Latrobe clinched the American Legion District 31 baseball championship on Thursday, edging Bushy Run 3-2 in a game that swung in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The decisive moment arrived when Joey Razza’s fielder’s choice opened a lane for Ty Wisniewski, who crossed the plate to give Latrobe its first lead of the night.
Razza, who started on the mound, delivered a solid outing, pitching 6 2/3 innings and allowing just six hits and two earned runs before being relieved as the game tightened.
Coach Mario Disso’s outlook
Bushy Run’s coach Mario Disso acknowledged the team’s thin roster, noting that the squad would enter the Region 7 Tournament as the No. 2 seed and that the shortage of players had limited his options.
Jayden Kennedy, who had been effective early for Bushy Run, was knocked out in the seventh, while Tyler Smith recorded the final out to seal the victory for Latrobe.
Earlier in the contest, Bushy Run had taken a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Gavin Moore’s pinch‑hit sacrifice fly brought home a run, but Latrobe answered in the seventh with a flurry of action.
The rally was set up by a series of errors and strategic moves: Mason Hrubes reached on an error by Caleb Kerstetter, Grady Ruffner sacrificed the runners forward, and Amari Thomas forced the tying run home with a walk before Wisniewski’s game‑winning grounder slipped past Evan Gigliotti.
Dominico Ponzetti, who had been on the mound for Bushy Run, was relieved after the error, and Amari Thomas walked Mason Fridley to force the tying run home, setting the stage for the final, dramatic play.
Mario Disso later expressed disappointment, noting his team failed to make the necessary plays in key moments and that the upcoming tournament would test the resilience of a depleted roster.