SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – After pitching a no-hitter in Kennedy Catholic’s D10 Class 1A quarterfinal win over Cochranton, Dominick Ratkovich continued his magical postseason with a walk-off RBI single in the eighth inning to send the Golden Eagles to a 6-5 win over Rocky Grove and back into the title game.
The defending champion and No. 6 seed Golden Eagles began the season 1-9, but once again are peaking at the right time.
No. 2 Rocky Grove took a 5-2 lead in the fourth inning on Trevor Hamilton’s two-run double, with Hamilton scoring on Brett Stevenson’s sacrifice.
The Golden Eagles cut the deficit to one in the bottom half of the fourth on Davey Cochenour’s two-run double.
That 5-4 score held until the sixth, when Riley Mastowski’s RBI single with two outs brought in Remington Hart (who also singled) to tie the game.
Cochenour came on in relief and pitched five scoreless innings to get the win, allowing just three hits and striking out three without issuing a walk.
Mastowski finished 3-for-3 with two runs, while Ratkovich was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, Cochenour 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Cord Pocza 2-for-2 with two runs.
Isaac Clayton went all 7 ⅔ innings for Rocky Grove, allowing six runs on 10 hits, striking out four and walking three.
Travis Knupp was 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Orioles, while Eli Wilson also had two hits and Hamilton drove in a pair.
Next up for Kennedy Catholic is Saegertown in the title game on Monday.
(1) SAEGERTOWN 7, (4) MAPLEWOOD 0
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Zach Balog pitched a one-hitter to help Saegertown into the D10 Class 1A title game with a 7-0 victory over Maplewood.
Balog struck out seven and walked two, throwing 63 of his 88 pitches for strikes.
The Panthers built a 4-0 lead after two innings en route to the win.
The top three hitters in the Saegertown lineup – Wyatt Burchill, Landon Caldwell and Henry Shaffer had two hits apiece, with Caldwell and Burchill both hitting triples, Shaffer driving in a pair and Burchill scoring two runs.
Garrett Young also had two RBIs for the Panthers.
Landon Reynolds took the loss for Maplewood, allowing five runs in five innings on seven hits, walking four and striking out one.
CLASS 4A SEMIFINALS
(2) SLIPPERY ROCK 14, (6) HARBOR CREEK 8
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock built a 9-1 lead en route to a 14-8 victory over Harbor Creek to advance to the D10 Class 4A title game.
The Rock scored four runs in both the fourth and sixth innings and five in the seventh.
In the fourth, Ethan Drushel had an RBI single, followed by back-to-back bases–loaded walks to Ryan Montgomery and Luke Allison and a sac fly from Nick Kingerski.
In the sixth, Shane Thompson had an RBI single, and Brett Galcik hit a three-run inside-the-park home run.
Galcik’s four-bagger highlighted a five-RBI effort, while Kingerski and Thompson had two hits, two runs and an RBI each and Drushel was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI as the Rockets scored five more times in the seventh.
Dylan Gordon went 6 ⅓ innings to get the win, allowing eight runs on 10 hits, striking out four and walking one.
Cam Williamson hit a three-run home run in the seventh for Harbor Creek, while Alex Maldonado finished with a double and two RBIs.
Preston Lanagan suffered the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) in four innings on five hits, walking four.
With the win, the Rockets advance to play top seed Cathedral Prep in the finals.
(1) CATHEDRAL PREP 11, (5) MEADVILLE 1, 5 innings
ERIE, Pa. – Cole Constable belted a three-run home run as Cathedral Prep flexed its muscles, beating Meadville 11-1 in five innings in the Class 4A semifinals.
The Ramblers scored eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
Andrew Malec allowed just two hits in five innings in the win, striking out seven and walking two.
Reece Colvin set the tone atop the Rambler lineup, going 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Jason Fultz Jr. was 1-for-1 with two runs and an RBI, drawing three walks. Jackson Mattocks also drove in three runs for Prep.
Brady Walker hit a solo home run in the fourth inning for Meadville.
Mason Walker took the loss, allowing six runs (five earned) in 3 ⅓ innings on six hits, striking out one and walking three.
