Ringgold baseball rallies past Greensburg Salem to reach 1st title game since ’99

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, May 23, 2018 | 8:36 PM

The Ringgold baseball team can party like it's 1999.

“I'm going to be happy just for tonight, and tomorrow we are going to get back to work,” said Ringgold coach Don Roberts after his fourth-seeded Rams upended No. 8 Greensburg Salem, 7-3, in a WPIAL Class 4A semifinal baseball game Wednesday at Washington & Jefferson's Ross Memorial Park.

Ringgold scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the commanding 7-3 lead off an RBI triple by right fielder Luke Winterbottom and RBI single by starting pitcher Chase Angotti.

The significance of the year 1999 will play a big part in the Class 4A championship game. That was the last time Ringgold made a title game, losing to Shaler, 6-3, in Class AAA. Ironically, Ringgold's opponent, South Fayette, won its only WPIAL championship the same season, defeating Greensburg Central Catholic, 9-2, in Class A.

Greensburg Salem (13-6), fresh off its upset of top-seeded Blackhawk on Monday, jumped ahead in the first inning 1-0 and grew its lead to 2-0 in the third after an RBI single by shortstop Jack Oberdorf and two stolen bases by Dajauhn Hertzog, who scored on a Ringgold error in the third.

“What got us through the first two rounds was getting guys on, getting them in scoring position and someone coming up clutch,” Greensburg Salem coach Bill Wisniewski said.

The Golden Lions seemed to have that same mindset going its way, until Ringgold (16-3) followed up in the bottom of the third, taking its first lead 3-2 by capitalizing on two Golden Lions errors. Third baseman Ryan Varley, right fielder Luke Winterbottom and first baseman Anthony Vavasori all scored for the Rams in the third.

In the fifth, the Golden Lions responded when starting pitcher Andrew Rosenburg singled in pinch runner Sean McFeeley to knot the game at three.

From there, Ringgold locked in, especially Angotti.

“I got into a rhythm and started feeling good with all my pitches,” Angotti said. “I start feeling good out there, and I started working fast.”

While Angotti didn't get to finish the game due to the 100-pitch limit, he sat down seven of the last eight Golden Lions he faced. The only baserunner he allowed in his final 1 ²⁄₃ innings reached on an error.

He threw 6 ²⁄₃ innings, allowing three runs (one earned) and six hits, with one walk and eight strikeouts. Joshua Peters picked up the one-out save.

Rosenburg took the loss after pitching five-plus innings, allowing five runs (three earned), nine hits, two walks and struck out three. Jonathan Borbonus pitched in relief of Rosenburg and allowed two runs (both earned), two hits, walked two and struck out one.

The Golden Lions' will face Hopewell at 4:30 p.m. May 30 at Washington & Jefferson's Ross Memorial Park in the third-place consolation game, with a spot in the PIAA tournament on the line.

“Our message was to refocus and put another notch on something we haven't done at Greensburg in quite a while. We don't want it to end, let's keep it going,” Wisniewski said.

Ringgold faces South Fayette for the Class 4A crown at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Wild Things Park. The Rams' focus is gaining the ultimate prize in another tough matchup.

“They have a really good hitting lineup, and they have a pretty good pitcher (Richie Dell), but other than that we don't know a lot about them,” Roberts said. “I'll be Googling stuff on the bus ride home.”

Sean Saputo is a TribLIVE High School Sports Network broadcaster.

Tags: Greensburg Salem, Ringgold