Nothing was going to stop the Franklin Regional baseball team from handing Laurel Highlands its first loss of the season Tuesday.
Not even the PIAA pitch count rule.
Alex Frey pitched 6⅓ no-hit innings and Palmer Jackson came on in relief to record the last two outs as host Franklin Regional defeated No. 2 Laurel Highlands, 2-0, in a WPIAL Class 5A Section 3 game.
Franklin Regional (10-3, 8-2) scored single runs in the first and second innings to jump to an early lead, and the Panthers then sat back and watched Frey sizzle. A senior left-hander, Frey pounded the strike zone throughout and finished with 13 strikeouts.
“He pitched ahead. He controlled the count. He was throwing the ball hard today. It was one of the best games I’ve seen him pitch, and that’s saying something because he’s had some great games,” Franklin Regional coach Bob Sadler said.
However, under a PIAA rule that went into effect last season, a pitcher is not allowed to throw more than 100 pitches in a game. Frey was at 96 after six innings and then struck out the first batter of the seventh on four pitches. That forced Frey out of the game with a no-hitter still intact. Palmer Jackson relieved Frey and Laurel Highlands loaded the bases after two singles and a walk, but Jackson induced a game-ending groundout to preserve the win.
“’You had such a great game. I’m so proud of you,’” Sadler recalled telling Frey after pulling him from the game. “In that situation, I’m completely for the pitch-count rule. It protects pitchers and that’s what we need to do. I would have liked to seen him, if he was feeling well, to finish the game because he’s a senior, but at the same time I completely agree with the rule. We definitely need to protect the kids and their arms.”
Laurel Highlands dropped to 11-1 overall and 11-1 in the section. The Mustangs had scored 135 runs in their first 11 games and defeated Franklin Regional, 14-0, on April 6.
More baseball
• Kyler Fedko went 4 for 4 with two home runs, a triple and five RBIs to lead Class 1A No. 2 Vincentian (11-2, 8-1) to a 20-2 three-inning win at St. Joseph (2-9, 1-7) in Section 1. For the season, Fedko is batting .706 with six home runs and 25 RBIs.
• Winning pitcher Antonio Cavallo struck out 10 and Thomas Voelker knocked in four runs for Class 1A No. 5 Greensburg Central Catholic (9-4, 8-1) in a 14-0 five-inning win against visiting West Greene (5-5, 5-5) in Section 2.
Softball
• Kierra Waywood tossed a three-hitter and added three RBIs for Class 4A No. 2 Yough (13-2, 10-0) in a 10-0 five-inning home win against No. 3 Elizabeth Forward (12-3, 6-5) in Section 2. Aubrie Mance chipped in two RBIs for the Cougars, who broke open a tight game with seven runs in the fourth.
• Taylor Dadig snapped a 1-1 tie with a three-run home run in the top of the fifth and Class 6A No. 3 Baldwin (9-2, 9-1) clinched the Section 1 title by defeating Canon-McMillan (9-3, 8-3), 4-3.
• Class 5A No. 2 Penn-Trafford (13-2, 11-1) took over the lead in Section 1 courtesy of a 6-0 home win against No. 3 Franklin Regional (12-3, 10-1). Freshman Brooke Cleland had a home run and three RBIs. It was the sixth win in a row for Penn-Trafford, which lost to Franklin Regional, 13-9, on April 18.
• Kiley Myers and Jordan Tallman teamed up for a no-hitter and 18 strikeouts as Class 6A No. 2 Latrobe (8-1, 7-1) blanked visiting Fox Chapel (4-8, 3-6), 6-0, in Section 2. Myers had 13 strikeouts in five innings and Tallman five strikeouts in two innings. Latrobe’s Mia Schweizer had two RBIs.
• Morgan Farrah had a huge offensive performance for Class 3A Section 2 co-leader Steel Valley (9-5, 7-1) in a 16-9 win against visiting Ellwood City (5-4, 5-3). Farrah went 5 for 5 with two home runs and eight RBIs. She has signed with Division I Colgate.
First Published: May 2, 2018, 2:03 a.m.
