Kearns’ bat sparkles in California’s rout of Rockwood

LATROBE – Jordan Kearns is only a freshman and bats in the bottom third of the California High School baseball team’s lineup. Don’t let that fool you. Kearns, a center fielder, has been one of the best hitters in the Trojans’ lineup for the past six weeks.
Kearns proved as much again Monday when he had six RBI in California’s 17-7 five-inning thumping of District 5 runner-up Rockwood in the first round of the PIAA Class A playoffs at Latrobe High School.
California (19-1), the WPIAL champion, advances to the quarterfinals Thursday against District 10 champion West Middlesex, which defeated Otto Eldred, 9-4, in the opening round.
“That’s great coaching having him hit all the way down in the No. 7 spot so that he’s in the middle of everything,” California coach Lou Pasquale joked. “Jordan has been swinging a hot bat. He slumped a little at the beginning of the season. That was because he’s a freshman, we were playing against some Triple-A teams and he had never seen high school pitching before this year. Once we got to section play, he’s been hot ever since.”
Kearns’ biggest hit in the high-scoring game came in the bottom of the first inning. The Trojans loaded the bases with two outs and Kearns, who has a .341 batting average, laced a three-run double down the left-field line.
“That was the backbreaker right there,” Rockwood coach Steve Barto said. “If we get out of that inning tied 1-1, then we’re all right. That ball hit down the line put us back on our heels. It had us chasing the whole game and that’s tough to do in high school baseball.”
Rockwood (16-7) did not have a full pitching staff available. The Rockets lost to Forbes Road in the district championship game, which lasted nine innings, on Friday. Ace senior righthander Troy Emert, who threw two perfect games as a junior, was not available. The Rockets’ No. 2 option also was not able to pitch.
Rockwood started Rhett Pletcher on the mound but he walked six and lasted only 1 2/3 innings. Three Rockets pitchers combined to give up 13 walks and get only 12 outs.
“Our No. 1 couldn’t pitch and our No. 2 pitcher has been hurt all year,” Barto explained. “Our No. 3 also pitched Friday, so we went with our fourth and fifth guys. They had trouble throwing strikes.”
Rockwood, which was playing in the first PIAA playoff game in school history, needed a strong start and took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first against California pitcher Jacob Swartz, who threw a complete game. A single by Pletcher, an error on a pickoff attempt and a two-out single by Andrew Weaver gave the Rockets a 1-0 lead.
That lead didn’t last long as Nate Zemany drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first and Swartz drove him home with a double. A pair of two-out walks set up Kearns’ three-run double and gave the Trojans a 4-1 lead.
Cal tacked on eight runs in the second inning, on only four hits, sending 12 batters to the plate. Kearns had a two-run single in the inning that ended with the Trojans ahead 12-1.
Rockwood, however, had its first nine batters in the third inning reach base and closed to within 12-7. The Rockets still had the bases loaded with no outs when Pletcher hit a shot back at Swartz, who snagged the baseball and triggered a home-to-first double play. After a walk, a strikeout ended the inning.
“We were at the part of our batting order that we wanted to be and then get the 1-2-3 double play,” Barto said. “We fell a little short.”
That was the last shot Rockwood had as California scored three runs in the third and one in the fourth for a 16-7 advantage. The Trojans ended the game in the fifth, when Matt Trunzo drew a leadoff walk and scored on Zemany’s double to the gap in right centerfield.
Swartz struck out six, walked two and retired each of the last seven Rockwood batters. Most important, Swartz saved the rest of the Trojans’ pitching staff by going the distance, something he did not do in the Trojans’ WPIAL win over Eden Christian that was played on the same field.
“Jacob exorcised some demons,” Pasquale said. “Getting out to the big lead really helped. He’s a big-time competitor and we decided over the weekend that he was going to go in this one.”
Kearns finished 2-for-2, drawing a bases-loaded walk in the third inning. Zemany drove in three runs, and Swartz and Payton Conte each had two RBI. Conte hit a two-run triple in the second inning. Connor Vig drew four walks and scored three times without an official at-bat.