Summer Rams rally past Thomas Jefferson for berth in WPSBL quarterfinals

By: Michael Love
Friday, July 31, 2020 | 12:45 PM

The Summer Rams (Highlands) baseball team stayed alive in the Western Pennsylvania Summer Baseball League playoffs Thursday evening with a come-from-behind 8-6 victory over Thomas Jefferson in a second-round game halted after six innings because of darkness.

The umpires made the decision to call the game, and after a rules discussion between coaches and officials from both teams and league officials, the result was finalized.

The Summer Rams move into the quarterfinals to face Belle Vernon at 7 p.m. Monday at John DiVirgilio Field in Rostraver Township.

“The kids are really meshing as a unit,” Summer Rams coach Jeff Campbell said. “They’re having fun and are playing well. They aren’t relying on just one or two people to produce. Everyone is bringing something to the table.”

The Summer Rams scored first with a run in the top of the first and added a run in the fifth. Thomas Jefferson countered with a run the second, two more in the third and three in the fifth to open a 6-2 advantage.

Down to what became their last at-bat, the Summer Rams sent 10 to the plate in the top of the sixth and scored six times.

Tanner Nulph reached on an error to open the frame, and Jett Slepak, Luke Beer and Mike Magdinec followed with singles to cut the deficit to 6-4.

Ethan Hewitt, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, tripled home Beer and Magdinec to tie the score.

Seth Helgert reached on an error that scored Hewitt for a 7-6 lead. Helgert then stole second and came home on a Matt Cekada single.

Trent Bielak picked up the win in relief of Slepak.

He surrendered a single to the first Thomas Jefferson batter in the bottom of the sixth. But with the tying run at the plate three times, he struck out two and induced a flyout to left to end the game.

The Summer Rams finished the game with seven hits. Slepak and Dom Fellows tallied two hits apiece.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Highlands