South Side defeats Brownsville, will play in 1st PIAA baseball title game
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Monday, June 11, 2018 | 11:00 PM
The South Side baseball team is heading to Penn State to play for a state title for the first time in school history after a 7-5 win over Brownsville in a PIAA semifinal game Monday at Wild Things Park in Washington.
Brownsville pitcher Dylan Brosky was scratched as the Falcons' starter after orthopedics diagnosed him with a broken hand over the weekend. According to Brownsville coach Skooter Roebuck, the injury occurred in Brownsville's quarterfinal win over Bald Eagle Area on Thursday at Slippery Rock.
Early on, the Falcons didn't miss Brosky much. James Davison retired the Rams in order in the top of the first inning, and RBI singles from Brody Bagwell and Davison had the Falcons ahead 2-0 after one inning.
The WPIAL champion Falcons (17-3) extended the lead to 3-0 after Trevor Stewart led off the bottom of the third with a triple and scored on a passed ball.
South Side (17-5) got a run back in the top of the fourth when Bishop McCoy drove in Jake McDougal. South Side started to wear Davison — who made the start on three days rest — down in the fifth. Alex Jones and Luke Woodard started off the inning with hits, and Davison's throwing error after a bunt from Jake Sargent resulted in two runs to tie the game at 3-3.
Trevor Stewart came on in relief, and Nate Statler tripled to drive in Sargent. Ethan Wadling's sacrifice fly scored Statler to give the Rams a 5-3 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth.
Brownsville tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Stewart walked with one out and Colton Dellarose doubled, and DJ Zimcosky was intentionally walked to load the bases. Brody Bagwell singled to drive in Stewart and Davison's sacrifice fly drove in Dellarose as Bagwell was caught in a rundown to end the inning.
A Marshall Windsor walk and another Brownsville error gave the Rams another run in the top of the sixth, and Casey Jones — making his third start in eight days — went over 100 pitches after striking out Preston Frost to retire the Falcons in order in the bottom of the sixth.
McCoy added another RBI double, driving in McDougal for a Rams' insurance run in the top of the seventh, and Luke Woodard came on in relief to pitch the bottom of the inning, yielding just a single to Stewart.
Jones finished with 11 strikeouts in six innings and got the win for the Rams.
South Side avenged a loss against Brownsville in the WPIAL quarterfinals from 2017 and snapped the Falcons' 12-game winning streak.
South Side, in the state playoffs for the first time since 2000, will play District 3 champion Lancaster Catholic (17-5) in the PIAA championship game Friday at Penn State.
Brian Mroziak is a TribLIVE High School Sports Network broadcaster.
Tags: Brownsville, South Side
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