it 7-2 Rams.

In the fifth, White scored again on a Luke Turman single, who then scored the game's final run on an errant catcher's throw while stealing third base.

Pine-Richland's Bryce Grenet pitched 52⁄3 innings for the win, allowing four earned runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Matt Bullock came in with two on and two out in the sixth and struck out White. The first two Tigers reached in the seventh before a pair of strikeouts and a comebacker to the mound ended the NA threat.

Both Pine-Richland (9-5, 4-5) and North Allegheny (8-5, 4-5) control their own destiny heading into the section finale Wednesday. If both win, they will each clinch a playoff spot. Pine-Richland is at Shaler (6-8, 4-5) while North Allegheny hosts Central Catholic (10-4, 6-2). Both games can be heard on the TribLive High School Sports Network .

Don Rebel is a TribLive High School Sports Network broadcaster and staff writer. Reach him at drebel@tribweb.com.

Tags: North Allegheny, Pine-Richland