May 30, 2024 4 min read

Mt. Lebanon shortstop Nate Girod unloads a throw to first base in an attempt to put out the runner but Andrew Dixon was safe on the play and credited with a base hit during sixth-inning action of the WPIAL Class 6A championship game. North Allegheny edged the Blue Devils, 1-0, denying them a third consecutive crown.

Mt. Lebanon doesn’t dwell on its defeats.

“We move on,” said baseball manager Patt McCloskey.

So five days after a disheartening loss to North Allegheny, 1-0, in the WPIAL Class 6A championship game, the Blue Devils embark on state playoff action. Lebo will face District 10 champion McDowell at 4:30 p.m. June 4 in Erie during the first round of the PIAA tournament. Competition continues with quarterfinal and semifinal action on June 6 and 10 before the finals will be played at 4:30 p.m. June 3 on Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on the Penn State University campus.

“A state championship,” said David Shields. “That’s been our main goal all season.”

A WPIAL title would have been nice though. A district title would have gone well with the back-to-back banners the Blue Devils had acquired in 2022 and 2023 but David Posey made sure the Tigers hoisted the trophy.

A 6-foot-4 senior, who will play at the Naval Academy, Posey tossed a no-hit shutout to give the Tigers their second title in four years and ninth in school history. He struck out 11 and walked two.

It was the second straight no-hitter tossed in as many years in the Class 6A final, played May 29 at Wild Things Park in Washington. Posey’s mound opponent, Shields accomplished the feat last year as the Blue Devils beat the Tigers, 4-0, in 2023.

A Miami recruit, who is expected to be selected in the MLB amateur draft in July, Shields struck out 11 this time, but the south paw scattered five hits and walked one against the Tigers.

“I thought I had good stuff out there but by my standards, I could have done a little better,” Shields said.

“My hats off to David though. He pitched a great game. He set us down.”

McCloskey agreed. He was more analytical in his assessment.

“(Posey) is a good pitcher,” he said. “He throws hard with a good breaking ball. Every time it looked like he might be getting a little wild, he dropped that curve ball in. He threw some really good elevated fastballs.

“He pitched a great game. He’s a tough kid. A competitor,” McCloskey added. “He did everything to deserve to win.”

The Blue Devils did everything they could to win as well but a solo home run by Mason Smith led to their demise. Smith tagged a deep fly ball to left field. Outfielder Sawyer Klasnick appeared in position to make the catch when he raised his mitt but the ball bounced off his head and over the fence.

McCloskey said he had never seen a home run like that before but he credited Smith on the play.

“Stuff like that happens in baseball but he hit the ball square on the barrel of the bat,” McCloskey said. “It wasn’t a fluke fly. He hit it out there. He did his job.”

Posey performed his task well in shutting down the Blue Devil bats, particularly when they threatened to tie the contest in the late innings.

With one out in the fifth, Nolan Smith reached second base on a misplayed fly ball to right field. A ground ball to third base and a strikeout ended the threat. With one out in the sixth, Shields and Graham Keen drew walks but a pop out to short and another K squelched the uprising.

“I thought we hit the ball well enough to win the game but they made a lot of great plays and (Posey) made a lot of great pitches,” McCloskey said, “Those were two very good teams with two elite pitchers out there.

“In the pros, they play 162, but we play one. We have been on all different sides of that one,” he added. “I am just grateful these kids have one more season and come out and play in states.

When he handed out the silver medals to his players during the trophy ceremony, McCloskey reminded his players of their run last spring, which culminated with a PIAA runner-up showing.

“I said our season is not over. This was a great game. We lost to a great team.

“Fortunately, we are still playing for a state championship. I am grateful they still have a season.”