May 23, 2017 3 min read

McMURRAY – All season long, the California High School baseball games have followed a fmiliar pattern.

The Trojans fall into an early hole before rallying to win. California’s game Monday in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals was no exception.

Like they have done all season, the Trojans came from behind for a 7-4 win over Neshannock at Peterwood Park. The win sends the Trojans back back to the semifinals after a one-year absence.

“We always have a slow start,” California coach Nick Damico said. “I don’t know why, but we are usually down and then keep creeping back.”

The game got off to an odd start for California (18-2) as its ace pitcher Nate Luketich, who entered the game with a 1.07 ERA, hit Danny Welker on the first pitch.

Damico said nerves affected Luketich early but he adjusted and pitched a solid game.

“Nate settled down after the first inning and he had jitters, just like anyone else would,” Damico said. “I think he started to pitch to contact and located a lot better. Once he was able to do that, the defense made plays and he trusted them.”

Although Welker was eventually tagged out at the plate by catcher Jacob Swartz after a throw from Alex Adams, Nick Perry singled in a pair of runs and Joey Nerti scored from third when Perry purposely got caught in a rundown.

Neshannock (15-7) led 3-0 after a half-inning, but California (18-2) answered immediately.

Leadoff hitter Drake Johnson started the inning with a single and Johnny DeFranco followed with a walk.

Johnson and DeFranco advanced on a balk by Neshannock pitcher Josh DeMarco, and Johnson scored on a groundout by Luketich.

DeFranco scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Brandon Powell.

The score held until the bottom of the third when California took advantage of a pair of errors.

With two outs, Tyler Jacobs reached on an error by Neshannock shortstop Gerald Taylor.

Enzo Mariscotti followed with a walk, and Jacobs scored on an error by Neshannock third baseman Jared Staph when he tried to play the ball on a grounder hit by Brendan Sheehan.

Neshannock took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth, but the Trojans took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the inning.

Johnson led off the inning for California with a double. The hit drove DeMarco from the contest with Gray taking over on the mound.

After one out, Luketich singled Johnson to third and the latter scored on an RBI single by Alex Adams.

Luketich scored the go-ahead run on a single by Powell, and California took a 5-4 lead into the fifth.

The Trojans added two insurance runs when Jacobs singled home Luketich and Mariscotti hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Adams with the final run of the game.

Not lost on Damico was the effort of Adams, his center fielder, who had an RBI and made five defensive plays, two of which saved runs.

“He had that big hit for us to help us go up two but he also had two fantastic plays in the field,” Damico said. “He was the player of the game in my eyes.

“He possibly took away big plays for Neshannock.”

California now faces Our Lady of Sacred Heart in the semifinals. OLSH, the No. 4 seed, blanked Bishop Canevin in the quarterfinals.