Jeannette claims 1st WPIAL baseball title
Zander Malik proudly carried the WPIAL championship trophy out of Wild Things Park on Wednesday evening, snapping selfies with teammates along the way.
He had most of Jeannette following along and chronicling history as the Jayhawks celebrated the program's first WPIAL baseball title.
Jeannette endured a 52-minute lightning delay and 12 innings of baseball before outdueling rival Greensburg Central Catholic, 7-3, to claim the Class A title.
“It was just one crazy baseball game. To come out of it a winner, that makes everything better,” Jeannette coach Marcus Clarkson said just before his players doused him with ice water. “I just couldn't be more proud of the kids. They didn't quit.”
Malik's RBI single to left field in the top of the 12th scored Eric Hall with the eventual winning run.
“As soon as I made contact, I knew it was going to fall,” Malik said. “I turned to the stands, I knew we were going to get some energy off that.”
The No. 7-seeded Jayhawks (15-6) tacked on three more runs on a bases-loaded balk and a two-run error when the GCC right fielder dropped a fly ball.
Jeannette reliever Seth Howard got a strikeout, ground out and fly out in the bottom of the 12th to seal the win and start the long-awaited celebration.
“This is a surreal moment. No one would have ever thought Jeannette baseball would win a championship,” said senior catcher Eric Hall, who had three hits and scored twice. “I just want to thank my team and our fans for supporting us the whole way.”
The odds were against the Jayhawks, who fell to GCC twice during the regular season, including a no-hitter the second time around. GCC was playing in its third straight WPIAL final after winning in 2015 and falling to California last season.
They also were facing the top pitcher in Class A — GCC's Neal McDermott — who entered the game 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA and 65 strikeouts.
None of that, however, fazed Jeannette.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Clarkson, who is in his 13th season. “My first year was 1-16, and to get here, it all comes together and it's a happy feeling.”
No. 8 Greensburg Central Catholic (12-5) held a 3-1 lead entering the seventh, but Jeannette rallied to tie when GCC shortstop Nicolas Ruggeri misplayed Tyler Elliott's ground ball, allowing Michael Pompei and Tre' Cunningham to score.
The Centurions scored a pair of runs in the third, when McDermott smashed an RBI triple to the fence in left-center field to score Ruggeri. McDermott then scored on an error, when second baseman Malik snagged a line drive but in trying to double off McDermott at third, the throw bounced toward the dugout, allowing GCC to go ahead 2-0.
Jeannette answered in the top of the fourth when Howard singled to right to score Hall and make it 2-1.
GCC made it 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth, when Antonio Cavallo singled to left to bring in Ethan Bailey.
Rain and lightning forced a delay in the top of the eighth.
McDermott scattered seven hits over six innings before reaching the 100-pitch limit. Cavallo took the loss after allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits in five innings.
“We were hitting the ball at people or they were getting under it a little bit, where their balls were falling in,” GCC coach Dennis Reist said. “It's just part of the game.”
Jeannette starter Cunningham allowed four hits and one earned run with four strikeouts over four innings before hitting 100 pitches. Blaze Tran came on in relief and allowed three hits and one run in 6 1⁄3 before also being lifted for the pitch limit.
Both teams advance to the PIAA tournament, which begins Monday.
Jeannette will play either Jamestown or Elk County Catholic at 1 p.m. Monday at Latrobe.
GCC will play District 6 champion Juniata Valley.
Bill Hartlep is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bhartlep@tribweb.com.
