GCC pitcher stymies powerful California lineup in title game
California’s Aaron Previsky slides safely into home while Greensburg Central Catholic’s Richie Marcheleovich tries to tag him out during the top of the fourth inning in Tuesday night’s WPIAL Class A championship game.
California’s Garitt Woodburn pitches in the third inning of the game on Tuesday, May 26 during the WPIAL Class A finals.
California’s Johnny DeFranco catches a hit from Greensburg Central Catholic for an out in the bottom of the second during Tuesday night’s game.
Practice makes perfect. Well, sort of. It can at least prepare a team for reality.
That’s why California High School head baseball coach Nick Damico had his pitching coach, former Oklahoma State pitcher Neil Forsythe, rear back and throw hard fastballs to the Trojans’ hitters during practice.
That was the only way to simulate the veolicty of Greensburg Central Catholic right-hander Collin Liberatore, an NCAA Division I recruit.
The Trojans responded with a nine-hit effort, including four infield singles to spark a two-run fourth inning, but nothing could prepare them for making mental errors on defense.
California committed three errors to spark Greensburg Central Catholic’s offense, which scored three runs in the fifth inning, and Liberatore finished with 12 strikeouts as the Centurions held on for a 6-4 win over California in the WPIAL Class A championship game at Consol Energy Park Tuesday night.
The Centurions (20-3) won their first WPIAL title in program history and will face the District 6 runner-up, Blairsville or Juniata Valley, Monday to open the PIAA playoffs. Meanwhile, the Trojans (19-2) will face the District 9 champion in the state playoffs.
It was California’s first loss to a WPIAL Class A opponent since May 21, 2013 – a 2-1 defeat against OLSH in the Class A semifinals.
“I’m really proud of this group and how they fought back to make it a 3-3 ball game,” Damico said. “(Liberatore’s) the best pitcher we’ve seen, by far. He had the velocity, change and curveball. Neil played at Oklahoma State and he can bring it, so that was a way to show the guys what it would look like. We had nine hits. We just couldn’t scratch together more runs.”
Trailing by three runs entering in the top of the seventh, the Trojans finally gave the crowd something to cheer about once again when Paul Peters reached on a fielder’s choice, Johnny DeFranco hit a single and Nathaniel Luketich delivered a two-out RBI single to cut the lead to two runs. California senior center fielder Aaron Previsky came to the plate and made GCC head coach Anthony Manley’s heart skip a beat when he lined a ball just three inches foul down the left-field line.
Liberatore came back to strike out Previksy with a high fastball to end the game. “That’s how we expected California to plate. At the plate, (California) challenged Collin, but he came back and to get that strikeout against against Previsky to end the game was unbelievable,” Manley said. “That’s no surprise.”
The Centurions chased Cal starting pitcher Garitt Woodburn in the fifth inning when center fielder Cole Reese, who went 2-for-3, hit a leadoff triple. Louden Conte took over on the mound, but immediately allowed an infield single to give GCC a 4-3 lead.
Woodburn stuck out one, walked one and allowed two earned runs in four-plus innings.
Nick Roperti added an RBI triple for the Centurions and he scored on an error to give them a commanding three-run advantage.
“We knew once we got to the bullpen that we could push some runs across,” Manley said. “(Reese and Pellis) came up with two big hits.”
GCC held a 3-1 lead after three innings and Liberatore, a Campbell University recruit, did not allow hard contact with all three hits glancing off a defender’s glove.
Cal needed was a breaks and it got them in the fourth inning when Previsky hit a slow roller to third base. He beat out the throw for an infield single to start the rally then stole second before an unpredictable play gave the Trojans a run.
Catcher Casey Zajicek flew out to right field and Previsky tagged to take third base. GCC right fielder Neil McDermott’s throw beat Previsky to the bag, but it went past the third baseman; allowing Previsky to score and cutting the Centurions’ lead to one.
California did not need to flex its muscles against Liberatore. Instead of living up to their power-hitting reputation, the Trojans used small ball to generate offense against the hard-throwing righty.
Woodburn lined a single off the third baseman’s glove and Alex Adams hit a soft roller to third. GCC third baseman Jake Nesser’s throw went over the first baseman’s head, allowing both runners to advance.
With Peters, the Trojans’ No. 9 hitter, coming to bat; Damico took an unorthodox approach. Peters laid down a bunt and Woodburn sprinted to home plate to tie the score, 3-3.
GCC got a quick start with a two-run first inning.
Reese reached on an error with one out and advanced to third base when Pellis, a Penn recruit, hit a line drive into the gap in left-center field.
Pellis took second on the throw, Reese scored one pitch later on a passed ball and Pellis scored on a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.
GCC’s shortstop also made an impact with his glove. DeFranco, who went 2-for-4, delivered a hard-hit ground ball in the top of the first, but Pellis dove to his right, collected the ball and threw it to first for the out.
He also made a diving catch to his right in the third inning that saved a run because Conte and DeFranco delivered back-to-back singles later, including an RBI single by the latter.
“I thought we could piece something together. That’s what we needed,” Damico said. “We needed the 3-4-5 guys to get it done then we could get through our lineup to get to the top. Again, it just didn’t work out. (Liberatore) shut us down and got it done.”