Canon-McMillan doesn’t fall flat in series-opening win over Mt. Lebanon

By: Don Rebel
Monday, April 14, 2025 | 10:26 PM

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The Canon-McMillan baseball team captured two wins Monday — first on the baseball diamond, then in the Mt. Lebanon parking lot.

The Big Macs defeated the Blue Devils in the opener of the key Section 2-6A series, 4-1, to remain in first place.

Afterward, the team turned pit crew and helped change a flat tire on the car of one of the Big Macs’ relatives.

“My teammates helping a person in need shows that they can help me in the field as well,” Canon-McMillan winning pitcher Sebastian Shulsky said. “In a crucial situation, they get the job done. We battle and try to come out with a team win every time.”

The South Hills showdown became a pitchers’ duel between the 6-foot-5 junior Shulsky and Mt. Lebanon senior left-hander Cooper Wooling.

“Their starter had us off balance for the first half of the game,” Canon-McMillan coach Brenden Steele said. “We’re very fortunate to get some timely hitting and our energy inside the dugout showed they were in the game the whole time.”

The game was scoreless through four innings before the Big Macs scored in the top of the fifth inning.

Teddy Burke singled and pinch runner Blake Simmons advanced on a bunt single by Troy Stimpson. With two outs, junior M.J. Maruschak singled home Simmons to put Canon-McMillan up for good.

The bottom of the order came up big again for the Big Macs in the sixth inning with three straight singles after one out by Nico Patragas, Massimo Falconi and Colin Yeager to load the bases.

Following a pitching change from Wooling to Sam Bochoris, Burke hit into what could have been an inning-ending double play, but the throw to first base was wide, forcing Cole Kappeler to reach and bring his foot off the bag.

Two runs scored on the play, then Burke scored on a triple by Stimpson to make it 4-0 Canon-Mac.

“It was a good game, but we just don’t have a lot of margin for error,” Mt. Lebanon coach Patt McCloskey said.

Hitters No. 5 through 9 in the Big Macs order delivered six of the team’s nine hits, all four runs and two RBIs.

“We try to establish a lineup in which we are not top heavy or bottom heavy and we space out power and speed,” Steele said. “If the top part is struggling, then the middle or the bottom of the order can step up.”

The shutout evaporated in the bottom of sixth inning when Graham Keen led off with a single and two outs later, scored on a Kappeler triple.

Mt. Lebanon had chances throughout the game, including second and third with one out in the fourth inning, but Shulsky got a big strikeout and fly out to end the threat.

The Blue Devils stranded seven runners, six of them in scoring position.

“I would rather have three up and three down, of course,” Shulsky said. “At the same time, when my team needs me, I know I’ll pull through every time for them.”

Shulsky improved to 4-0 for the season with a complete game, allowing one earned run on seven hits with no walks and eight strikeouts.

Wooling suffered the tough loss, pitching 5⅓ innings and allowing three runs, only one earned, eight hits, one walk and one strikeout.

Heading into Tuesday’s game at McDowell Field in Canonsburg, Mt. Lebanon is 2-2 in the section and 3-8 overall with two straight losses.

The win for Canon-McMillan ends a two-game skid and improves the Big Macs to 5-2 atop the section and 9-3 overall.

“We took the first game against Norwin, then we had that two-game slide to cap off that series,” Steele said. “We had to regroup and have some internal conversations with the team, and now we have a new series and new chances at victories.”

Tags: Canon-McMillan, Mt. lebanon