Riverside edges Waynesburg Central in Class AA title game
Coach Steve Coss talks to his team after Waynesburg's loss to Riverside Wednesday in the WPIAL Class AA Championship Game 2-1. He told the players they are still No. 1. The Raiders begin PIAA play next week.
WASHINGTON — Riverside defeated Waynesburg 2-1 in Wednesday’s WPIAL Class AA Baseball Championship game at Washington’s Consol Park.
After Waynesburg went down in order in the top of the seventh, with the score tied 1-1, the fifth-seeded Panthers rallied to clinch the victory.
The Panthers’ Jake Thellman reached base on an infield error with one out and was sacrificed to second to set the stage for Nick Pollio. Pollio made the best of his chance to help his strong game on the mound with the game-winning hit to left field.
With the loss, the Raiders (18-2) had an 18-game winning streak snapped while suffering the heartbreaking loss to the Panthers (16-5).
“It’s a tough thing to swallow, and any team can beat another team on any given day,” Waynesburg Central coach Steve Coss said. “The pitching was solid for both sides, and it was going to come down to defense and timely hitting at the end.”
It was the third time that the Waynesburg’s baseball team was in the WPIAL Championship, as the Raiders won the crown in 1999 and lost to Canevin in 2000.
For Riverside, this is the third WPIAL baseball title, as the Panthers took the honors in 1996 and 2006.
Both teams will continue play next week in the PIAA postseason. First round games will be played on Monday with the times and locations to be announced.
The Raiders’ Joe Monica and Panthers’ Pollio gave the crowd a thrilling pitcher’s duel and frustrated the opposing offenses all evening long.
“We fought the whole game, and in the last inning we showed fundamentals,” Riverside coach Dan Oliastro said. “This is a big game for our school and our community.”
Waynesburg only registered one hit in its first eight at-bats, but with one out in the top of the third inning, Michael Ammer lifted a pitch from Pollio into center field.
Ammer then made his way to third base after Monica connected on a single to give the Raiders runners on the corners with two outs with Steve McCaw, who was recently named Class AA Player of the Year, at the plate.
In true clutch fashion, McCaw gave Waynesburg a 1-0 lead with a base hit that scored Ammer.
Monica was near flawless on the mound for the Raiders, as he yielded one hit through the first three frames, but the Panthers knotted the game up with one swing of the bat, as Ryan Finnegan blasted a solo home run to left field in the fourth.
Monica didn’t let the long ball faze him, as he was able to get nine out the next 10 batters out. For the game, Monica was credited with six strikeouts and no walks.
“Joe seems to be on top of his game every time he takes the mound for us,” Coss said. “He has confidence in his pitches and he knows what to do. Riverside is a quality baseball team, and he left one pitch up on the home run ball.”
The Raiders had scoring chances in the fifth and sixth innings, but couldn’t convert.
In the fifth, Ammer tallied another hit, but was left on base after a sacrifice bunt by Rick Kalsey and a groundout. McCaw started the fifth for Waynesburg with a walk, but his courtesy runner was called out on a tailor-made six-four-three double play.
“We had to hit the ball and capitalize on their pitcher’s mistakes,” Coss said. “He is a very good lefty for them and knows how to pitch in crunch time. He is probably like the second left-handed pitcher we have faced all season, and he had some quality pitches.”
“We didn’t have a lot of scoring opportunities beside the home run,” Oliastro said. “Their pitcher kept us off balance, and we were out of sync. Nick mixed his pitches and stayed around the plate. He had a lot of 3-2 counts, but was able to overcome it. We made one error in the playoffs, and he knew he could rely on our defense.”
“All of these guys give us their best game in and game out,” Coss said. “We can’t change what has happen today, and we have been like that all year long. You can’t change what has happen in the past, and you have to focus in on your next game. We have to get back to the drawing board tomorrow and work on it from there.”