Washington, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) held its championship games for the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Baseball Championships presented by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday and Thursday at Wild Things Park. At the end of two extended days that featured the longest WPIAL championship game in venue history in Class 3A, a weather delay of an hour and 40 minutes in Class 2A, and the second no-hitter in as many years at Class 6A, six champions emerged in Avonworth (Class 3A), Bishop Canevin (Class 1A), North Allegheny (Class 6A), North Catholic (Class 4A), Penn-Trafford (Class 5A), and Seton LaSalle (Class 2A).
North Allegheny’s win at Class 6A extended its lead for WPIAL baseball titles with its ninth. The Tigers previously won in 1990, 1991, 1996, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2021.
At Class 4A, North Catholic moves into a tie for 10th all-time in WPIAL baseball championships with its fifth, joining Ellwood City, Hopewell, and West Allegheny. The Trojans were also victorious in 1995, 2005, 2007, and 2018.
Both Bishop Canevin at Class 1A and Seton LaSalle at Class 2A successfully defended their titles, marking the first time that has happened since Seneca Valley and Neshannock did so in 2012. The Crusaders and Rebels are now four-time champions with Beaver, Beaver Falls, Connellsville, Seneca Valley, and Serra Catholic – Bishop Canevin also won in 1993 and 2000, while Seton LaSalle raised the trophy previously in 1995 and 2019.
Avonworth snapped a 32-year drought at Class 3A to win its second WPIAL championship. The Antelopes are the 48th different school to win more than once, with their inaugural coming in 1992. The 32-year gap between first and second titles is the fourth-longest in WPIAL baseball history, with only Mt. Lebanon (34 years – 1959, 1993), Elizabeth Forward (35 years – 1976, 2011), and Norwin (56 years – 1960, 2016) going longer.
Penn-Trafford became a first-time WPIAL baseball champion at Class 5A, becoming the 88th different school to join the list. The Warriors are the fourth different first-time winner since 2021, joining the group of New Castle and Shenango from 2021, and West Mifflin in 2022.
The top two teams in Class 6A, top three teams in Class 1A, Class 2A, and Class 5A, and top four teams in Class 3A and Class 4A have qualified for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Baseball Championships, which begin with first-round games on begin on Monday, June 3 and conclude with all championship games on June 13-14 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on the campus of Penn State University.
CLASS 6A RECAP
A no-hitter was thrown in the WPIAL Class 6A final for the second consecutive year, but this time it was North Allegheny achieving history against Mt. Lebanon, as the third-seeded Tigers blanked the top-seeded Blue Devils, 1-0, in the final game of three on Wednesday.
One year after being on the wrong end of a no-hitter as a reliever, North Allegheny (17-6, 9-3 Section I) senior David Posey answered with his own as he struck out 11 and walked two, and allowed two additional runners to reach via an error and passed ball. Posey also added a one-out single up the middle in the top of the seventh.
The Tigers scored the lone run in the game in the top of the third when junior Mason Smith lofted a two-out homerun over the fence in left.
Mt. Lebanon (18-5, 13-2 Section II) senior David Shields – the architect of last year’s no-hitter in the Class 6A championship game – went the full seven innings, allowing five hits, one run, and a walk while striking out 11.
North Allegheny collected a 3-0 win against sixth-seeded Norwin to begin the WPIAL playoffs, then topped second-seeded Pine-Richland, 3-2, in eight innings to make it to Wild Things Park. Mt. Lebanon blanked eighth-seeded Butler, 5-0, and defeated fifth-seeded Seneca Valley, 11-5, in its run to the final.
North Allegheny opens the PIAA Championships against the District III third-place team, while Mt. Lebanon will play the champion from either District VI or District X. Both the Tigers and Blue Devils have PIAA titles in their histories – North Allegheny won in 1996 and 2000, while Mt. Lebanon took home the crown in 1998.
CLASS 5A RECAP
A four-run top of the fourth was enough for seventh-seeded Penn-Trafford in the Class 5A final, as the Warriors defeated fourth-seeded Bethel Park, 4-3, for their first WPIAL baseball title in the final game of three on Tuesday.
Trailing 2-0 in the top of the fourth, Penn-Trafford (20-3, 9-3 Section I) saw senior Brody Hoffman and junior Ethan Septak cross the plate on an error, then senior Carmen Metcalfe and junior Brayden Stone bring in two more runs with a single and double, respectively.
After opening a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third with a two-run double by junior Ryan Walsh, classmate Ethan Stanhoff lifted a sacrifice fly to center in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-3.
Stone and senior Ian Temple both collected a pair of hits for the Warriors, while Walsh doubled twice for the Black Hawks and junior Ryan Petras went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.
Penn-Trafford senior Brandon Roher earned the win after leaving the lead through four innings, as he gave up four hits, three earned runs, and two walks, and struck out one. Sophomore Dom Delio and junior Hunter Brown combined for three scoreless frames of relief, with Brown striking out the final batter to collect the save.
Bethel Park senior Santino Diulus struck out nine in four innings, allowing five hits, four runs (two earned), and three walks. Walsh entered after and tossed three scoreless relief frames, striking out six.
Penn-Trafford reached the championship game with victories over 10th-seeded Moon (8-2), second-seeded Fox Chapel (2-0), and sixth-seeded Franklin Regional (10-3). Following a first-round bye, Bethel Park was victorious against 12th-seeded Trinity (11-1, 6 inn.) and top-seeded West Allegheny (7-6).
Franklin Regional defeated West Allegheny, 3-2, on Wednesday night at Washington & Jefferson College’s Ross Memorial Park to secure the final PIAA spot.
Penn-Trafford will begin the PIAA Championships against the fifth-place team from District III, while Bethel Park gets District III’s champion, and Franklin Regional will play the champion from either District VI, District VIII, or District IX. The Black Hawks are the only school of the three to previously win a PIAA title, as they raised the trophy in 1988, 2021, and 2022.
CLASS 4A RECAP
Sixth-seeded North Catholic scored six unanswered runs in its final three at-bats, turning a 5-1 deficit into a 7-5 victory over ninth-seeded Indiana in the Class 4A final played as the second of three contests Wednesday.
North Catholic (17-4, 9-1 Section IV) junior Josef Safar went 2-for-2 with a RBI double, triple, and two runs scored, one coming on a wild pitch. Senior Ryan Shantz brought in two on a single and sacrifice fly and reached twice via walk, and sophomore Owen Beatrice registered an RBI single in the fifth inning.
Both sophomore Charlie Manzi and senior Ben Ryan homered for Indiana (13-10, 7-3 Section IV), doing so in the team’s three-run top of the third. Manzi finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI, and Ryan tripled as part of a 2-for-4 day. Senior Hunter Martin went 2-for-4 with a RBI single in the first frame, and classmate Kadin Homer had a double in his 2-for-2 afternoon.
On the mound, Trojans senior Thomas Schafele pitched a complete game with a strikeout, allowing 11 hits and five runs, while Indians junior Greg Minnick had eight strikeouts in four innings of work, giving up five walks, three hits, and four runs.
North Catholic’s run to the WPIAL championship game included wins over 11th-seeded Elizabeth Forward (8-0), third-seeded West Mifflin (4-0), and second-seeded Thomas Jefferson (12-4). Indiana started the playoffs with a win over eighth-seeded Central Valley (4-1), then blanked 16th-seeded Blackhawk (5-0) and fourth-seeded Montour (11-0, 5 inn.) to reach the final.
Montour topped Thomas Jefferson, 3-2, in 11 innings on Tuesday night at Ross Memorial Park to claim the WPIAL’s third seed at the PIAA Championships.
North Catholic starts the PIAA Championships against either District III third-place or the runner-up from District X. Indiana and Montour both could play the champion from District VIII, District IX, or District X, and the Indians also could be matched against the District VI winner. Thomas Jefferson will play the District III champion. Montour is the lone WPIAL school to previously claim PIAA gold, doing so in 2022.
CLASS 3A RECAP
In the longest championship game ever at Wild Things Park, seventh-seeded Avonworth outlasted top-seeded Riverside for the Class 3A title in 14 innings, 4-3, in the second of three games on Tuesday.
Despite allowing the tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning, Avonworth (16-8, 8-2 Section II) preserved and ultimately brought in the winning run in the 14th on a two-out single by senior Luke Zelinko. Zelinko had two of the Antelopes’ four RBI as part of a 2-for-7 day, adding a go-ahead single in the top of the fifth. Six different Avonworth players had two hits, and sophomore Jack Dolan and junior Alex Rowe both brought in a run.
Riverside (16-2, 11-1 Section I) collected 11 hits offensively, with senior Daren McDade going 3-for-6 with a triple and two runs scored. The Panthers also received two-hit days from juniors Hunter Garvin and John Bowser, with Bowser and classmate Drake Fox bringing in runs. Fox’s two-out single in the bottom of the seventh scored sophomore Jackson Barber to send the game to extras.
Senior Aiden Tinker started for Avonworth, going 6.2 innings with five strikeouts while allowing nine hits, three runs (one earned), and a walk. He was replaced by sophomore Cooper Scharding, who provided 7.1 frames of scoreless relief with nine strikeouts, and three walks and two hits allowed.
For Riverside, junior Christian Lucarelli struck out seven and allowed five walks, four hits, and two runs in 3.2 innings. Junior Zack Hare threw 7.1 relief frames in two different stints and gave up five hits, two walks, and a run while punching out 10. Garvin also pitched two different times, giving up a run on four hits and a walk in three innings, striking out three.
Avonworth was victorious against 10th-seeded Greensburg Salem (7-0), 15th-seeded East Allegheny (5-4), and 14th-seeded Burrell (2-1, 8 inn.) in its previous playoff contests. Riverside topped 16th-seeded Keystone Oaks (4-1), ninth-seeded South Park (11-1, 5 inn.), and fourth-seeded South Allegheny (4-0) to qualify for the final.
In the third-place consolation game at Ross Memorial Park on Tuesday, South Allegheny was an 8-2 winner over Burrell.
Avonworth begins the PIAA Championships against the District VI runner-up, while the other three WPIAL teams – Riverside, South Allegheny, and Burrell – will play district champions. The Panthers play District V, District VIII, or District IX, the Gladiators get District VI, and the Buccaneers take on District X. Riverside enters the tournament with a WPIAL-high five PIAA championships, doing so in 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, and 2023.
CLASS 2A RECAP
Featuring a rematch of last year’s Class 2A final, the result proved to be the same as third-seeded Seton LaSalle defeated top-seeded Serra Catholic, 5-0, in the first game of three played on Wednesday.
Seton LaSalle (17-3, 12-2 Section II) did its damage early, scoring once in the first inning and four runs in the third. The Rebels received a 2-for-3 day from junior Brayden Carter, who brought in two with his third-inning double. Sophomore Connor Rothaar added a sacrifice fly, and both senior Aric White and Carter scored on errors.
Serra Catholic (17-2, 12-0 Section III) collected eight hits, with senior Isiah Petty registering three of them as part of a 3-for-4 performance. Junior Jake Holmes roped a double to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning.
The win was earned by Seton LaSalle senior Mark Weber, who threw six shutout innings with eight strikeouts, one walk, and eight hits allowed. Freshman Josh Burkholder pitched the seventh and struck out one as part of a clean frame.
Eagles junior Tyler Skaggs started on the mound and struck out two in three innings, allowing five hits, five runs (three earned), and two walks. Classmate Owen Dumbroski threw the final four frames scoreless, giving up one hit and a walk with three strikeouts.
Seton LaSalle began the WPIAL playoffs with a bye before defeating sixth-seeded Chartiers-Houston (9-1) and second-seeded Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (9-6). Serra Catholic bested eighth-seeded Laurel (9-1) and fourth-seeded Burgettstown (5-1) after a first-round bye.
Burgettstown topped Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 8-2, in the third-place consolation game at Ross Memorial Park on Tuesday to claim the final PIAA spot.
In the PIAA Championships, Seton LaSalle starts with the District IX runner-up, Serra Catholic plays the champion from District V or District VIII, and Burgettstown plays the winner from District IX. Serra Catholic has previously won a PIAA title, doing so in 2011.
CLASS 1A RECAP
Fourth-seeded Bishop Canevin defended its Class 1A title and got revenge for a pair of Section III losses to second-seeded Eden Christian Academy, as the Crusaders bested the Warriors, 10-3, in the first game of three on Tuesday.
The Bishop Canevin (15-4, 10-2 Section III) lineup struck early and often, scoring nine of its 10 runs in the first three frames – tallying three in the first, two in the second, and four in the third. Junior Tyler Maddix and senior Dominic Varley both tallied three hits, with Maddix’s 3-for-4 day at the dish highlighted by a two-run triple in the second and a solo homerun in the fifth. Varley also tripled and had two RBI, while seniors Quentin White and Lucas Golembiewski recorded two hits each.
Eden Christian Academy (16-5, 12-0 Section III) scored once in the bottom halves of the second, fifth, and seventh innings. Sophomore Brett Feldman went 4-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored, two stolen bases, and an RBI, and classmate Brady Hull was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Maddix also pitched for Bishop Canevin, going six innings with six strikeouts, six walks, four hits, and two walks. Freshman Jackson Maddix relieved him in the seventh and allowed a run over three hits before securing the final out.
Warriors senior Enzo Natale started for the two seed, allowing five runs. Sophomore Noah Emswiler provided four strong innings of relief, giving up one run on three hits while striking out three.
After a first-round bye, Bishop Canevin collected wins over fifth-seeded Western Beaver (10-0, 6 inn.) and eighth-seeded Carmichaels (7-1) to reach the final. Eden Christian Academy topped seventh-seeded West Greene (5-1) and sixth-seeded Avella (11-2) following a bye.
In the third-place consolation final, Avella knocked off Carmichaels, 6-2, to capture the final PIAA berth.
Bishop Canevin begins the PIAA Championships against the District X runner-up, while Eden Christian Academy and Avella take on the champions of District V and District X, respectively. All three WPIAL qualifiers are searching for their first PIAA championship.
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