Bethel Park advances to WPIAL Class 5A baseball final
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Jason Nuttridge is mobbed by his teammates after crossing the plate with what turned out to be the winning run in Bethel Park’s 8-5 win against Penn-Trafford. The senior centerfielder singled to drive home Lucas Lybarger, who had tripled, and eventually scored on a suicide squeeze play in a five-run fifth frame for the Black Hawks.
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John Chalus cranks out a base hit during a two-run first inning for Bethel Park, which went on to beat Penn-Trafford, 8-5, in the semifinals of the WPIAL Class 5A tournament.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Lucas Lybarger reacts after tagging a two-run triple and scoring a run in a five-run fifth that turned a 5-3 deficit into an 8-5 victory for Bethel Park against Penn-Trafford in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinal baseball playoff game.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
An elated Ray Altmeyer is greeted by Lucas Lybarger after he scored on a base hit by Coby Goelz during a five-run uprising in the fifth frame of the WPIAL Class 5A semifinal game. Lybarger went on to tag a two-run triple in the inning and Bethel Park went on to victory, 8-5, against Penn-Trafford.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Bethel Park players rush to mob Ryan Walsh (No. 6) after he preserved an 8-5 win against Penn-Trafford. Walsh relieved Evan Lejuene and struck out five of the final six batters. He struck out the side in the sixth on nine pitches.
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Sebastian Schein connects with his battery mate John Chalus as the rest of his teammates celebrate getting out of a shaky first inning. In a relief appearance, Schein shut the door on Penn-Trafford, getting two straight strikeouts with the bases loaded to blunt a rally that put Bethel Park behind, 2-0. The Black Hawks recovered for an 8-5 victory that thrust them into the WPIAL Class 5A championship contest.
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Bethel Park pitcher Evan Lejeune discusses strategy with catcher John Chalus during WPIAL Class 5A semifinal playoff action. Lejeune was one of four pitchers used by the Black Hawks to defeat Penn-Trafford, 8-5, and advance to the district championship game for the second time in three years.
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Jack Edner brings the heat to the plate during WPIAL Class 5A playoff action. In the semifinals, Bethel Park defeated Penn-Trafford, 8-5.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Ryan Petras gets hit by a pitch during first-inning action of the WPIAL Class 5A semifinal playoff game. Petras scored a run in the inning and later tagged a two-run triple in a five-run fifth frame to help Bethel Park defeat Penn-Trafford, 8-5, and advance to the championship game.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Nick Gasper races home after Lucas Lybarger tagged a two-run triple in a five-run fifth frame for Bethel Park. The rally propelled the Black Hawks to victory, 8-5, against Penn-Trafford and put them in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game.
The Black Hawk is an appropriate mascot for the Bethel Park baseball team.
“We have that predator mindset,” said BP manager Patrick Zehnder.
Never was that more evident than when the Black Hawks caught Penn-Trafford from behind and devoured the Warriors, feasting on their relief pitching for five runs in the fifth to punctuate an 8-5 victory in a WPIAL Class 5A semifinal playoff game on May 23 at Ross Memorial Park in Washington.
The win advances Bethel Park to the championship contest to face top-seeded Shaler (18-5) at 7 p.m. May 30 at Wild Things Park in Washington. It is the second time in three seasons the Black Hawks have reached the finals, however, they have not won a district title since 1987.
“This is something the team has wanted really badly for two years,” Zehnder said. “They wanted to make sure they put their best foot forward to make it to the championship.”
The Black Hawks used four right arms to quell Penn Trafford, too.
Having used their ace, Evan Holewinski to defeat Upper St. Clair, 6-0, in the quarterfinals – the Kent State recruit struck out nine and scattered five hits in recording the shutout – the Black Hawks relied on Jack Edner, Sebastian Schein, Evan Lejeune and Ryan Walsh to do the job on the mound against the Warriors.
Edner yielded to Schein with the bases loaded and two runs already on the scoreboard in the first inning. The senior responded with two strikeouts to end the uprising. Thanks to a curveball with “good movement,” Schein finished with four Ks in 3 1/3 innings of work.
“We have incredible depth that some kids would be starters on other clubs,” said Schein, who owns a 5-1 record. “I have to give a shout out to Penn-Trafford though but we played an incredible game and I have been in that situation before. I knew I could do it. Plus, I have the best fielders behind me.”
Schein yielded to Evan LeJeune, who was credited with the win because BP produced five runs during his 1 1/3-inning stint that included two strikeouts.
Ryan Walsh earned the save. He struck out the side on nine pitches in the sixth and closed out the seventh with two more Ks and a game-ending pop up to second baseman Gianni Magnotti.
“Depth in pitching, absolutely, was the key,” Zehnder said. “We have faith in no matter who we put out there. We have seven or eight guys that we can use. We have confidence in them getting the outs.
“Sebastian was unbelievable. He’s been our fireman all year. He finds ways to get out of jams. He found a way to make that happen in the first inning.
Zehnder continued that the start was between Edner and Lejeune. He noted the irony of him getting the win.
“The support Evan showed Jack even though he knew he took the start from him was remarkable. I could not have been happier for Evan. ‘How romantic a game is baseball?’ He ends up getting the win. That is special.”
Walsh is a rarity, too. A sophomore, he is already committed to Penn State. A wrestler, he had surgery on his knee in the winter and only returned to action in mid-May.
“It’s good to have him back. He throws hard. Fires it in there,” Zehnder said. “We call him the missile for a reason.”
At the plate, Lucas Lybarger and Ryan Petras dropped the bombs. Each tagged two-run triples in the five-run, fifth-frame uprising.
Ray Altmeyer and Coby Goelz led off with base hits before Lybarger tripled to tie the game, 5-5.
“First, a shout out to Penn-Trafford. That was a great game, but man, I worked so hard for that triple. All these years,” Lybarger remarked. “It felt good to hit it and finally get that one moment. It was a inner fast ball and I got jammed on that before so I was kind of sitting and waiting on that pitch.”
Petras timed his moment, too. After getting hit by a pitch in the first frame and scoring a run on a Holewinski sacrifice fly to left, he tagged a two-run triple that scored Jason Nuttridge, who had reached base on a successful suicide squeeze play that brought home Lybarger, as well as Mike Bruckner, who had singled.
In the win, Magnotti had two hits, including a double. Goelz also had two hits and a sacrifice fly that scored John Chalus (single) in the first frame. His second sacrifice helped BP score a run in the third. Holewinski doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on the bunt.
“This was one of those special performances from every single member of the team. We talk about being positive no matter whether you are doing good or bad. There are still ways to help the team,” Zehnder said. “Even guys that didn’t have an opportunity to be in the game, their positive attitude and encouragement showed in the face of such adversity. I don’t think I have ever been so proud of a group of kids.”
“As long as I have been in this program that’s the best team win that I have every seen,” agreed Lybarger. “Everybody worked so hard for this. It was so awesome to see.”
The Black Hawks, of course, would like to see a win in the WPIAL final but it will not be easy because Shaler has experience in that department.
The Titans, who are 18-5 overall, have won two titles in the past five years and feature Miguel Hugas as well as Derek Leas. An Alabama recruit, Hugas is a pitcher/outfielder with the potential to be selected in the June draft. Leas pitched a 2-0 shutout against Plum in the semifinals, striking out 10 and scattering three hits.
“It’s going to be a great battle but we can’t worry about what other teams do or have,” Zehnder said. “We have to worry about what we need to do. We feel if we take care of our business that no one can beat us.”