Bethel Park follows WPIAL script
Hawks finish runner-up again in baseball
Getting to the WPIAL baseball championship game isn’t difficult for Bethel Park. Winning a title though is.
By dropping a 4-3 decision to Penn-Trafford on May 28 at Wild Things Park in Washington, the Black Hawks lost their eighth consecutive title tilt. Three of those appearances have come in the past four years. Bethel Park has only two district banners in school history; the first in 1985 and the last in 1987.
There’s been a silver lining to BP’s 37-year title drought. The Black Hawks have captured three state championships; two back-to-back in 2021 and 2022. They embark on another PIAA journey when they travel to face the District I champion Mechainicsburg at 4 p.m. June 3 at Memorial Park.
“We still have the top of the mountain that we talk about climbing at the beginning of the season,” said BP skipper Patrick Zehnder. “We followed this path before. I would love to take a different path but we know this way. We’ll be ready to go.”
The Black Hawks were prepared to take the District VII title route but they hit a major roadblock when they surrendered four runs, two of them unearned, in the fourth inning against the Warriors. With one out, Ethan Septak and Brody Hoffman walked and scored on Ian Temple’s misplayed fly ball to right field. Carmen Metcalfe followed with an RBI on a squeeze bunt. Brayden Stone then drilled a double to knock in the game-winning run.
“It’s tough when it does boil down to one bad inning,” Zehnder said. “Sometimes that is all it takes against a good team. When you put up a big, crooked number like that, it makes it tough to come back from.
“It stinks to come out like this,” Zehnder added. “A lot can happen on a ball like that (one in the fourth) but you have to find ways to make plays in big moments. They made more than we did.”
BP’s big moments came in the third when Ryan Walsh tagged a two-run double opening up a 2-0 lead for the Black Hawks and in the fourth frame when Ethan Stanhoff smacked a sacrifice fly ball to center, scoring pinch runner Aaron Hofbauer.
BP left 11 runners on base. The Black Hawks managed seven hits, two more than the Warriors. In addition to a pair of two-baggers by Walsh. Ryan Petras, Stanhoff, Noah Lejeune, Dylan Paul and Santino Diulus collected base hits. Paul as well as Mike and Jack Bruckner each were hit by pitches while Diulus and Petras walked.
“We have a lot of respect for Penn-Trafford. That’s a great team and they hit the ball well. When you have more hits and lose that means the other team was more productive with the at bats when they needed to come through in scoring position.”
Aside from the fourth frame, Bethel Park pitchers silenced the Warriors. Diulus started the game and fanned nine batters. Walsh had six strikeouts over the final three innings. He walked the lead-off hitter in the top of the seventh but struck out the side.
“My guys put together a good effort but fell short to a very good team, a team that was the best team in 5A all season long,” Zehnder said. “No doubt about it, Penn-Trafford was the better team.
“I am proud of my guys though. They are down on themselves now but they will get better and they know they are not done yet.”