Deer Lakes scores four late runs to rally past Yough

By JEREMY TEPPER

MVI Sports

Craig Spisak lauds the way his young Yough team has improved throughout the season. Featuring few experienced players, Yough improved from a 1-5 start to finish the regular season at 7-7 and make the playoffs.

Throughout those early struggles, the Cougars learned that experience is a great teacher, and on Thursday, they learned that again. Yough fell to Deer Lakes, 5-4, in its first-round WPIAL 3A playoff matchup. The Cougars fought hard, but in the end, Deer Lakes was just a bit crisper and a bit better.

“Every little play means a lot in a playoff game. Every play is important. Every little play can be magnified in a playoff game,” Spisak said. “In a regular season game you tend to overlook it a bit. But in the playoffs, you have two good teams, and it’s gonna be tight.”

Deer Lakes was able to overtake Yough in the late innings, scoring four runs throughout the 5th and 6th innings to turn a 4-1 deficit into a 5-4 win. Vincent Martin got the start for the Cougars, being charged with five runs and 10 hits over 5.1 innings. Martin was able to work through some inconsistencies for most of the game, but the Lancers eventually made him pay. Deer Lakes got two runs in the 5th off of a double by Ryan Rodgers. It added two more in the 6th on singles by Jake Thimons and Tyler Gozard. A single by Bryce Robson chased Martin out of the game for Sean Royer, who gave up the winning run.

“(Martin) kept his composure the whole time. He did well. I’m sure there’s a couple pitches he’d like to have back. He probably missed a spot a few times. And they hit him. They hit him hard,” Spisak said.

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