Tornado tumble in WPIAL semifinal
WEXFORD — Pitching was a big reason why Butler’s baseball team found itself one win away from playing for a WPIAL championship.
Wednesday afternoon, the Golden Tornado dug themselves into an early hole and they never recovered.
Butler’s pitchers allowed just four hits, but walked 10 and hit four batters with a pitch in an 8-2 Class 6A semifinal loss to Upper St. Clair at North Allegheny High School.
“Pitching and defense have been our strengths this season,” said Butler coach Josh Forbes. “It just didn’t happen for us today.”
The game began ominously for Butler with Cooper Baxter on the mound. He hit the first three batters he faced to load the bases, then walked Ty Lagoni to force in a run.
Baxter appeared to rebound with back-to-back strikeouts, but allowed an RBI-single to Hunter Schroeck, threw a wild pitch that scored a third run and walked Christian Wieczenski to load the bases.
Baxter moved to third base and was relieved on the mound by Mac Schnur.
Forbes said a rough outing to end Baxter’s high school career does not diminish what he’s meant to the program.
“He’s won a lot of games for us since his freshman year,” he said. “He’s such a competitor ... on the mound, in the field and at the plate. Not many people are cut from the same cloth as Cooper Baxter.”
Trailing 4-0, Butler posted its first run in the bottom of the third. Ethan Trettel reached base on a dropped third strike and scored on Conner McTighe’s two-out double.
But it was during its next half-inning at the plate that Butler missed a huge opportunity to put a dent in the Panthers’ 6-1 lead.
That was the score after Wieczenski singled home two runs in the top of the fourth, making Schnur pay for two walks earlier in the frame.
Butler outfielder Colin Patterson began the bottom of the inning with a towering home run to right and the next three batters each reached base — Schnur on a walk and singles by Kyle Yost and Lance Slater.
The bases were loaded with no outs, but Donati stuck with starter Brandon Liokareas, who struck out Trettel, Madden Clement and Baxter to end the threat and his team still in command, 6-2.
“We had a chance there to change the game, to grab the momentum in that inning and just didn’t do it,” said Forbes.
Liokareas would end up working 6.1 innings, striking out eight and walking two while earning the win.
“All three of his pitches (fastball, curve, change-up) were working today,” USC coach Jeff Donati said. “He hasn’t been healthy lately, hadn’t thrown in about 10 days. But he bought in during the offseason and put in a lot of work.”
Peter Janoski retired the final two batters of the game.
Colin Casteel pitched the final 3.1 innings for Butler, allowing two runs with four strikeouts and a pair of walks.
Upper St. Clair (12-8) will play for the WPIAL title as the tournament’s No. 7 seed.
Butler finishes the season with a record of 15-6.
“Over the last two years, we’ve gone 29-13, so that’s a pretty good run,” said Forbes. “We just can’t seem to get over the semifinal hump.”
Upper St. Clair 310 220 0 — 8 4 1
Butler 001 100 0 — 2 8 0
WP: Brandon Liokareas 6.1 IP (8K, 2BB). LP: Cooper Baxter .2 IP (2K, 2BB).
Upper St. Clair: Ty Lagoni 1B 2RBI, Christian Wieczenski 1B 2RBI, Owen Mandler 3R
Butler: Cooper Baxter 1B 2B, Conner McTighe 1B 2B RBI, Colin Patterson 1B HR
