May 6, 2016 5 min read

McMURRAY – Zach Rohaley wondered if it would ever end.

The Canon-McMillan sophomore saw the Big Macs’ early lead evaporate, a balk that put the tying run into scoring position in the seventh inning and several opportunities lost during a Section 5-AAAA game that would determine their postseason fate.

When he stepped into the batter’s box in the top of the 14th inning with a rain-soaked jersey, all Rohaley wanted was to help put an end to the game and Peters Township’s bid for a section title.

As he’s done throughout Canon-McMillan’s surge over the past three weeks, Rohaley welcomed the pressure.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Rohaley hit a double off the wall in left field to score three runs and help the Big Macs defeat Peters Township, 6-4, ending a section game Friday that lasted almost five hours and sending Canon-McMillan to the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs.

Rohaley, the Big Macs’ ace pitcher, was unable to take the mound after throwing a complete game shutout Tuesday. But as the third baseman, he delivered at the plate with three hits, including the one that dashed the Indians’ chance at sharing the section title with Bethel Park. Instead, they finished in a three-way tie for second place with Canon-McMillan and Mt. Lebanon.

“I knew I had to turn on it and get it to the outfield to get those runs in,” Rohaley said. “A 14-inning game, almost five hours. I was just relieved that it’s over. Now, we have the playoffs. We needed to win this game and we did it. It’s a relief.”

The two teams used a combined eight pitchers and left a combined 32 runners on base, including 17 in extra innings. Canon-McMillan (8-4, 12-6) escaped two bases-loaded jams in extra innings and allowed the leadoff batter to reach base in each of the final five innings played.

Peters Township junior pitcher Eric Riotto, who threw eight innings in relief with six strikeouts, was relieved by sophomore Nolan Thompson in the top of the 14th and the young lefty walked the leadoff batter.

Thompson got two strikeouts, but Jordan Castelli and Brandon Klein each drew two-out walks to load the bases for Rohaley. On the third pitch, the sophomore turned on an inside fastball to clear the bases.

“He’s the man. We wouldn’t even be close to here if it wasn’t for Zach Rohaley, the big hits and he’s 6-2 on the mound,” Canon-McMillan head coach Tim Bruzdewicz said. “He’s the best pitcher in this section and he might be the best pitcher in the WPIAL, but the rest of our pitching staff came up big.”

Riotto got on to lead off the bottom of the 14th for Peters Township (8-4, 10-7) and he advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt by Ian Hess, who earned the win in relief. Junior left fielder Ethan Young, who went 3-for-6 with two doubles, delivered an RBI single to left field to make it 6-4.

Hess got catcher Brody Cararie to ground into a double play – the Big Macs’ third of the game – to clinch the win and a playoff spot.

After seeing his players tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI single by designated hitter Blake Smith, Peters Township head coach Joe Maize was disappointed in the missed opportunities.

“Credit to Canon-Mac and to Tim. Every time the past 15 years we’ve played Canon-Mac, it’s been a battle,” Maize said. “When they have their backs against the wall, they don’t quit. They never quit. We’re a little disappointed we could have won a section title and we didn’t do our jobs when we needed to.”

The Big Macs looked like they were playing for their playoff lives when they scored two runs in the second inning. A walk and back-to-back singles loaded the bases for right fielder Josh Palma, who fought off an inside fastball to right for a two-run single.

Against Canon-McMillan senior starting pitcher Matt Mish – who kept the Indians off balance through 5 1/3 innings and struck out five – the Indians broke through in the second when Young’s first double put runners on second and third. Cararie followed with an RBI single to left field to cut the deficit to one.

Leading off the bottom of the third and with the Canon-McMillan student section chanting “overrated,” Indians junior center fielder Tor Sehnert, a highly-touted Coastal Carolina recruit, hit a solo home run to right-center field to tie the score.

The Big Macs were hitless against TJ Dailey for the next two innings before Piechnick led off the sixth inning with a double against Riotto and scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Mish for the 3-2 lead.

Peters Township tied it 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh when Sehnert, who went 3-for-5 with two walks, reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a balk. Smith lined the next pitch to right field to send the game to extra innings.

But as the Big Macs have done over their six-game winning streak that sent them from sixth place to the playoffs, they found a way to win.

“Their backs were against the wall,” Bruzdewicz said. “They knew it. Our team mantra was it’s us against everybody else. They kept on fighting, kept on battling and working hard at practice. They never quit. Up down, they played one pitch at a time and now we’re in the playoffs. I’m telling you, we’re going to be a tough out.”