Baseball Game Summaries

Junior Jake Waddell’s walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh lifted Pine-Richland to a 9-8 win over North Allegheny in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday afternoon. In a seesaw affair reminiscent of last year’s section finale with the Rams, the outcome secured a Section 1-6A title for the Rams.

After Pine-Richland took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, North Allegheny put up a crooked number with a five-run top of the second to gain a 5-3 advantage. The big inning included an RBI single by senior David Posey, a balk, a two-run triple by junior Mason Smith and a squeeze bunt by senior Matthew Parreaguirre.

Four errors hampered the Tigers and helped the Rams respond with a five-run bottom of the third inning, putting PR back on top, 8-5. Both starting pitchers were chased in the early innings. Pine-Richland hurler Nathan Kush lasted only 1.1 innings, serving up five runs. North Allegheny’s Jackson Walsh was a casualty of the errors behind him, going 2.2 innings and allowing eight runs, with only one earned run.

Undaunted, the Tigers clawed back with a two-run single by Parreaguirre in the top of the fourth, trimming the deficit to 8-7. North Allegheny knotted the score at 8-8 in the top of the sixth on senior J.D. Costanzo‘s RBI double. Despite a valiant comeback effort by the Tigers, the host Rams secured the victory on Waddell’s walk-off single in the seventh.

Junior Tristan Farrar picked up the win for PR with 2.1 innings of relief and one run allowed. North Allegheny sophomore Lucas Manczka pitched well and was the hard-luck loser, working four innings with one run allowed and striking out five.

North Allegheny falls to 13-5 overall and 9-3 in Section 1-6A, while Pine-Richland improves to 16-4 overall and locks up the section crown with an 8-2 record. The playoff-bound Tigers return to action on Tuesday for a non-section contest against Latrobe.

Line Score - Baseball vs. Pine-Richland - 05/02/2024

by Jared Barton

Bouncing back from Monday night, the North Allegheny baseball team defeated Pine-Richland in comeback fashion, 5-3, at home on Tuesday night.

NA senior David Posey got the start on the mound and struck out four of the first five batters he faced. The Rams’ bats picked up in the bottom of the second inning, as Sam Heckert reached on a double and his courtesy runner came around to score on an RBI single from Tanner Cunningham.

Pine-Richland scored two more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Heckert once again doubled and his courtesy runner came around the bases to score via an RBI on an Anthony Annichine fielder’s choice.  Logan Plummer doubled Annichine home later in the inning.

North Allegheny found life offensively in the bottom of the same frame, as the Tigers took advantage of a tiring Tyler Vogel. Posey walked to start the inning, and then NA hit back-to-back singles by junior Auggie Maslo and senior Andrew Dixon. Freshman J.J. Mancuso was walked with the bases loaded scoring Posey. Junior Mason Smith batted in Maslo with a single. Pinch runner junior Sean O’Donnell scored on a wild pitch.  Smith scored on a Pine-Richland throwing error, and junior Nico Varlotta drove in senior Matt Parreaguirre on an RBI single.

Varlotta stepped in for three innings of scoreless relief pitching, and earned Wright Automotive Player of the Game honors for his efforts, which included four strikeouts.

North Allegheny improves to 13-4 overall and is now tied with Pine-Richland with a 9-2 record at the top of the section. Thursday’s rubber match in Gibsonia will determine the section champion.

Line Score - Baseball vs. Pine-Richland - 04/30/2024

The North Allegheny baseball team fell to the Pine-Richland Rams in game one of a three-game series on Monday afternoon, 10-8. Entering the contest with identical section records, the neighborhood rivals battled with first place at stake in the final series of the regular season.

In a high-scoring affair, the host Rams took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and held the advantage for the remainder of the contest. The Tigers stayed within striking distance throughout the game, facing deficits of 3-2 in the fourth inning and 7-6 in the sixth, but NA couldn’t quite get over the hump in the late innings.

Senior Peyton Ford paced the Pine-Richland offense by reaching base three times, going 2-for-2 with a walk, three RBIs and two runs scored.

North Allegheny’s comeback bid was spearheaded by senior Owen Schall and junior Michael Hershberger, who each had a pair of RBIs. Junior Mason Smith, senior Matthew Parreaguirre, senior David Posey and junior Miles Pealer all drove in a run in the loss.

With the loss, North Allegheny falls to 12-4 overall and 8-2 in Section 1-6A. Pine-Richland improves to 15-3 overall and 9-1 in the section. The Tigers look to get even in the series with a home date with the Rams on Tuesday night. Weather permitting, the game will be broadcast live by the North Allegheny Sports Network.

Line Score - Baseball vs. Pine-Richland - 04/29/2024

For the second consecutive night, the North Allegheny baseball team erased a deficit to earn a home victory, defeating Shaker Heights, Ohio, on Friday for a non-section win, 6-4.

A four-run top of the first inning put the Tigers behind the eight ball early, but NA responded with a two-run first inning, a two-run second inning and added a single run in the third to grab a 5-4 lead. It was an advantage the Tigers wouldn’t relinquish. Senior Owen Schall paced the lineup with a 2-for-3 performance, including a triple and three RBIs. Senior Matthew Parreaguirre contributed a 2-for-4 day with two runs scored.

After a rocky first inning on the mound, senior starter Cole Suba settled down and set down Shaker Heights with three consecutive scoreless innings before giving way to junior Colin Moore. Moore went three scoreless in relief and wiggled out of a sticky situation in the sixth inning with the help of a triple play turned by the NA defense. Suba earned the win and Moore picked up the save.

North Allegheny improves to 12-3 overall with the non-section win and will begin an important three-game series with Pine-Richland in Gibsonia on Monday at 7:00 p.m.

Line Score - Baseball vs. Shaker Heights - 04/26/2024

West Virginia University commit J.D. Costanzo delivered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to lift North Allegheny to a 4-3 triumph over Seneca Valley. NA’s two-run rally in the final frame of the rubber match locked up a series win over Seneca Valley.

In a well-pitched contest between NA southpaw Jackson Walsh and SV starting hurler Nick Parrotto, the Tigers scratched across the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning when junior Mason Smith raced home from third base on a pick-off throw to first base.

Seneca Valley tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the second inning when Owen Malak drove home Ryan Piekutoski with an RBI single.

The Tigers regained the lead, 2-1, in the bottom of the fourth inning when junior Sean O’Donnell‘s two-out RBI single plated junior Augie Maslo.

NA’s one-run lead remained intact until the top of the sixth as senior Mike DelDuca’s run-scoring double drove home Zachary Tkatch to knot the score at 2-2.

In the top of the seventh, the Raiders surged ahead for the first time all game thanks to a two-out RBI single from senior Luke Anderton. While the clutch hit by Anderton gave SV a 3-2 lead, junior reliever Nico Varlotta checked into the game and struck out DelDuca with runners at the corners, limiting the damage to just one run. The runners left on base by the Raiders would prove pivotal a half-inning later.

Parrotto, who limited the Tigers to just four hits through six innings, allowed a one-out single to Smith to spark a rally in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Matthew Parreaguirre, who was the final batter faced by Parrotto before he reached the 100-pitch count limit, fanned the flames even further when he reached base on catcher’s interference. Seneca Valley reliever Nathan Lemke immediately committed a balk upon entering the contest, advancing runners to second and third. Senior Owen Schall capitalized with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, tying the game at 3-3. With Parreaguirre at second base and two outs, Seneca Valley elected to intentionally walk Naval Academy commit David Posey to instead face Costanzo. Costanzo made the Raiders pay for their decision by stroking a line drive to left centerfield that scored Parreaguirre and the Tigers prevailed, 4-3, in walk-off fashion.

Southpaw Jackson Walsh fanned five batters in 6.2 innings of work.

Varlotta, who faced only one batter and struck him out, earned the victory in his first appearance of the season. Walsh pitched well, going 6.2 innings and allowing three runs with five strikeouts and two walks, one intentional. Parrotto was the hard-luck loser for the Raiders, working 6.1 innings and allowing four runs (one earned) with eight strikeouts and just one walk.

With the win, North Allegheny improves to 11-3 overall and 8-1 in Section 1-6A. Seneca Valley falls to 7-6-1 overall and 4-5 in the section. The Tigers will return to action on Friday with a non-section home game against Shaker Heights (OH).

Line Score - Baseball vs. Seneca Valley- 04/25/2024