Latrobe’s Myers tosses no-hitter in quarterfinal win over Peters Township

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, May 21, 2018 | 9:36 PM

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The WPIAL wanted to have quarterfinal playoff games at Seton Hill as a “trial run” for the district championship games to be played there next week.

Latrobe had the same idea when it played on the campus softball field Monday.

“Just a little preview, I guess,” said Latrobe junior pitcher Kiley Myers, who took ownership for the third-seeded Wildcats in a 10-0 victory over No. 11 Peters Township in a Class 6A game.

Myers pitched a no-hitter in a game shortened to six innings by the mercy rule, added a 220-plus-foot solo home run and delivered a game-ending single for Latrobe (11-3), which advances to play No. 2 Baldwin (11-4) in the semifinals Wednesday.

Latrobe reached the WPIAL final last year but lost to unbeaten Hempfield. That game was at Cal (Pa.), the traditional home of the WPIAL finals that will undergo renovations.

A potential trip to the title game at Seton Hill looks that much more promising after Monday's win. Latrobe had not played a game since May 7 and sat through a first-round bye.

“We knew going in this team could hit after they scored 16 runs against Seneca Valley the other day,” Latrobe coach Rick Kozusko said. “We knew Kiley could keep us in the game, but we needed to make sure we could get her some runs. Fortunately, we got some early, which is big.”

Myers said Latrobe knew little about Peters Township (10-9), other than the fact it had outslugged Seneca Valley, 16-13, in the first round.

“We knew a little bit about them,” Myers said. “I used to play with their pitcher on a previous travel-ball team.”

A normally threatening rise ball was complemented by a curve and changeup for Myers, who struck out 10 to up her season total to 106 strikeouts.

The changeup was her gravy pitch.

“It's usually not working very well, but today is was definitely working,” Myers said.

Latrobe took a 5-0 lead after two innings. A pair of first-inning errors allowed leadoff hitter Sarah Blair (3 for 3) to score the first run. Senior third baseman Aimee Siecinski followed with a two-run double to make it 3-0.

“It took a great effort out of everyone,” said Siecinski, who went 3 for 4. “Everyone was getting hits for us.”

In the second inning, four consecutive singles allowed the Wildcats to score two more against Indians starter Kate Hondru. Senior catcher Makayla Munchinski and senior shortstop Karley Kovatch (3 for 4) had RBIs, and Latrobe led 5-0.

“We treated (Peters Township) like they were Hempfield,” Kovatch said. “We knew we had to give our all, and we expected to see a good team.

“Kiley was a beast. And our defense played pretty well.”

Myers, a Marist recruit, launched a 3-2 pitch over the fence in center to make it 6-0 in the fifth.

“I was in full count, and I was just swinging for contact and it went over,” Myers said. “We were looking forward to coming here and playing here. We didn't want to take them lightly coming in.”

The Wildcats slammed the door with a four-run sixth. Munchinski tripled in Blair, then Kovatch and senior Becca Tatone followed with RBIs to make it 9-0.

With runners at second and third, Myers came up again and singled to drive in the 10th run, and the Wildcats walked off with their third consecutive quarterfinal win.

Peters Township, frustrated by but respectful to the Wildcats, lose only two senior starters.

“It was more of a mental thing for us,” Peters Township coach Nicole Davis said. “We weren't the same team we were (in the first round).

“(Latrobe) is a great team, but our girls were capable of doing more. (Myers) has a lot speed, and her rise was very good.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Peters Township