Penn-Trafford gets needed sweep, improves playoff position
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Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | 10:06 PM
Penn Hills’ Chyno Spearman (13) is tagged out by Penn-Trafford shortstop Brayden Stone attempting to steal Tuesday at Penn-Trafford.
Penn-Trafford shortstop Brayden Stone (12) and Dylan Grabowski (14) complete a double play as Penn Hills’ Mack Brynes (22) slides into second base Tuesday at Penn-Trafford.
Penn-Trafford’s Brody Hoffman steals third base as Penn Hills’ Anthony Sipple applies a late tag Tuesday at Penn-Trafford.
Penn-Trafford’s Tyler Freas steps on home plate as Penn Hills catcher Connor Lehman awaits a throw from the outfield Tuesday against Penn Hills.
Penn-Trafford’s Brayden Stone dives back into first base as Penn Hils first baseman Kenny Boyle awaits a throw Tuesday.
Penn-Trafford first baseman Brady Lane fields throw on a pickoff attempt on Penn Hills’ Mack Brynes on Tuesday at Penn-Trafford.
Penn-Trafford pitcher Evan Del Signore delivers a pitch in relief against Penn Hills on Tuesday at Penn-Trafford.
If the Penn-Trafford baseball team had any hope of making the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs this season, a sweep of last-place Penn Hills was mandatory.
The Warriors split three previous two-game series in Section 1.
After holding on to defeat Penn Hills on Monday, the Warriors weren’t about to split another series.
Penn-Trafford took advantage of five Penn Hills errors and the sudden wildness of starting pitcher Edward Bowser in the fifth inning to defeat the Indians, 11-1, in a game stopped in the sixth inning because of the mercy rule.
The Warriors (5-3, 9-3) moved into fourth place behind Fox Chapel (6-2), Franklin Regional (6-2) and Plum (6-2) and ahead of Armstrong (6-4), which was swept by Franklin Regional.
Seniors Tommy Kalkstein and Evan Del Signore limited Penn Hills two hits. Each threw three innings. Kalkstein struck out three, and Del Signore fanned five, including the side in the fifth inning.
Kalkstein, who hadn’t played baseball for five or six years, decided to try out this year and received his second start of the season.
“I threw pretty well. Could have done a little better,” Kalkstein said. “Getting the start means a lot. It means my coaches trust me, and allowing me to start a section games means a lot to me.
“We needed to get this sweep to give us a shot. We hit well, and now we have to keep rolling.”
Penn-Trafford jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Ty Freas doubled and scored on Brayden Stone’s single. Stone, who swiped second, scored on Dylan Grabowski’s hit past the third baseman.
Penn Hills, which rallied from a 7-0 deficit Monday only to fall 7-6, scored its lone run when Kenny Boyle, who singled, scored on a single by Chyno Spearman. Penn Hills (0-10, 2-10) never threatened after the second inning.
“We needed this,” Penn-Trafford coach Lou Cortazzo said. “After Monday’s game, we couldn’t take them lightly. We told them to keep pushing, and our bats got rolling. Both pitchers did a great job for us.”
Penn-Trafford got the run back in the bottom of the second inning when Peyton Bigler, who singled, scored on an error.
Del Signore came on in the fourth inning and shut things down to earn the save. The only runners to reach were on an error and a walk in the sixth inning.
“My curveball was working well,” Del Signore said. “It felt good off my fingers. I was able to get my pointer finger on the laces and was able to pull down. I located the fastball well.
“I don’t know if it’s my curse, but every game seems like a pitchers’ battle. I was glad that our offense came together at the end.”
The Warriors broke the game open in the fifth inning by sending 11 batters to the plate.
Stone got things started with a double. He ended up on third on a throwing error and scored on an error on Grabowski’s grounder.
That’s when Bowser became unraveled. He walked Brody Hoffman and Carmen Metcalfe to load the bases and then plunked Anthony Monroe to force home a run.
Brady Lane then cracked a two-run single, and Bigler walked to load the bases again. Freas, who had three hits, smacked a two-run single to push the lead to 9-1.
Penn-Trafford ended the game in the sixth when Huffman doubled, swiped third and scored on a sacrifice fly. Maddox Cenci, who was hit by a pitch, scored on a double by Chuck Fontana.
“We have four big games left: Gateway and then Franklin Regional,” Cortazzo said. “This is when we want to get hot.”
Cortazzo said he hopes to get Jason Sabol back. Sabol has been nursing a leg injury. The Warriors have already lost two starters – Jakob Haynes and Jake Otto – for the season with injuries. Haynes, a Seton Hill recruit, injured his shoulder in the season opener against Hempfield. Otto was injured during football season.
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
Tags: Penn Hills, Penn-Trafford
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