Baseball News

The North Allegheny baseball team traveled to Seneca Valley on Thursday afternoon and won the rubber match of the three-game series, 6-2, in Section 1-6A action. The Tigers jumped out to a 6-0 lead and received a strong starting pitching performance by senior Andrew Hart, who earned the victory with 5.2 innings of work. Hart was also 4-for-4 out of the leadoff spot in the batting order with an RBI and three runs scored.

After being blanked on Wednesday night, the NA lineup struck early and scored runs in three of the first four innings against Seneca Valley starter Zyler Freedman. In the top of the first, the Tigers started the scoring when Andrew Hart crossed the pay station on a passed ball for a 1-0 lead. An inning later, Hart delivered an RBI single to score Anthony Varlotta for a 2-0 advantage. Later in the second inning, Spencer Barnett’s RBI base hit plated Owen Schall and the Tigers led, 3-0.

North Allegheny tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth. Barnett singled home Schall again for a 4-0 lead and Hart scored on a throwing error for a 5-0 advantage. Freedman took the loss, allowing five runs to the Tigers on eight hits in four innings on the bump with two walks and two strikeouts. Barnett ended the day with a 2-for-3 performance with a walk and two RBIs. Schall was 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored.

In the top of the sixth, the Tigers added an insurance run against Seneca Valley reliever Paul Rebovich when Andrew Daugherty singled to score Hart for a 6-0 lead.

Hart terrorized Seneca Valley at the plate and on the mound, and the Gardner Webb commit took a shutout into the bottom the sixth inning before the Raiders finally touched the scoreboard. A two-out walk by Josh Wolfe was the final batter of the game faced by Hart. Sophomore Nico Varlotta entered the game in relief and surrendered a walk and a two-run double to Owen Yarussi, cutting the NA advantage to 6-2. Varlotta, making his fifth appearances of the season, shut down the Raiders the rest of the way and pitched the final 1.1 innings to close out a 6-2 win for the Tigers.

Hart went 5.2 innings, permitting just one run with two walks and nine strikeouts. The win improves Hart’s record to 1-1 on the season.

On the campaign, North Allegheny remains in first place in Section 1-6A with a 11-3 overall record and 7-2 section mark. Seneca Valley falls to 12-4 overall and 5-4 in the section. NA has a one-game lead over second-place Pine-Richland and Butler heading into the final week of the section slate. The Tigers will face off against the Rams in a three-game set next week.

Line Score - Baseball vs. Seneca Valley - 04/27/2023

Score by Innings	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
North Allegheny	1	2	0	2	0	1	0	6	10	0
Seneca Valley	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	5	3

WP - Andrew Hart (1-1) LP - Zyler Freedman