NORTH HUNTINGDON — Angelo DeLeonardis thought he was going to have a heart attack.

An out away from a narrow triumph, his most recent offering was given a jolt by Uniontown’s Wyatt Nehls. Knoch’s berth in the WPIAL Class 4A baseball playoff quarterfinals appeared ticketed to go over the left field fence with it.

The drive sliced foul, providing the best example of what became the theme of the Knights’ 2-1 first-round victory. The ball simply bounced — err, drifted — in Knoch’s favor.

After pitching a five-inning perfect game against Shady Side Academy a little over a week prior, DeLeonardis’ showing on the mound was exactly what the Knights (12-9) needed.

“After last Monday, we said he’s the guy, we’ve got to throw him,” Stoops said. “He came to me in the seventh and said, ‘You’re not taking me out. I’m going the whole way.’”

DeLeonardis closed out the contest by only allowing two total hits and no earned runs. He punched out two.

“I thought I pitched well,” DeLeonardis said. “I had a lot of confidence going in to this. I knew they (Uniontown) were going to hit me, but I knew my defense was going to make plays around me.

“I was in a lot of tough situations and they ended up getting me out of it.”

After stranding opposing runners on the corners in the frame before, DeLeonardis could only watch as a throwing error allowed Uniontown (11-8) right fielder Eric Odum to come around in the fourth. Odum originally reached after being hit by a pitch with two outs.

Knoch responded promptly in their half of the inning after catcher Eli Sutton notched the team’s lone hit of the afternoon on a blooper up the middle. He stole second base, the scored when a Red Raiders pick-off attempt sailed over the first baseman’s head.

This after the Knights got on the board in the first on an errant throw by Uniontown catcher Colt Sparks, who was trying to keep Isaac Roddy from stealing second.

“Normally, our defense is pretty solid,” Red Raiders coach Ken Musko said. “(It was) little stuff that beat us today. It was just fundamental baseball that we didn’t do.

“It’s hard to swallow.”

After falling in an 0-2 hole, Odum worked a walk to lead off the Uniontown seventh. Third baseman Clay Dean doused the promising chance by bunting into a double play shortly thereafter.

Then came Nehls’ near-homer.

“I just felt it was what was supposed to happen,” Musko said. “I had my hands up and I was like, ‘There we go. Finally.’”

Instead, DeLeonardis put the Red Raiders’ last hope down on strikes four pitches later, leaving him to stand aside and pensively examine his blue bat.

Knoch moves on to play section foe North Catholic next Monday, the time and location yet to be announced. The Trojans swept the teams’ season series.

“It’s a great chance at revenge,” DeLeonardis said. “We’ve just got to play our game, play hard, and hopefully all things work out.”

Uniontown 000 100 0 — 1 2 2

Knoch 100 100 — 2 1 1

W: Angelo DeLeonardis 7IP (2K, 3BB). L: Christian Thomas 6IP (3K, 2BB).

Uniontown: Austin Grego 1B, Tanner Uphold 1B, Eric Odum R

Knoch: Eli Sutton 1B R, Brady Wozniak R

Monday: Knoch vs. North Catholic