The old adage is true: Sometimes, life just isn’t fair.

That can be true in love, the work force, pursuit of happiness ... even on a baseball field.

The latter was proven last Monday in Fox Chapel.

Knoch was taking on Hopewell in a WPIAL Class 4A playoff game. The Knights were coming off a first-round bye and a section championship season.

Their reward for that success? Facing Hopewell and 6-foot-4 senior left-hander Joey Rock. Since the Vikings opened the playoffs six days earlier, they were able to pitch Rock again against Knoch.

One of the more dominant pitchers in the WPIAL, Rock is likely headed to Oklahoma University to continue his career. He had a 1.62 earned run average and 84 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched entering the Knoch game.

One of the advantages of earning a bye should have been facing someone’s No. 2 pitcher in that next round. It didn’t work out that way for Knoch.

Hardly seems fair.

But facing Rock was just the start of the cruel twist of fate awaiting the Knights.

Trailing only 1-0 entering the bottom of the final inning, Knoch set up shop to at least tie the game. Ben McMillen singled to right. Alex Altmire’s sacrifice bunt moved him to second.

With two outs, Knoch standout center fielder and leadoff hitter Dom Bucko thought he was intentionally walked. He jogged to first base, then was called back by the umpire as Hopewell decided to pitch to him.

Bucko worked the count full and drew a walk. He had singled twice earlier in the game.

Mike McCarty then drills a hard grounder in the hole between first and second. The ball is headed for right field to seemingly tie the game.

The ball struck Bucko as he was running by. Third out. Game over. Season over.

Talk about unfair.

Bucko was devastated after the game. Those feelings were understandable. The play, of course, was not his fault. Just wrong place, wrong time, bad bounce.

But this kid’s high school career should not have ended this way. He is the heart and soul of Knoch baseball and a candidate to be drafted by Major League Baseball next month.

Bucko hit .407 this season. He hit all three of Knoch’s home runs. He came out of the bullpen to stop a Hopewell threat in the sixth inning.

Bucko pitched 15 innings in relief this season, allowing two hits, striking out 21 and walking two. Opposing batters hit all of .042 against him.

He hit .346 as a sophomore on Knoch’s state title team in 2015. And the kid has not committed an error in the outfield in forever.

And this is how his high school career ends?

Dom Bucko will be heard from again on a baseball field at a higher level in the near future. Count on that.

But that playoff game ...

Life just isn’t fair.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle