Baseball 6/11/2013 11:57:00 AM

Vignero's Walk-Off Hit Lifts Mountain Cats Over West Liberty

05/13/2012

Zach Vignero's (Johnstown, Pa.) two-out walk-off RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Mountain Cats to an 8-7 victory over West Liberty (WV) University, in Friday night's Second Round of the 2011 WVIAC Baseball Tournament in Beckley, W.Va. Pitt-Johnstown improved to 22-24.
After West Liberty loaded the bases and failed to score to start the game, the Mountain Cats took full advantage of their opportunities in their first inning. Vignero and Zach Martin (Irwin, Pa.) walked, and Drew Westover (Flinton, Pa.) belted a long two-out homer down the left field line to put Pitt-Johnstown up 3-0.
West Liberty scored an unearned run in the second when Michael Johnson scored from third on a passed ball. Drew Shaulis' (Somerset, Pa.) run-producing single up the middle in the Mountain Cat second rebuilt the lead to 4-1.
Shaulis' fielder's choice ground out scored Nick Barbera (Harrisburg, Pa.) to make it 5-1 after five innings.
In the sixth, Pitt-Johnstown extended it to 7-1 on Barbera's two-run single up the middle.
West Liberty stormed back with six runs on five hits in the sixth of of Mountain Cat starter John Fees (Carrolltown, Pa.) and reliever Paul Tunink (Indiana, Pa.) to tie it at seven.
Pitt-Johnstown had a chance to take the lead back in the eighth. The Mountain Cats loaded the bases with one out, but Kyle Morrow (McVeytown, Pa.) hit into a fielder's choice, and Josh Campanella (Allison Park, Pa.) struck out to end the inning.
However, the Mountain Cats got it done in the bottom of the ninth. Andy Rubal (Johnstown, Pa.) led off with a base hit, moved to second on Seth Roy's (Bedford, Pa.) sacrifce bunt, then to third on an infield singly by Shaulis. Then with two outs, Vignero singled up the middle to score Rubal and give Pitt-Johnstown the win.
Westover went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBI, while Barbera and Shaulis each drove in two. Roy added two hits, including a double.
Matt Whiteman (North Huntingdon, Pa.), Pitt-Johnstown's third pitcher of the night, shut down the Hilltoppers for 3.2 innings to improve to 1-1. Whiteman scattered three hits, struck out four and didn't allow a run.
With the loss, West Liberty State dropped to 14-33.
Pitt-Johnstown wraps-up pool play in the 2011 WVIAC Tournament against South No. 1-seeded West Virginia State University on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.

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