Bishop Canevin baseball pounces on error-prone Leechburg in Class A upset
By:
Monday, May 11, 2026 | 9:51 PM
Bishop Canevin’s Nate Astor celebrates his home run as he rounds third base against Leechburg during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Leechburg’s Cameron Shimer can’t handle a ball hit by Bishop Canevin’s Brooklyn Harvey during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Leechburg celebrates with Dylan Whitlinger after his home run against Bishop Canevin during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Leechburg catcher Rocco Vigna makes a diving tag out of Bishop Canevin’s Ayden Olexa during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Bishop Canevin’s Jakob Zahler makes a running catch on ball hit by Leechburg’s Garrett Jones as he avoids teammate Jamin Brock during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Leechburg’s Mason Bertino can’t hang on to the ball as Bishop Canevin’s Brady Wagner is safe at second base during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Leechburg’s Mason Bertino hits a home run against Bishop Canevin during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Leechburg’s Dylan Kapalka dives to first base against Bishop Canevin’s Jackson Maddix during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Bishop Canevin’s Brady Wagner (left) and Jackson Maddix (right) celebrate with Nate Astor after Astor’s home run against Leechburg during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Leechburg catcher Rocco Vigna tags out Bishop Canevin’s Nicco Trigona during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Leechburg’s Rocco Vigna scores behind Bishop Canevin catcher Nate Astor during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Leechburg celebrates Mason Bertino’s home run against Bishop Canevin during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Leechburg starting pitcher Garrett Jones makes a running catch on a ball hit by Bishop Canevin’s Jakob Zahler during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Bishop Canevin’s Jackson Maddix is safe against Leechburg’s Dylan Whitlinger during their WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Monday. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
Bishop Canevin entered the WPIAL Class A baseball playoffs as the lowest seed at No. 12 but took advantage of five errors by fifth-seeded Leechburg and pulled off a 9-5 upset in their first-round matchup Monday.
“We just stayed consistent and played our game,” Bishop Canevin coach Craig Sonson said. “You ask a lot when you put a freshman on the mound, but (John Poppert) had solid outings the last three times out and that’s why he got the start.”
Poppert tossed another complete game, allowing five runs and eight hits.
Canevin opened the contest loading the bases in the top of the first before Jamin Brock produced a sacrifice fly to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead.
Leechburg responded with a leadoff homer by Mason Bertino in the bottom of the first, then took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI single from Dylan Kapalica.
The Blue Devil errors began to take the forefront in the top of the third as a dropped fly ball with two outs and two on allowed both runners to score, giving the lead back to Canevin, 3-2.
After another response to tie the score 3-3 in the bottom of the third — on another solo homer, this time by Dylan Whitlinger — the wheels fell off for Leechburg.
The Crusaders stormed ahead 7-3 in the top of the fourth, benefiting from another dropped fly ball. After a single, Leechburg catcher Rocco Vigna made a bad throw to first on a bunt, allowing the two runners aboard to score. There was a third error on a pickoff attempt.
“If you want success, you must execute in pressure situations,” Leechburg coach Heath Shimer said. “You must stay focused until the out is recorded. You can’t give a good team more than 21 outs and expect to win.”
In that same inning, Jackson Maddox and Nate Astor took advantage of those errors with an RBI single and double, respectively.
“Our philosophy is to make sure we put the pressure on the other team,” Sonson said. “Put the ball in play, see what happens. Even though we had a guy thrown out at home plate, we stay aggressive.”
In the bottom half of the inning, Bertino cut the score to 7-4 on a book-rule double.
Canevin added two more on a two-run homer from Astor in the sixth inning to move the score to 9-4. The final Blue Devils run came in the bottom of the sixth.
The Crusaders beat Leechburg for the second time in the last four postseasons after a 4-1 win in 2023. They move into the WPIAL quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive season, this time against Western Beaver next Tuesday.
“We played them two years ago, and they’re going to be a well-polished club,” Sonson said. “They earned their four seed, but seeding doesn’t matter. We will have our scouting report done, cross our T’s, dot our I’s and we’ll be ready to go.”
In that matchup two seasons ago, Canevin got the best of the Golden Beavers, 10-0, in six innings in the quarterfinals.
As for Leechburg, the season ends at 9-8 overall with a second-place finish in Class A’s Section 2. The cupboard is far from bare for the Blue Devils, who will return a plethora of starters from this season’s team.
“Yes, we are graduating two senior starters and have seven starters returning,” Shimer said. “I’m not sure what my plans are moving forward. I’m going to take some time to reflect on the season. Maybe I’ll just be a dad and sit in the outfield by myself.”
Tags: Bishop Canevin, Leechburg
More Baseball
• High school roundup for May 11, 2026: Miles Duncan comes up big as Riverview fends off Frazier upset bid• Derry baseball stuns No. 4 Beaver in opening round of WPIAL 4A tournament
• Westmoreland County baseball capsules for May 12, 2026
• A-K Valley baseball capsules for May 12, 2026
• Marc ‘Bubba’ Snider is a radio host, restaurant owner and pro wrestler, but coaching baseball is his passion
