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NORTH ALLEGHENY VARSITY BASEBALL

*WPIAL RUNNERUP*

JULIANO, JURENA PICKED FOR PG NORTH ALL-STARS

Junior DH Mike Juliano and junior center fielder Blake Jurena were selected to the PG North All-Star team for the 2004 season.  Juliano batted .516 with 8 doubles, two triples, and four home runs good for 27 RBIs.  Jurena had a final batting average of .385 with five doubles and four home runs.  As the NA leadoff batter, Jurena had an on-base percentage of .549 along with nine stolen bases.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
P-G NORTH ALL-STAR TEAM

* - Player of the Year

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THREE TIGERS SELECTED TO P-G ALL-SECTION TEAM

The Post-Gazette has announced the 2004 All-Section team and three Tigers were selected as first-team members.  Senior second baseman Matt Kuntz, junior catcher Pat Trettel, and junior center fielder Blake Jurena were all chosen as members of the squad.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
2004 ALL-SECTION BASEBALL TEAMS

(Selected by the Post-Gazette scholastic sports staff, based on voting by WPIAL coaches)

CONGRATULATIONS TO MATT, PAT AND BLAKE!!!!!

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KISKI AREA KNOCKS TIGERS FROM PIAA PLAYOFFS, 9-4

The Kiski Area Cavaliers scored nine runs in the first three innings and held off the Tigers for a 9-4 victory in the PIAA quarterfinals at Matulevic Field in Shaler on Thursday afternoon.  Junior third baseman Evan Mulzet and junior shortstop John Quimby had two RBIs each for the Tigers while junior DH Mike Juliano was three for three.

The game was decided early when Kiski scored three times in the second inning and added six more in the third.  A grand slam home run by shortstop Jared Shaffer was the big hit for Kiski against junior starter Josh Hungerman.  The Tigers rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fourth but could get no closer.  In the fourth inning, Mulzet singled with the bases loaded to make it a 9-2 game, and Quimby followed with another two-run single to cut it to 9-4.

The Tigers loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs, but junior center fielder Blake Jurena grounded into a force play to end the threat.  The loss dropped the final NA record to 21-5 for the season that included a trip to the WPIAL championship game.  Hungerman took the loss, his first of the season, as he finished with a 7-1 record.  The Tigers should be strong again next season as six junior starters return. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH BANNER AND THE TIGERS FOR A GREAT SEASON!!!!!

GAME SUMMARY
KISKI AREA - 9  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4

WP - Shawn Schwarz     LP - Josh Hungerman (7-1)

2004 PIAA BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

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KUNTZ TO REPRESENT NA AT 1ST WPIAL ALL-STAR GAME

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Senior second baseman Matt Kuntz will be the only NA representative at the 1st Annual WPIAL Coaches All-Star games at Falconi Field on Saturday night.  Kuntz was chosen to be a member of the Red team coached by Tom McCarthy of Plum and Doug Steve of Indiana.  Four games will be played with the Class AAA game scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm.

CONGRATULATIONS, MATT!!! 

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TIGERS BEAT BRASHEAR, 8-6, TO ADVANCE TO PIAA QUARTERFINALS

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The Tigers held off the Brashear Bulls, 8-6, in PIAA first round action at Falconi Field on Monday to advance to the PIAA quarterfinals.  Home runs by junior DH Mike Juliano and junior third baseman Evan Mulzet paced a 13-hit NA attack.  Mulzet had two singles and three RBIs to go along with his home run while senior 1B Brandon Woods added a double and two singles with an RBI.  Senior right hander Eric Leuthold went four plus innings to pick up the victory while junior left hander Josh Hungerman pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the save.

The Tigers started quickly when junior center fielder Blake Jurena led off with a long double off the left field fence.  After Jurena stole third base, junior left fielder Tim Merolillo walked.  The Bulls got out of trouble when they picked Merolillo off first and pitcher Matt Stanziano got a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning.  The Bulls threatened in the bottom of the first with two on and one out, but a double play set up by senior 2B Matt Kuntz ended the threat.

In the top of the second inning, the Tigers took the lead with three runs.  After senior right fielder Tyler Haak singled to left field, Kuntz walked.  Woods came through with a hard single to left field to score Haak with the first run of the game.  Mulzet followed with a single to left center field to score Kuntz and make it 2-0.  After a bunt single by junior shortstop John Quimby, Jurena brought in another run with a fielder's choice.  After an inning and a half, NA held a 3-0 advantage.

In the top of the third, the Tigers added another run.  After junior catcher Pat Trettel walked, Brashear coach Tim DiPietro brought in shortstop Kevin Flaherty to pitch.  Sophomore Harry Austin went in to run for Trettel and stole second on the first pitch.  After one out, Kuntz hit a drive over center fielder Ryan Goodworth's head to score Austin and give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.

Brashear came back in the bottom of the third to score three runs.  With one out, Flaherty singled and stole second.  With two outs, DH Brian Reft singled to right field scoring Flaherty with the first Brashear run.  Stanziano followed with a single to right field and the throw to third base got away allowing Reft to score.  Second baseman Mark Miller singled to right field to score Stanziano and the Bulls had cut the lead to 4-3 after three innings.

The Tigers answered in the top of the fourth.  With one out, Merolillo walked.  Juliano hit a long drive over the left center field fence to give the Tigers a 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the fourth.  NA added another run in the top of the fifth inning.  After Woods led off with a double, Mulzet brought him home with a base hit to right field as the Tigers took a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth.

Once again, the Bulls came back to make it close.  After a walk to Goodworth and a single by Reft, Tiger coach Tim Banner went to his bullpen and brought in junior right hander Mike Birsic.  After a fly out to center field, the throw to home plate went over Trettel's head allowing Goodworth to score and Reft to go to second.  An error allowed Miller to reach safely, and catcher Mitchell Hahne singled to right field to score Reft as the Bulls closed to within two at 7-5.  Birsic got 1B Ben Sovyak to ground into a fielder's choice but Miller scored to make it a one-run game at 7-6.  Birsic retired left fielder Adam Supe on a pop fly to Quimby to end the inning.

Neither team could score in the sixth inning.  In the top of the seventh with one out, Mulzet hit a long drive over the left field fence to give the Tigers an insurance run and an 8-6 lead.  Hungerman came in to pitch in the bottom of the seventh.  The Tiger lefty struck out Reft to lead off the inning before giving up a double to Stanziano.  With a runner on second and one out, Hungerman struck out Miller and got Hahne to pop out to Quimby behind second base to end the game.

It was a tough game for the Tigers as Brashear continued to stay close.  The Tiger bats were responsible for the victory with five extra base hits on the day.  For his effort at the plate, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Evan Mulzet as the Player of the Game.  The Tigers will play Kiski Area in the quarterfinals.   The game will be played at Matulevic Field in Shaler on Thursday with game time set for 3:00 pm

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 8  BRASHEAR - 6

WP - Eric Leuthold (9-2)  LP - Matt Stanziano

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PINE-RICHLAND DOWNS TIGERS, 8-1, FOR WPIAL TITLE

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The Tigers dropped an 8-1 decision to the Pine-Richland Rams in the WPIAL championship at Falconi Field on Saturday afternoon.  Junior shortstop John Quimby had a double and a single to lead the Tigers who earned the second-place trophy in the tournament.  Junior DH Mike Juliano drove in the only NA run with a single in the third inning.

Pine-Richland started off strong in the top of the first inning and never looked back.  With one out, right fielder Colin Durburrow singled to left field, and catcher Neil Walker doubled to left center field to score the game's first run.  With two outs, DH Ryan Schleiden dropped a single into short right field to score Walker as the Rams took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the first.

In the top of the second inning, the Rams broke the game open with four runs.  First baseman Bill Musher doubled to right center field to open the inning. With one out, left fielder Mike Ross doubled to left center field to score Musher and make it 3-0. With two outs, Walker was walked intentionally, but shortstop Dale Mollenhauer followed with a line drive single to center field to score Ross and increase the margin to 4-0.  Tiger coach Tim Banner went to his bullpen and brought in junior left hander Josh Hungerman in relief of starter Eric Leuthold.  After a wild pitch moved Mollenhauer to second, Schleiden greeted the NA reliever with a base hit to center field scoring two more runs as the Rams took a 6-0 lead after an inning and a half.

Junior catcher Pat Trettel singled to left field to lead off the bottom of the second, but sophomore right hander John Karr got the next three batters to stop the threat.  The Tigers finally broke through in the bottom of the third.  After junior 3B Evan Mulzet singled to left just inside third base, Quimby followed with a long double to left field.  Mulzet was thrown out at the plate trying to score as Quimby stayed at second.  With one out after junior CF Blake Jurena walked, Juliano drove a single to left center field scoring Quimby with what would be the only NA run of the game.  Pine-Richland led, 6-1, after three innings.

Hungerman did a good job in relief allowing only two runs the rest of the way.  Walker's single to right field in the top of the fourth made it a 7-1 game, and Mollenhauer's double in the top of the sixth pushed the margin to 8-1.  The Tigers struggled against Karr with men on base leaving eight runners stranded.  In the bottom of the fifth, Quimby singled to left and junior left fielder Tim Merolillo followed with a line drive single to right field.  Karr was able to get the next two hitters and kept NA off the board.  In the bottom of the seventh, both Quimby and Merolillo walked, but Karr was able to strike out the side to earn the victory.

It was a tough loss for the Tigers and ended an 11-game winning streak.  The Tiger hitting attack that was so good for most of the season fell silent as the NA record fell to 20-4.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected John Quimby as the Player of the Game.

The Tigers have qualified for the PIAA tournament as the #2 team from the WPIAL.  NA will play the City League champion in the opening round of the state playoffs with the first game tentatively scheduled for Monday, June 7.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
PINE-RICHLAND - 8  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

WP - John Karr (5-2)     LP - Eric Leuthold (7-2)

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4-RUN FIFTH INNING SINKS PETERS TOWNSHIP, 12-9

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The Tigers scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on their way to a 12-9 victory over Peters Township in the semifinals of the WPIAL tournament at Pullman Park in Butler on Monday afternoon.  Junior center fielder Blake Jurena had four hits, including a home run and a double, good for four RBIs to pace the Tigers.  Junior shortstop John Quimby homered to lead off the 5th inning to put NA ahead for good.  Seniors Brandon Woods and Tyler Haak had a pair of hits each for NA as the Tigers advanced to the finals to meet Pine-Richland.  

Junior Mike Birsic got the win in relief of senior starter Eric Leuthold, but junior Josh Hungerman came in in the seventh inning with the game on the line to pick up the save. With a runner on 2nd and the Tigers leading, 12-9, Hungerman struck out the first two batters he faced.  After hitting a batter, the Tiger lefty got the final out on a ground ball over second that Quimby made a good play on to touch second for a force play and end the game.  Hungerman earned a save to go along with the 7-0 record as a starter for the Tigers.

Jurena got NA off and running when he slammed a home run just inside the left field foul pole to lead off in the bottom of the first.  Junior left fielder Tim Merolillo followed with a line drive double into the left center field gap.  After one out, junior catcher Pat Trettel was hit by a pitch and was replaced by pinch-runner Harry Austin.  With two outs, Haak dropped a single over second scoring Merolillo to make it 2-0.  Woods drove a single to left to score Austin, and junior 3B Evan Mulzet lined a base hit to right scoring Haak as the NA lead went to 4-0.  After a walk to Quimby, Jurena singled to drive in two more runs as NA jumped off to a 6-0 lead after one inning.

Leuthold held off the Indians without a run in the first two innings but ran into trouble in the top of the third thanks to a pair of NA errors.  With one out, leadoff hitter Ryan Maize reached on an error.  Second baseman Sean Karpen and center fielder Jim Gallagher singled to load the bases.  Maize scored on another NA misplay as Peters cut the lead to 6-1.  Leuthold walked the next two hitters forcing in two runs, and third baseman Jared Robison singled to right center field driving in another run to make it 6-4.  A wild pitch scored pitcher Anthony Rossi with the fifth Indian run before Leuthold got out of the inning with NA still ahead 6-5.

In the bottom of the third, NA came back with a pair of runs.  After Woods led off with a single to left, Mulzet sacrificed him to second.  With two outs, Jurena singled to left driving in Woods.  After Jurena stole second, Merolillo walked, and junior DH Mike Juliano beat out an infield single to load the bases.  An error by Peters Township gave the Tigers an unearned run as NA led, 8-5, after three innings.

In the top of the fourth, Karpen led off with a long triple to deep left center field.  Gallagher then dropped his second double of the game down the left field to make it 8-6.  Tiger coach Tim Banner went to his bullpen and brought in junior right hander Mike Birsic.  After shorstop Aaron Janusey singled to drive in Gallagher, Birsic got a double play ground ball and a line drive to senior Matt Kuntz at second base to end the inning with NA still on top, 8-7.

Peters Township tied the game in the top of the fifth inning with another unearned run.  After two walks led off the inning, catcher Josh Pisarcik sacrificed both runners to second.  A slow ground ball to first was thrown wide of first allowing a run to score.  The second Indian runner also tried to score but was thrown out at the plate keeping the game tied, 8-8, after four and one half innings.

Quimby hit the first pitch in the bottom of the fifth deep over the left center field fence to give NA the lead for good at 9-8.  After Jurena doubled, Peters coach Joe Maize brought Gallagher into pitch.  Merolillo was hit by a pitch and had to leave the game.  After one out, Trettel lined a double to center field to drive in a pair of runs and push the NA lead to 11-8.  Haak singled to left scoring Trettel as the Tigers took a 12-8 lead into the sixth inning.

Birsic kept the Indians scoreless in the 6th inning, but gave up doubles to center fielder Steve Jackson and Pisarcik to lead off the seventh.  Hungerman then came in to shut the door and send the Tigers on the championship game for the second consecutive year.  The Tigers pounded out fourteen hits in improving their record to 20-3 on the season.  For his efforts at the plate, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Blake Jurena as the Player of the Game.  

NA will meet neighborhood rival Pine-Richland in the championship game at Falconi Field in Washington on Saturday.  The Rams knocked off Kiski Area, 9-1, in the other semifinal game at Butler.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 12:45 pm.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 12  PETERS TOWNSHIP - 9

WP - Mike Birsic     LP - Anthony Rossi

WPIAL BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
CLASS AAA

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TIGERS RALLY TO DOWN SHALER, 5-4

Junior catcher Pat Trettel slammed at two-out single to left field in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Tigers a 5-4 victory over Shaler at Pullman Park in Butler on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL tournament.  Trettel had homered earlier in the game.  Junior lefthander Josh Hungerman went the distance to earn his seventh victory without a loss.  Junior center fielder Blake Jurena was two for four and scored the winning run for the Tigers.

Senior second baseman Matt Kuntz and senior right fielder Tyler Haak both were one for three with run scoring singles as the Tigers took a lead of 2-0 after one inning.  Trettel hit a long home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the third to make it a 3-1 NA lead after three innings.    Shaler came back with three in the top of the fourth to give the Titans a lead of 4-3.  Shaler would hold the lead until the bottom of the seventh.

Sophomore pinch-hitter Harry Austin started the NA rally when he was hit by a pitch to lead off the seventh.  After Austin stole second, he moved to third on a single by Jurena.  Junior left fielder Tim Merolillo then grounded to first with Austin beating the throw home to tie the score at 4-4.  After junior DH Mike Juliano popped up for the second out, Trettel came through with the game winner on a single to left field.

The win advances the Tigers to the semifinals of the WPIAL tournament where they will play the winner of the Seneca Valley-Peters Township game.  The game is tentatively scheduled for Monday.  We will post the game info as soon as we receive it.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet.  Stay tuned!

(Thanks to John Grupp of the Tribune-Review for information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  SHALER - 4

WP - Josh Hungerman (7-0)     LP - Ran Juran

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TIGERS OUTCLASS ALBERT GALLATIN, 16-0, IN FIRST ROUND OF WPIAL PLAYOFFS

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The Tigers pounded out 15 hits and Albert Gallatin committed seven errors, and the combination gave the Tigers a 16-0 victory over the Colonials in the first round of the WPIAL Tournament at Plum on Monday afternoon.  Senior first baseman Brandon Woods had four hits and two RBIs while junior LF Tim Merolillo hit his third home run of the season to pace NA.  Senior 2B Matt Kuntz, senior right fielder Tyler Haak, and junior shortstop John Quimby all posted two hits in the easy win.

The Tigers started early posting three runs in the top of the first with some help from the Colonials.  After one out, Merolillo drew a walk and junior DH Mike Juliano reached on an error.  Junior catcher Pat Trettel followed with a long drive down the right field line for a double that scored both runners.  After a fly out, Haak hit a ground ball that was misplayed by the shortstop.  Woods hit a bad hop single over the shortstop's head driving in the third run giving NA a 3-0 advantage after one half inning.

After senior right hander Eric Leuthold held AG scoreless, the Tigers took control of the game with twelve runs in the top of the second.  Once again, it was poor fielding by the Colonials that set the stage, but the Tiger bats took advantage.  After Quimby led off with a line drive single to center field, junior CF Blake Jurena drew a walk.  Merolillo dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw to first went down the right field line allowing Quimby to score.  Juliano then hit a long sacrifice fly ball to deep left scoring Jurena to make it a 5-0 NA lead.  After Trettel reached base on another error, Kuntz singled to center field to score Merolillo.  Haak followed with a base hit to left center field scoring pinch runner Harry Austin as the lead increased to 7-0.  Woods' second base hit to left field plated Kuntz to make it an 8-0 advantage.  After junior 3B Evan Mulzet got to first on an error by the AG third baseman, Quimby's ground ball scored Haak with the ninth NA run.  Jurena singled to center to make to score Woods and moved Quimby to third where he scored on a wild pitch.  After Merolillo walked, an error on Juliano's ground ball to short brought in the ninth run of the inning to give NA a commanding 12-0 lead after one and one half innings.

After Leuthold retired the side in order in the bottom of the second, relief pitcher Scott Plaskey came in to hold the Tigers scoreless in the top of the third.  NA loaded the bases on singles by Haak and Woods and a walk to Mulzet but Plaskey got a strike out to end the inning.  Leuthold gave up an infield single in the bottom of the third but got two ground ball outs to get out of the inning without allowing a run.

In the top of the fourth, Merolillo led off with a line drive home run over the right field fence to push the lead to 13-0.  After Juliano and Kuntz singled, Plaskey got two fly ball outs.  With two outs, Woods fourth hit of the game brought home Juliano.  Mulzet followed with a double down the left field line that scored Kuntz to make it 15-0.  Quimby singled home the final Tiger tally as NA took a 16-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth.

Junior Mike Birsic came in to pitch for the Tigers as NA tried to close out the Colonials.  With the fifteen-run rule kicking in, Birsic retired the side without a run, allowing only one hit and striking out the final batter as the Tigers won by a score of 16-0.  Leuthold picked up his eighth win of the season against only one loss as he allowed only one hit in three innings.  For his efforts at the plate, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Brandon Woods as the Player of the Game.

The Tigers will meet Shaler in the quarterfinals.  The date, site and time have yet to be determined.  We will post the information on the website as soon as we receive it.  NA defeated Shaler, 3-2, earlier in the season in a non-section game at the Senior High field.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 16  ALBERT GALLATIN - 0

WP - Eric Leuthold (8-1)     LP - Josh Null 

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TIGERS KNOCK OFF NORTH HILLS, 7-1, FOR EIGHTH STRAIGHT VICTORY

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The Tigers finished their regular season on a high note with a 7-1 victory over North Hills at the Senior High field on Wednesday afternoon.  Junior catcher Pat Trettel had a pair of hits good for three RBIs to lead NA while senior first baseman Brandon Woods slammed two doubles.  Senior Eric Leuthold went five innings to earn his seventh victory against just one loss.

Neither team was able to score early as the game remained tied through three and a half innings.  The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the first when junior LF Tim Merolillo singled and moved to third base on two wild pitches.  After two outs, sophomore left hander P.J. Castellano got a pop fly to short to end the inning.  The Indians had two on and one out in the top of the second.  After DH Evan Euler walked and was sacrificed to second by junior 3B Brian Long, senior SS Anthony Talotta singled to left moving Euler to third.  After Talotta stole second, Leuthold struck out the next two batters to stop the threat.  In the top of the third, senior 1B Jason Bisesi doubled to left center field to lead off.  After a fly out to left field, right fielder Brian Miller lined to Woods at first who then threw to junior Evan Mulzet at third for an inning-ending double play.

The Tigers finally took the lead in the bottom of the fourth.  After junior DH Mike Juliano walked and stole second to lead off, Trettel followed with a single to right field to score Juliano with the game's first run.  After four innings, the Tigers held a slim 1-0 advantage.

After Leuthold held NH scoreless in the top of the fifth, the Tigers broke the game open with a six-run outburst in the bottom half of the inning.  With one out, junior shortstop John Quimby walked, junior CF Blake Jurena was hit by a pitch, and Merolillo drew a walk to load the bases.  Juliano slapped a hard single to left field, scoring Quimby and leaving the bases full.  Trettel followed with another hard single to left, scoring two runs and knocking Castellano from the game.  Left hander Allan Senatore came in to pitch for the Indians and was greeted with a suicide squeeze play.  Senior 2B Matt Kuntz got the bunt down perfectly, scoring Juliano to give NA a 5-0 advantage.  Woods doubled to deep right field to score Trettel and make it a 6-0 lead.  Mulzet's infield single drove in Woods with the sixth run of the inning and NA took a 7-0 lead into the sixth inning.

Junior Mike Birsic came in to pitch for the Tigers and retired the side without a hit or run.  After NA failed to score in the bottom of the sixth, the Indians grabbed their only tally of the game.  After Talotta was hit by a pitch, he stole second.  After one out, sophomore catcher Mark Morris singled to left, scoring Talotta to make it a 7-1 game.  After a walk, Birsic finished off North Hills on a fly ball and a strike out as the Tigers won their eighth straight game.

The win gave NA a final section record of 9-3, good for second place and a playoff berth and one game behind Seneca Valley.  The win was the third straight over North Hills this year.  For his efforts at the plate and behind the plate, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Pat Trettel as the Player of the Game.  The Tigers will enter the WPIAL Playoffs next week.  We will post the playoff schedule as soon as it is announced.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 7  NORTH HILLS - 1

WP - Eric Leuthold (7-1)   LP - P.J. Castellano

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TIGERS CRUSH NEW CASTLE, 12-2, TO EARN PLAYOFF SPOT

The Tigers defeated New Castle, 12-2, at Flaherty Field in New Castle on Monday afternoon to win their seventh consecutive game and earn a playoff spot in the upcoming WPIAL Playoffs.  Junior Mike Juliano led the way with a double and two singles in four at bats good for two RBIs.  Senior first baseman Brandon Woods homered and junior catcher Pat Trettel had a pair of doubles as the Tigers beat the 'Canes for the first time this season after losing two.  The Tigers pounded out thirteen hits in earning the crucial section victory.

The Tigers jumped off to a 3-0 lead after one, and added another run in the second for a 4-0 advantage.  New Castle came back with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to cut the lead to 4-2.  This time, the Tigers were not to be denied as they exploded for eight runs in the top of the seventh to secure the victory.  Junior left hander Josh Hungerman got the win to improve his record to 6-0 on the season.  

The win improved the NA record to 8-3 in section play, just a game behind first-place Seneca Valley with one game to play.  The overall NA mark improved to 16-3 on the season.  On Wednesday in the last section games for both teams, Seneca Valley will travel to Butler while the Tigers host North Hills.  With an NA win and Seneca loss, the Tigers would tie the Raiders for first place.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will broadcast the North Hills game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 12  NEW CASTLE - 2

WP - Josh Hungerman (6-0)     LP - Chris Berkley

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TIGERS DOWN MT. LEBANON IN SLUGFEST, 15-10

The Tigers won their sixth consecutive game and ninth in the last ten with a 15-10 victory at Mt. Lebanon on Saturday.  Seniors Matt Kuntz, Colin Bookleiner and John Quimby had home runs as the Tigers pounded out 15 hits.  Junior Mike Juliano was four for five, with three doubles, and junior Pat Trettel contributed a triple to the Tiger cause.  Junior Justin Stark was the winner pitcher for NA.

After Mt. Lebanon scored four in the bottom of the first, the Tigers came back to score the next thirteen runs before Lebo was able to plate two in the bottom of the sixth.  After NA added one more in the seventh, the Blue Devils added four more in the bottom of the seventh to make the final 15-10.

The Tigers will travel to New Castle tomorrow afternoon to meet the 'Canes at Flaherty Field.  With a win against New Castle, the Tigers would clinch a playoff spot in the upcoming WPIAL playoffs.  New Castle has defeated NA twice this season, 2-0 and 3-1.  Game time is scheduled for 3:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 15  MT. LEBANON - 10

WP - Josh Lamm     LP - Jack Millhouse

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WOOD'S DOUBLE BEATS BUTLER, 7-6, IN BOTTOM OF SEVENTH

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A double to deep right field by senior first baseman Brandon Woods drove in junior Mike Birsic with the winning run as the Tigers edged Butler, 7-6, at the Senior High field on Tuesday afternoon.  Senior 2B Matt Kuntz led the Tigers with two hits and three RBIs.  Junior LF Tim Merolillo added a double for the winning Tigers.  Senior Eric Leuthold picked up the victory in relief and improved his record to 5-1 on the season.

Butler started quickly with three runs in the first inning thanks to a little help from the Tigers.  After leadoff hitter Adam Miller reached base on an error, shortstop Joe Rekich sacrificed him to second. Third baseman Josh Edwards followed with a line single to center scoring Miller to give Butler a 1-0 lead.  After first baseman Mike Dorando struck out, second baseman Todd Walker doubled to left field, just inside the third base bag.  DH Matt Schnur dropped a single into short right to score both runners.  Butler picked up three unearned runs to take a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the first.

Junior center fielder Blake Jurena struck out to lead off the bottom of the first, but catcher Pat Hohn's throw to first was high allowing Jurena to reach safely.  Jurena promptly stole second and went to third on Merolillo's ground out to first.  Junior DH Mike Juliano brought Jurena home with another ground out to first to cut the Butler lead to 3-1 after one inning.

Junior left hander Josh Hungerman retired Butler without a run in both the second and third innings.  The Tigers came back to tie the score in the bottom of the third, once again benefiting from some shoddy play in the field.  Merolillo led off with a line drive to left field that was dropped for an error.  Juliano and junior catcher Pat Trettel walked to load the bases with no outs.  Kuntz slapped a hard single to left field scoring Merolillo to cut the lead to 3-2.  Woods followed with a hard ground ball to second that was turned into a double play with Juliano scoring the tying run on the play.  After three innings the score was tied at 3-3.

Hungerman retired the side without a run in the fourth thanks to a good throw by shortstop John Quimby that cut down the potential lead run at the plate.  Leuthold came in to pitch in the top of the fifth and retired the side in order.  In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers took the lead for the first time in the game.  After Merolillo walked and Juliano blooped a single into right field, Trettel dropped down a perfect bunt that Butler had no play on to load the bases with no outs.  Kuntz followed with a sharp single to center field driving in two runs and giving NA a 5-3 lead.  With courtesy runner Austin at third, the Tigers tried a suicide squeeze, but Woods missed the bunt attempt and Austin was tagged out at the plate.  Relief pitcher Shawn Seybert was able to get two ground outs to escape further damage as the Tigers took a two-run lead into the sixth inning.

After Leuthold retired the side in order for the second straight inning, the Tigers tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth.  After the first two batters were retired, Jurena walked.  Merolillo hit a slicing shot over the left fielder's head and Jurena was able to score all the way from first.  After six innings, the Tigers held a 6-3 advantage.

In the top of the seventh with one out, Miller hit a ground ball that took a bad hop allowing Miller to reach first safely.  After Rekich flew out to Jurena for the second out, Edwards was able to reach first on an NA error.  With two outs and two strikes, Dorando blasted a long home run over the left field fence to tie the score at 6-6.

In the bottom of the seventh, Trettel led off with his third walk of the game.  Austin again went in to run.  An attempted pick off throw went off the glove of Durando at first and Austin was able to get to second safely.  Austin was injured on the play and was replaced by junior Mike Birsic.  It was that kind of game --- a pinch runner running for the pinch runner!  Woods then came through with the big blast to the right field fence that scored Birsic with the winning run.

It was a sloppy game with a lot of strange twists and turns, but in the end the Tigers were able to pull out the victory in a game that they had to win.  The win improved the NA section record to 7-3, the overall mark to 14-3.  Seneca Valley knocked off New Castle, 10-2, putting NA temporarily into second place.  For their efforts in the game, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Matt Kuntz and Brandon Woods as Co-Players of the Game.  The Tigers will be back in action again on Saturday morning when they travel to Mt. Lebanon to meet the tough Blue Devils in a non-section contest.  Next Monday, the Tigers will be in New Castle in the battle for a playoff spot.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 7  BUTLER - 6

WP - Eric Leuthold (5-1)  LP - Shane Seybert

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LATE RALLY GIVES TIGERS 4-3 VICTORY OVER BLACKHAWK

The Tigers came back from a 2-1 deficit with a late rally to edge the Blackhawk Cougars in a non-section contest at the Senior High field on Monday afternoon.  Junior DH Mike Juliano had the big hit, a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Junior Mike Birsic went six innings to earn the victory with junior left hander Tim Merolillo stopping the Cougars in the seventh inning for the save.

Blackhawk held a 2-1 advantage over the Tigers going into the bottom of the sixth.  Junior center fielder Blake Jurena had a triple and Merolillo drew a walk to set the stage for Juliano's home run.  The win improved the overall NA record to 13-3 on the season.

The Tigers will host the Butler Golden Tornado in a crucial Section 5 contest this afternoon at the Senior High field.  NA needs to win the final three section contests to clinch a berth in the WPIAL playoffs.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

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TIGERS DRILL PENN HILLS, 9-1, ON SENIOR DAY

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

Senior right hander Josh Lamm allowed only two hits over four innings to earn the victory as the Tigers downed Penn Hills, 9-1, at the Senior High field on Saturday afternoon.  On Senior Day, junior DH Mike Juliano had a double and two singles good for three RBIs to pace the Tigers.  Sophomore Harry Austin came off the bench to add a triple, single, RBI, and stolen base.

The Tigers started quickly with three runs in the bottom of the first inning.  After junior center fielder Blake Jurena walked, junior LF Tim Merolillo grounded out with Jurena moving to second.  Juliano lined a single to center to score Jurena and give NA a 1-0 advantage.  After Juliano stole second, junior catcher Pat Trettel grounded out, and Juliano moved to third where he scored on a wild pitch.  After walks to senior 2B Matt Kuntz and senior first baseman Brandon Woods, senior RF Colin Bookleiner drove a single off the shortstop's glove to drive in Kuntz.  NA led 3-0 after one inning.

After Lamm retired Penn Hills without a run in the top of the second, the Tigers added another run.  With two outs, Merolillo walked and was replaced by Austin who stole second base.  Juliano then singled up the middle to plate Austin and give the Tigers a 4-0 lead.  

Penn Hills scored their only run in the top of the third.  With one out, left fielder John Chiapelle reached second on a throwing error.  With two outs, DH Ben Price singled Chiapelle home with the unearned run.  In the bottom of the third, the Tigers struck again.  Kuntz singled and stole second, his second steal of the game.  With two outs, junior 3B Evan Mulzet lined a single to left, scoring Kuntz to make it a 5-1 NA lead.  Mulzet scored when junior SS John Quimby's ground ball was fumbled and then thrown into right field.  After three innings, the Tigers held a commanding 6-1 advantage.

After Lamm set down the Indians in order in the top of the fourth, NA added another run.  Austin led off with a base hit to center field and went to second on a wild pitch.  Juliano followed with a drive into the right center field gap for a double that scored Austin with the seventh NA run.  Senior Matt Glies came in to pitch and got Penn Hills 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth.   The Tigers completed the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the inning.  With one out, junior left fielder Mike Niggel drew a walk.  Austin hit a drive to deep center field for a triple scoring Niggel.  Junior pinch-hitter Mike Birsic grounded out to second with Austin scoring.  The Tigers led, 9-1, after five innings.

Glies gave up a one-out double to Price in the top of the sixth but retired the next two batters without a run scoring.  In the top of the seventh, Mulzet came in to pitch.  Hernandez singled to lead off the inning.  With one out, first baseman Jessie Smith popped up a bunt in foul territory with Hernandez running.  Junior catcher Luke O'Neill made a running catch and then threw to second to get Hernandez and end the game.

It was another overall team effort by the Tigers as they pounded out eight hits over six innings.  In honor of Senior Day, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Josh Lamm as the Player of the Game.  The Tigers will be back in action on both Monday and Tuesday at the Senior High field.  Today, Blackhawk will be the opponent in a non-section contest. Tomorrow, NA will face Butler in a Section 5 game.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will broadcast the Butler game beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45 pm.  Both games are slated to begin at 4:00 pm.

*CHECK OUT THE PHOTO GALLERY FOR PICTURES FROM SATURDAY'S GAME AND SENIOR DAY CEREMONIES*

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  PENN HILLS - 1

WP - Josh Lamm     LP - Mike Cinefra

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TIGERS CRUSH SENECA VALLEY, 13-3

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

Junior center fielder Blake Jurena had three hits and four RBIs to lead a 15-hit NA attack as the Tigers defeated Seneca Valley, 13-3, at Raider Field on Thursday afternoon.  Junior catcher Pat Trettel had a home run and junior DH Mike Juliano a double to back up the six-hit pitching of senior right hander Eric Leuthold.  Four Tigers had two hits each - junior LF Tim Merolillo, senior 2B Matt Kuntz, junior RF Rory Miller, and junior shortstop John Quimby.

After a scoreless first inning, the Tigers went to work in the top of the second.  Kuntz led off with a single up the middle, and senior first baseman Brandon Woods sacrificed him to second.  Miller followed with a base hit to right field, scoring Kuntz with the first run of the game.  Junior 3B Evan Mulzett sacrificed Miller to second.  After a wild pitch moved Miller to third, Quimby beat out a ground ball to deep short to score Miller as NA took a 2-0 lead.

The Raiders came back in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to 2-1.  With one out, right fielder Jason Davis lined a single to center field.  After 1B Tyler Neff grounded into a force play, catch Dan Reale drove a double to deep right center field to score Davis.  Seneca would not score again until the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Tigers broke the game open with six runs in the top of the third.  Juliano led off with a hard smash just inside third base for a double.  After Trettel walked, Kuntz forced him at second.  After Woods walked to load the bases, Davis came in to pitch for the Raiders.  Miller walked to drive a run, and Mulzett hit a sharp ground ball that Davis knocked down but did not have a play as Kuntz scored to make it a 4-1 game.  Quimby drew a walk forcing in another NA run.  Jurena followed with a hard single over second base scoring two runs and giving NA a 7-1 lead.  A ground ball force out by Merolillo drove in another run and the Tigers took an 8-1 lead into the bottom of the third inning.

The game was eerily reminiscent of the earlier game at Seneca where the Raiders came back to win 9-8.  That did not happen again.  Leuthold kept the Seneca bats under control, getting nine of the next ten outs.  In the top of the fifth with two outs, Quimby slammed a single up the middle for his second hit of the game.  After a wild pitch, Jurena brought Quimby home with yet another base hit over second as the Tiger lead mounted to 9-1.  After Jurena stole second, Merolillo followed with a single to right field giving NA a 10-1 advantage going into the bottom of the fifth.

In the top of the sixth inning, Trettel led off with a drive over the left center field fence as the Tigers grabbed a ten-run lead.  Kuntz and Woods singled and Miller was replaced on the mound by second baseman John Sklarsky.  After Miller beat out a bunt single, Mulzett reached on an error that allowed another run to score.  Jurena grounded into a force play scoring Woods with the final Tiger run.  NA went into the bottom of the sixth with a 13-1 lead.

Seneca Valley mounted a brief rally in the bottom of the inning.  With one out, shortstop Chris Tremblay walked and went to second on a wild pitch.  After Leuthold struck out the next batter, DH Kevin Smith singled to right scoring Tremblay with the second Raider run.  Reserve second baseman Greg Slack then hit a long double into the left center field gap scoring Tremblay.  Leuthold finished things off by getting Neff on a soft liner to Woods.

It was a great team effort by the Tigers in a game they had to win.  For his efforts at the plate and in the field, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected John Quimby as the Player of the Game.  With the win, NA stayed in a second place tie with New Castle, just one game behind Seneca Valley.  The NA section record improved to 6-3, the overall mark to 11-3.  The Tigers will play the Penn Hills Indians  tomorrow afternoon at the Senior High field.  Hempfield was the original opponent, but they decided not to play.  NA will face Blackhawk on Monday at 4:00 pm in a game that was moved from Friday to Monday because of the Senior Banquet.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will broadcast the Penn Hills game beginning with the pre-game show at 12:45 pm.

Box Score

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 13  SENECA VALLEY -3

WP - Eric Leuthold     LP - Scott Carney

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NA DOWNS NORTH HILLS, 11-5

The Tigers stayed in the hunt for a section crown with an 11-5 victory at North Hills on Wednesday afternoon.  NA built a 6-1 lead and never looked back as they pounded out 10 hits in the victory.  Junior center fielder Blake Jurena had three hits, including a home run and double to pace the Tigers.  Junior LF Tim Merolillo homered and senior first baseman Brandon Woods doubled for the victorious Tigers.  Junior left hander Josh Hungerman was the winning pitcher.

The Tigers scored two in the first, added three more in the second inning, and one more in the fourth before North Hills came back with a single tally in the bottom of the fourth.  A run in the sixth and four more in the seventh increased the NA margin to 11-1 before the Indians made it respectable with three in the sixth and one more in the seventh.

The Tigers will travel to Seneca Valley this afternoon to meet the Raiders in a critical Section 5 contest.  The two teams have split the first two games, with Seneca winning, 9-8, at Seneca, and the Tigers prevailing, 4-1, at home.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45 pm with the first pitch at 4:00 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY -11  NORTH HILLS - 5

WP - Josh Hungerman     LP - Brian Long

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NEW CASTLE DOES IT AGAIN AS THE 'CANES DOWN THE TIGERS, 3-1

For the second time this season, the New Castle Red Hurricanes defeated the Tigers.  This time, the 'Canes were victorious at the Senior High field where pitcher Chris Berkley stopped NA on five hits for a 3-1 win.  The victory marked the second time this season that Berkley has defeated NA.

It was a scoreless game as senior right hander Eric Leuthold matched Berkley pitch for pitch.  The 'Canes, however, picked up a pair of runs in the top of the fifth and added another in the top of the sixth.  Junior catcher Pat Trettel homered in the bottom of the sixth with nobody on base to cut the lead to 3-1, but the NA offense could not score any more runs.  Senior 3B Matt Kuntz had three of the five NA hits.

The Tigers will be back in action again tomorrow afternoon when the Tigers host the tough Blackhawk Cougars from Class AA.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 3:45 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NEW CASTLE - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

WP - Chris Berkley     LP - Eric Leuthold

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WPIAL CLASS AAA
SECTION 5 STANDINGS
FINAL STANDINGS
as of 5/13/04

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
CLASS AAA RANKINGS
as of 5/13/04

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
CLASS AAA RANKINGS
as of 5/16/04

NSN SPORTS RANKINGS
as of 5/16/04

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WPIAL, PIAA SET DATES AND TIMES FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

The WPIAL announced that the Class AAA Championship will be played at Falconi Field in Washington, PA, on Saturday, May 29th.  The PIAA has set Friday, June 18th, for the title game to be played at Commerce Bank Park (formerly RiverSide Stadium) on City Island in Harrisburg.  In addition, the WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association has announced an all-star tripleheader for June 12 at Falconi Field with the Class AAA game slated to begin at 6:00 pm.

Although the finals will not be played at PNC Park, the WPIAL plans to play all six semifinals at the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Monday, May 24th, and Tuesday, May 25th, will be the dates for the games, although the schedule of games has not been finalized.  The tentative starting times each day would be 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 7:00 pm.

WPIAL BASEBALL - 2004

The Tigers will compete again in Class AAA with 43 other teams.  All section winners and runners-up will participate in WPIAL Championship Play at the completion of regular season competition.  Ties in section records for first place will not be broken and those tied for first place will be declared co-champions and those teams will constitute the section qualifies.  Playoff status for first place ties will be determined by head to head competition.  Ties for second place will be broken in the same manner unless that also results in a tie.  If a tie for second place persists after head to head competition is applied, both teams will enter the playoffs.  Multiple ties will be broken in the following manner.  

     a.  Section won-loss records of all the tied teams will be compiled.
     b.  The team with the best numerical section record among the tied teams will enter the playoffs.
     c.  If the tie cannot clearly be broken, all will enter the playoffs.

The four WPIAL AAA semifinalists will represent the WPIAL in PIAA inter district play and their place in the state bracket will be determined on a follow-the-winner basis. 

Postponed games must be played in order of postponement and scheduled on the first common open date.  Make up WPIAL section games must have preference over exhibition games, JV, and junior high games.  All games postponed during the first half of the season must be reschduled and played prior to the beginning of the second half (April 24th).

During all WPIAL competition, any game that is interrupted by bad weather prior to becoming a legal game will be resumed at that point and concluded on the next available playing date.

The Ten Run Rule, ending a game after 4 1/2 or 5 innings will be in effect for all regular and post season play.  Additionally, the fifteen run rule, ending a game after 3 innings, will be in effect as well.

WPIAL Championship play is scheduled to begin Saturday, May 15, 2004.  The finals are scheduled for Saturday, May 29, 2004 with a rainout date for Sunday, May 30, 2004. 

CLASS AAA - 44 TEAMS

Any questions or comments should be directed to Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto at:  bbozzuto@northallegheny.org