#Earned - Senior Cy Herchelroath enjoyed a big week at the plate and on the mound in helping Elizabeth Forward reach the WPIAL final for the first time in a decade and a half. Following a first-round bye, EF made its postseason debut Monday in a Class 4A quarterfinals against Ringgold. Herchelroath got the start and the left-hander threw a complete-game six-hitter, walking one and striking out five. At the plate, he was 3 for 4 with a first-inning three-run homer that put the Warriors up for good in an 8-5 victory. The next day in a district semifinal against upset-minded Central Valley, Herchelroath was 2 for 2 with a double and a run batted in as EF defeated CV, 4-1, in a battle of the Warriors. The victory sent Elizabeth Forward to the WPIAL baseball championship game for the first time since the Warriors blanked Hampton, 7-0, to win the 2011 Class 3A championship.
Background - Herchelroath will continue his academic and baseball career at Akron in the fall. He has had MLB scouts from Pittsburgh, Colorado and San Diego watch him pitch this season. Besides baseball at Elizabeth Forward, Herchelroath is also a member of the Warriors basketball team that finished 18-7 and was second in Section 3-4A behind Belle Vernon, the team that beat them in the district quarterfinals. He was a first-team all-section member after averaging 11.5 points per game. He played football when he was younger through his freshman season. When he was a younger pitcher and a lot smaller, he relied mostly on his breaking pitches, but his growth spurt after his freshman season allowed him to mix power with his off-speed stuff. At the plate this season, Herchelroath is batting .388 with two home runs and 19 RBIs. He has a .523 on-base percentage, .653 slugging percentage and an OPS of 1.176. On the mound, he is 6-1 with a 1.70 ERA and one save. In 53 2/3 innings pitched, he has allowed 13 earned runs, 31 hits, 15 walks and 84 strikeouts. He has three older sisters. As if destined to be a pitcher, his father named him after MLB Hall of Famer pitcher Cy Young.
What coach says - "Ringgold brought their bats with them Monday and they hit the ball well early on," Elizabeth Forward assistant coach Bill Calloway said. "Cy gets all the credit in the world for his approach and settling in to complete the game and get the win. Cy has been our ace all spring. He knew we were counting on him to fill that role and he has responded exceptionally."
"Cy's home run was huge and it gave us a great deal of momentum," Calloway said of Herchelroath's three-run homer in the quarterfinals. "Our guys had a lot of confidence starting the game, and his first-inning home run added to that. Cy is seeing the ball well and his contribution and leadership have helped us with our two wins."
"Cy has matured each year of his high school career," Calloway said. "He has a great work ethic and has dedicated himself to getting better each year.
"Cy as well as our other leaders have stepped up and done a great job in that regard," Calloway said of Herchelroath being a team leader. "This is a pretty tight knit group that likes to play baseball, have fun, and mess with each other a little.
"They are very excited, confident and look forward to the opportunity to compete for a WPIAL championship and then on to the state playoffs. We couldn't be happier for this great group of young men."