Trib HSSN Baseball Team of the Week for April 24, 2022

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, April 24, 2022 | 7:02 PM

Defending WPIAL Class 3A baseball champion Hopewell entered last week tied for first place with Ellwood City, one game ahead of Mohawk and New Brighton in a crowded top in Section 1-3A.

The Vikings turned back the clock and brought out the brooms with a pair of victories over the Wolverines that puts Hopewell back alone on top of the section.

“Every week you have two big section games,” Hopewell coach Morgan Singletary said. “The team’s names change each week, but they are all big games and you need to be physically and mentally prepared for each week and each game.

After a rainout, the two met Wednesday at Hopewell in a game that turned into an instant classic.

In a low-scoring pitchers’ duel between the Vikings’ Anthony LaSala and the Wolverine1s’ Nick Magnifico, Hopewell rallied for two runs in the sixth inning to take a 2-1 lead.

The Wolverines answered with two runs in the top of the seventh to go back up 3-2 before the Vikings scored twice in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off 4-3 victory.

“That was the third game this year that we had to come from behind to win,” Singletary said. “In all of those games, we had big hits on offense that put us up. Against Ellwood, we were able to get Anthony (LaSala) on base down by one in the seventh, and then Lucas (Arrington) and Chris (Mullins) came through with big hits. Guys that have been there coming through for us.”

There were no dramatics when the teams met Friday at Lincoln High School.

Hopewell scored four runs in the third inning and led 6-2 going into the seventh inning before scoring seven runs to cruise to a 13-5 win.

“We were able to limit our strikeouts,” Singletary said. “If there has been one thing that has been a glaring negative for our offense this season, it has been the number of strikeouts we have had each game. Our game getting rained out Thursday was an opportunity to address it at practice, and the players responded. In Friday’s game, we only had three. If we are putting the ball in play, our offense will be in good shape.”

Hopewell lost Saturday in a nonsection game to Class 4A Blackhawk, 12-7, ending the Vikings six-game winning streak.

At 7-3 for the season, is this what Singletary expected a month into the campaign?

“More or less, yes. We knew we would have strong pitching out of Anthony and Lucas, and we knew the top of our lineup would be strong on offense with Anthony, Couper (Stala), Lucas, Chris and Ty (Eberhardt). We also knew we would need to fill some slots of both defense and offense to round out the lineup. We have been very happy with how some guys have stepped up in Landon Fox, Stephen Slate and Marshall Nock.

“We expect to be the conversation for winning our section and making a run in the playoffs, and I feel like we are at this point.”

A year ago, Hopewell won Section 1-3A, was the top seed in the district postseason and rolled past Waynesburg Central, Deer Lakes and McGuffey before edging South Park in the title game 6-5 for the Vikings’ first baseball championship since 2010.

Singletary knows there is work left to be done in the regular season but feels his Vikings are ready for the final three weeks and beyond.

“I like what we have been able to accomplish to this point and am very proud of how this group of players have competed. With that being said, there is always room for improvement. Wins and losses, we are in a good place, but the majority of our players know the grind of the playoffs. With single elimination, you need to be at the top of your game every game. We are still working to get to the top of our game.”

2022 Trib HSSN Baseball Teams of the Week:

Week 2 — Chartiers Valley Colts

Week 1 — Beaver Bobcats

Tags: Hopewell