Clutch double propels Plum

The Plum baseball team had its moment Friday night.

The host Mustangs trailed defending WPIAL champion and Class 6A No. 4 Norwin by two runs and had one more at-bat remaining. They made the most of it when Michael Anderson drilled a double to the left-center-field gap with the bases loaded that scored three runs and gave Plum a clutch 4-3 win in Section 2.

“It was a what-are-wemademoment,” Plum coach Carl Vollmer said. “Norwin is a very good team and a program that we respect. We showed some guts, which was nice to see.”

The Mustangs (9-5, 5-2) held a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning. The Knights (10-3, 5-2) took the lead and it appeared they would have a second victory against Plum this season after winning the first matchup April 10, 6-2.

“Momentum in baseball is real,” Vollmer said. “They had the momentum and we were able to take it back.”

Norwin saw its six-game winning streak come to a halt. 6A Section 3 victory.

Bethel Park (9-5, 5-3) has Peters Township’s number this season. The Blackhawks broke open a close game when Kevin Kogler’s sixth-inning RBI sparked a late rally and gave the home team a 4-1 Class 6A Section 3 win. Justin Meis earned the win by firing all seven innings and allowing just three hits. The Indians (12-3, 6-3) don’t have many losses on the year, but Bethel Park has beaten them twice.

Art Bolandro nearly hit for the cycle when he went 3 for 3 with a home run, triple, double and five RBIs for Class 2A No. 1 Serra Catholic (13-1, 9-1) in a 15-1 fiveinning rout of host Northgate (1-9, 1-8) in Section 3. The Eagles will play in the WPIAL playoffs for the 18th consecutive season.

Class 2A No. 2 California (13-1, 10-0) plated two runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull out a Section 1 win at Burgettstown (2-11, 1-9). The Trojans won the first matchup this season, 12-2.