Wicker guides Greensburg Salem past Yough in Section 1-4A victory
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Friday, May 4, 2018 | 8:24 PM
Greensburg Salem got an outstanding pitching performance and timely hitting to beat Yough, 7-1, in a Section 1-4A baseball game Friday on Cougar Mountain.
Junior Matt Wicker stifled the Cougars, scattering three hits in six innings while striking out six. The lone run Wicker surrendered came in the bottom of the first after his offense had already backed him to a 3-0 lead.
“My game plan was to mix my pitches up against them,” Wicker said. “I had some trouble locating my change-up early, but got the feel of it as the game went on.”
In the first, Greensburg Salem had three hits and benefited from Cougars miscues and wildness from starter Scott Houseman.
Center fielder Andrew Rosenberg led off by beating out an infield single. Dajauhn Hertzog followed with a single to center field on a ball that could have been caught. On the play, Rosenberg advanced to third. He then on a wild pitch, the first of three Golden Lions runs to score courtesy of a wild pitch. Jack Oberdorf then bounced back to Houseman, whose errant throw to third went into left field, allowing Hertzog to score. Wicker then hit a sharp single into center to score Oberdorf for a 3-0 lead.
The Cougars got a run back in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly from Houseman, scoring Dom Koch. But Greensburg Salem added runs in the third and sixth innings and then salted away the victory on Wicker's two-run home run. Wicker was 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
“I love to hit,” Wicker said. “There's no better feeling in the world when you're running around the bases after getting a big hit.”
Despite some early command problems on the mound, Wicker settled in during the middle innings and, at one point, retired seven straight hitters.
Rosenburg pitched a scoreless seventh inning to close out the win.
It was a tough loss for Yough (6-9, 6-8), which was eliminated from playoff contention.
Greensburg Salem (10-5, 9-4) has clinched a WPIAL playoff berth and will finish the section schedule against Indiana on Monday.
Steve Nagler is a TribLive High School Sports Network broadcaster.
Tags: Greensburg Salem, Yough
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