Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Central Cambria left fielder Jack Washko pulls in a fly ball from South Allegheny’s Mason Campano.
By Michael Boytim
mboytim@altoonamirror.com
EBENSBURG — Several perks come with winning a District 6 championship, and for Central Cambria’s baseball team, one of those was the chance to play a PIAA first-round playoff game at home on the day the school unveiled a banner on the outfield fence commemorating the first district title the program has ever earned.
A packed Red Devil Complex didn’t get to see the outcome the local fans were looking for as WPIAL third-place finisher South Allegheny took advantage of 13 walks and a hit by pitch to come away with a 10-3 win on Monday, but Central Cambria ended its season with history on its side.
“We didn’t get the goal we wanted to, playing in the state final,” Red Devil senior Joe Iacono said. “But we ended the season as the District 6 champions, and hopefully that leads into many more positive years at Central Cambria. I’m hoping we can be a symbol for teams to look up to. We want to motivate other classes to make this one of their high school goals and turn into a team to remember.”
Central Cambria brought the large crowd to its feet in the first inning when catcher Brayden Blasko threw out Jackson Champ trying to steal, Grady Snyder opened the bottom of the inning with a double and Iacono brought him home with an RBI single. But South Allegheny pitcher Trenton Popovich escaped a bases-loaded jam with no further damage to keep the Red Devils from jumping too far ahead.
“That was huge,” South Allegheny coach Gib Pohodich said. “He’s a senior, and that’s senior leadership and confidence. That’s what has really got us through this season with all the injuries. What he’s given us is pure heart.”
In the top of the second inning, the Gladiators made Central Cambria regret leaving the bases loaded by putting up five runs on a hit by pitch, three walks and a pair of soft-contact singles.
Though four Red Devils pitchers combined to walk 13 batters, coach Dan Beyer said he didn’t think it was the nerves of playing in the state playoffs that got to his squad but the idea they needed to be perfect.
“It’s more that it’s late in the season and arms are starting to tire,” Beyer said. “You’re going into the playoffs, and you feel like you have to be more precise with your pitches or you’re going to get hit hard. I think it was more fatigue than it was nerves. Our players are really composed well above their years, and I think it’s a learning experience about being confident in your stuff.”
South Allegheny left the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth inning before finally adding on with three more in the sixth and a pair in the seventh.
“We have told the guys that they have to be scrappier at the plate and a little smarter,” Pohodich said. “We have to take pitches and get the count in our favor so we can get a fastball that we can hit. We have to make the pitcher throw the pitch we want, not the pitch they want, and that’s the philosophy we have been going with.”
Trailing 10-1 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Central Cambria got a sacrifice fly from Ben Howard and an RBI single by Jack Washko, one of three starting seniors along with Iacono and Connor Serenko.
“It’s a shame the seniors are gone, but they got us to where we are today,” Beyer said. “All we can do is tell ourselves that this year was huge and that we have many more years similar to this. We hope to break through and win our first state championship eventually.”
South Allegheny will play Punxsutawney, a 3-0 winner over Riverside in its first-round game, on Thursday in the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals.
Central Cambria finished the season at 15-8.
“It meant a lot,” Snyder said. “We have been working toward this for a very long time. Just to go from four wins to a district championship is a pretty big jump. We’re looking to do the same thing next year. We’re losing a few key players, but if we can fill those roles, I think we could definitely ride this back again.”
Snyder, who went 3-for-4, tripled, doubled, scored a run and had four stolen bases, will be one of the key returning players.
“Grady is an athlete,” Beyer said. “He’s produced for us all year. He’s our most athletic kid. There’s power in his bat. He scares opposing pitchers and scares opposing catchers when he gets on base. He is, to me, the best shortstop in the Laurel Highlands and the best shortstop we’ve seen all year.”
Central Cambria’s entire pitching staff was also made up of underclassmen.
“This year is a great stepping stone,” Beyer said. “We weren’t expected to go as far as we did, and it’s amazing that we did. The future is bright.”
SOUTH ALLEGHENY (10): Popovich p-1b 412, Nesky 2b 411, Champ c 200, Ielese cr 010, Cortes cf 321, J. Jackowski 3b-p 512, Myers cr 000, Campano lf 300, A. Jackowski 1b-3b 010, C. Jackowski rf 311, Pomacki ss 000, Peebly dh 211. Totals — 26-10-8.
CENTRAL CAMBRIA (3): Snyder ss 413, Black 2b-p-2b 400, Iacono cf 312, Coposky 1b 301, Blasko c 301, Muldoon cr 010, Washko lf 301, Wingard p 000, Evans p 000, Kirsch 2b 000, Harringer p 000, Russell dh 200, McConnell dh 100, Howard rf 200, Serenko 3b 400. Totals — 29-3-8.
SCORE BY INNINGS
South Allegheny 050 003 2–10 8 1
Central Cambria 100 000 2–3 8 2
E–Pomacki, Snyder, Black. 2B–Popovich, J. Jackowski, Snyder. 3B–Snyder. RBI–C. Jackowski 2, Popovich, Champ, Cortes, J. Jackowski, Peebly, Iacono, Washko, Howard.
PITCHING
South Allegheny: Popovich (W)–4 2/3IP, 4H, 4BB, 5K, 1R, 1ER, 106 pitches; J. Jackowski–2 1/3IP, 4H, 2BB, 2K, 2R, 2ER, 58 pitches.
Central Cambria: Wingard (L)–1 1/3IP, 2H, 2BB, 0K, 1HBP, 5R, 4ER, 40 pitches; Evans–1 2/3IP, 1H, 3BB, 2K, 0R, 0ER, 39 pitches; Black–2 1/3IP, 1H, 7BB, 1K, 3R, 3ER, 53 pitches; Harringer–1 2/3IP, 4H, 1BB, 1K, 2R, 2ER, 35 pitches.
Umpires: Derrick Soellner (HP); Bill Wolf (1B); Matt Cursio (2B); Jim Cushion (3B).
Records: South Allegheny (20-5); Central Cambria (15-8).