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Defense fails Keystone Oaks in PIAA baseball semifinals

Written by Brad Everett on .

2013 0613 KO baseKeystone Oaks advanced to the PIAA baseball semifinals, before losing to Upper Moreland. Brad Everett recapped the Golden Eagles season. Click here to read his story.

"Jared Skolnicki sat on a bus late Tuesday night, travelling from the site of his final high school baseball game back to his hometown.

Skolnicki was understandably crushed that his team fell one win short of making it to the PIAA Class AAA baseball championship game, but the three-hour drive from Green Township Park in Franklin County to Keystone Oaks High School allowed him plenty of time to reflect on his senior season.

"I'm so proud of everyone on my team," Skolnicki said. "We have really come a long way, especially from the beginning of the season. We had our ups and downs throughout the season. At the beginning of the season, I didn't know what to expect. Now, to have been part of the best team I've ever been on, it's an honor.""

(Photo: Keystone Oaks' Jared Skolnicki finished the season with an 11-1 record. Photo by Lake Fong/Post-Gazette)
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Photo journal: A look at the Keystone Oaks 2013 softball team

Written by Cara De Carlo on .

It's a huge day of baseball and softball games as the 2012-13 school year comes to an end. Likewise, Sports Town thought it'd be a good day to bring you some great moments in WPIAL baseball and softball from this season.

Enjoy these photos of the Keystone Oaks softball team -- taken as the Eagles played McGuffey in the WPIAL playoffs:

2013 0604 KO sball1

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PG's boys' sports athlete of the week is Keystone Oaks' Jared Skolnicki

Written by Mike White on .

2013 0606 KO Skolnicki2This week: Skolnicki pitched a no-hitter and struck out 11 Monday as Keystone Oaks defeated Slippery Rock, 4-0, in the first round of the PIAA Class AAA playoffs. It was the first PIAA win in Keystone Oaks history.

Check this out: A 6-foot-2, 170-pound senior left-hander, Skolnicki (10-1) has allowed four runs (three earned), and his ERA is 0.30. He has struck out 104 in 69 innings and also is hitting .410. He will play next season at Kent State. Skolnicki, a four-year starter in basketball, missed his entire junior baseball season with a knee injury. He has a 4.0 grade point average.

• The last time you pitched a no-hitter? That was the first time. I always came close. I had two one-hitters this year, but I've never been able to get no-hitters even when I was little.

• This is probably the greatest season in Keystone Oaks baseball history. Why the sudden success? We had a lot more talent than usual this year. I think the leadership and attitude is just different this year, too. We know we can win and we have good team chemistry.

• Do you wish you were pitching today against [undefeated] South Park? Absolutely. That's the kind of person I am. But Taylor Lehman beat Chartiers Valley in the WPIAL playoffs, so we have confidence in him.

• Do you care who wins the NBA? Yeah, I'm a big LeBron James fan. I just like his attitude and the kind of person he is. I'm rooting for the Heat.

• It's a Saturday night. What do kids in Green Tree or Dormont do for fun? They go to Wiggy's for wings or Fiori's for pizza.

• People might be surprised to know you ... Can solve a Rubik's Cube blindfolded.

• No way! This is true. I've done it. I used to have a video of it on YouTube, but I was kind of embarrassed by it, so I took it down.

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Keystone Oaks enjoys baseball program turnaround

Written by Ryan Riordan on .

Ryan Riordan's feature on the Keystone Oaks baseball team:

 

2013 0516 KO Skolnicki"There have been a lot of "downs" for the Keystone Oaks baseball team over the past nine seasons, but behind a strong senior class, led by Kent State recruit Jared Skolnicki, the Golden Eagles have returned to the WPIAL tournament for the first time since 2004.

"It means a lot," Skolnicki said. "It was our goal coming into the season and it's great to finally be able to do it.

"Keystone Oaks deserves to be going in this direction."

It's taken a lot of hard work by many people to get the program back to the playoffs."

(Photo: Keystone Oaks' Jared Skolnicki mowed down the Elizabeth Forward lineup Monday. Bob Donaldson/Post-Gazette.)

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