LOCKPORT -- No matter what, Pat Kaminska was probably going to be the last batter A.J. Woynerowski faced on Saturday in Lockport. As it turned out, Providence Catholic had five fresh arms available for this Class 4A sectional, and it was prepared to use them all.
The plan was working. Woynerowski had pitched a scoreless seventh following another middle reliever, John Ciolkosz, who gave up one unearned run in four innings of hitless ball.
If not for Kaminska's walk-off homer in the eighth inning, perhaps we would be talking about Providence Catholic's fifth straight comeback victory in this bracket. Three times the Celtics (21-16) erased 6-2 deficits, and in the sectional semifinal they scored four runs in the seventh to stun Neuqua Valley.
"Look how we went down," Providence Catholic coach Mark Smith said after a 5-4 loss. "Same thing that got us here -- we fought, we fought, we fought. We gave it everything we had (until) the last out."
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