Cumberland Valley ends Mt. Lebanon’s championship season
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
David Shields (No. 25) reacts after throwing a wild pitch as manager Levi Mumma applauds as another Cumberland Valley run is plated in the fourth inning of a PIAA state playoff game. CV blanked Mt. Lebanon, 7-0. In the loss, the Blue Devils committed five errors to go along with two wild throws.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mt. Lebanon second baseman A.J. Stettler (2) unleashes a throw to first base to get the putout on Brady Hawkins (5) as he streaks to first base during Cumberland Valley’s 7-0 win in the first round of the PIAA Class 6A baseball playoffs.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Derrick Shields brings the heat to the plate during PIAA Class 6A playoff action. Mt. Lebanon committed five errors and had two wild pitches that lead to a 7-0 loss to Cumberland Valley.
Mt. Lebanon’s championship baseball season ended on a sour note when the Blue Devils dropped a 7-0 decision to Cumberland Valley in a first-round PIAA Class 6A playoff game on June 6 at West Mifflin.
In the loss, the Blue Devils committed five errors and were limited to two base hits.
“We didn’t play well against Cumberland Valley,” admitted Lebo manager Patt McCloskey. “Unfortunately, in a one-game playoff, you don’t get a chance to bounce back.”
With the loss to CV, the Blue Devils finished 16-8 overall. They were Section 2 champions with a 9-1 record. They won their first WPIAL title in 16 years and fifth in program history when they defeated arch-rival Upper St. Clair, 2-1, on May 31 at Wild Things Park.
“The kids competed hard and prepared themselves to win,” McCloskey said. “It was one of those days where we just didn’t play well.
“However, the loss in no way defines our season,” McCloskey continued. “I told our guys that their legacy is undeniable.”
The 2022 campaign started auspiciously. After an opening win against Pine-Richland, 13-1, the Blue Devils lost four games in four consecutive days to begin the season with a 1-4 record. Lebo bounced back to win the section. The Blue Devils clinched the title in front of a huge crowd under the lights at USC’s Boyce-Mayview Park.
“We bounced back from a bad start and won a section title with our best record since we went 10-0 in 2015,” said McCloskey. “Most importantly, we won the section and played our best game of the year when it mattered the most.”
The Blue Devils then posted back-to-back, come-from-behind wins against Seneca Valley, 5-4, and Central Catholic, 2-1, to reach the WPIAL finals.
“Those were two dramatic playoff wins,” McCloskey said. “Then, to beat your biggest rival in front of a record crowd, in the single-most important game in Mt. Lebanon baseball history,” he added. “That’s a season to be proud of. I cannot express my gratitude to the players for their commitment to the team’s success this year.”
The Blue Devils featured 10 seniors: second baseman A.J. Stettler; outfielders Joe Daniels and Eli Heidenriech; catcher Paul Connolly; third baseman/pitching ace Jack Smith; first baseman/pitcher Derrick Shields; reliever Evan Rossi and reserves Charles Hornburg, Ben Hornburg and Tom Schubert.
Daniels, Heidenreich and Smith were starters and key components on Lebo’s undefeated WPIAL and PIAA championship football team earlier in the school year.
“Our seniors were great, not only in terms of stats, but also in terms of leadership and a singular focus to the team winning,” said McCloskey.
It was however a pair of juniors who trumped the Blue Devils in the state playoffs.
CV pitcher Brady Grimes scattered two hits — singles by David Shields and Daniels — walked two and struck out four in recording the shutout.
CV catcher Logan Salve was 3-for-4 at the plate. The WVU recruit tagged two triples and a double, scored three runs and drove in two.
Lebo though has its share of veterans who will return to the lineup next spring. Four of them are starters — Tyler Smith (DH), Matthew Delvaux (SS), Tanner Donati (RF) and David Shields (1B).
Donati was the leading hitter with a .408 average and run producer with 21 RBI while Smith, Shields, Delvaux also beefed up the pitching staff along with Owen Mitchell.
McCloskey also anticipates younger players such as Quinn Scott-VanDeusen, Caleb Weidman, Peyton Rounsfull and Brock Stacy will “step up” and assume roles as starters.
“I’m excited about the future,” McCloskey said.