North Hills Baseball Wins Extra Inning Affair For First WPIAL Title
The North Hills baseball team waited over 40 years to get back to the WPIAL Championship. It took them a little bit longer to finally put the gold medals around their neck.
The Indians defeated Mars in the Class 5A Championship Game on Wednesday, 3-2 in 11 innings, at Wild Things Park.
Senior Joe Pusateri hit a bases loaded walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning that ensued with a dogpile. It wasn’t just his bat that allowed Pusateri to be the hero. The senior started and pitched the first seven innings before being lifted for the pitch count rule.
North Hills took a 1-0 lead on an RBI double by senior Tyler Zozos, scoring classmate J.T. Mazula.
Mars battled back to take a 2-1 lead. The Planets tied the game on an RBI triple by freshman Jon Wetherholt, scoring junior Rowen Fletcher. Wetherholt and Fletcher were at it again to take the lead when Fletcher tripled and scored on Wetherholt’s sacrifice fly.
North Hills tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by senior Steven Miller that scored Jordan Pitchford. The score remained tied until Pusateri’s heroics.
North Hills improves to 20-3 and will advance to the PIAA tournament on Monday. Mars drops to 15-6 and have also qualified for the PIAA tournament.