Wildcats win Mid-Atlantic Regional
The Steel City Wildcats defeated the Blue Ridge Generals, 11-4, to capture the Mid-Atlantic Regional baseball championships in Clarksburg, W.Va.
During the two-day tournament, the Wildcats posted a 5-0 record, winning two games in thrilling fashion.
Mateo Cepullio of Upper St. Clair tagged a walk-off single to decide a 4-3 quarterfinal win against the host WV Patriots at Robert C. Byrd High School. Tanner Donati from Mt. Lebanon drilled a walk-off double to cap a 3-2 semifinal victory over the Steel City Spartans at Clarksburg City Park.
According to manager Mark Saghy, pitching paced the Wildcats. They surrendered 11 runs, only seven of them earned, in the five-game span.
Canon-McMillan’s Tyler Greenleaf fueled the Wildcats’ success. In the tournament opener, he tossed a two-hitter and blanked Shinnston, 4-0, at Lincoln High School. Greenleaf struck at 11 and walked none.
Andrew Casey, Sam Miller and Donati supported Greenleaf offensively with two hits and an RBI each. Josh Brufsky doubled. Jack Smith of Mt. Lebanon drove in the other run.
Eric Chalus of Bethel Park also threw a complete game victory without yielding an earned run as the Wildcats defeated the Spartans.
USC’s Brandon Liokareas earned two wins in one day.
“That is something no one has done in the 15-year history of the Wildcats,” Saghy said.
Liokareas tossed 10 pitches to three batters to close out the quarterfinals and set up Cepullio’s walk-off. He followed that performance up by starting and pitching the first four innings of the final, yielding one unearned run and picking up two strikeouts. Smith earned a save to secure the championship.
Offensively, the Wildcats benefited from the top of their line-up.
“The offensive stars of the weekend,” Saghy said, “were the No. 1, 2 and 3 hitters.”
Saghy noted, “Cepullio set the table by getting on base.”
Cepullio also stole five bases and scored eight runs. In addition to his walk-off hit in the quarterfinals, he scored the winning run in the semifinals.
Donati and Jake Casey of Upper St. Clair hit .500 for the tournament. Donati drove in seven runs and Casey added eight and five extra base hits.