Crafty Serra Catholic runs past Greensburg Central Catholic into Class A finals

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, May 23, 2025 | 10:24 PM

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Greensburg Central Catholic had more hits than Serra Catholic, but the top-seeded Eagles had one more sneaky play — and it worked to perfection.

As a result of its narrow 3-2 escape in the semifinals, Serra Catholic (19-3) is headed to its fourth straight WPIAL title game, whereas No. 5 GCC (17-3) will suddenly retool for the PIAA playoffs.

If ever there was an example of situational baseball carrying immense meaning in the postseason, it was in the bottom of the sixth inning Friday in the Class A semifinals at Gateway.

Serra Catholic had runners at first and third with two outs. Cole Hann, who walked and reached third, took off for home. Simultaneously, Owen Dumbroski, who had just ripped a tying RBI single, headed for second.

GCC catcher Anthony Grippo threw down to second, and Hann scored for the go-ahead run.

“I am shocked he threw it,” Serra Catholic coach Brian Dzurenda said of Grippo. “I thought maybe we’d see a snap-throw to third. For that play to work, you have to stay relaxed and wait for it to develop.

“We have been ultra-patient for 30 years.”

The double-steal is known as “the bump,” and it bumped off the red-hot Centurions, who took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning of a semifinal that was pushed back two days by rain.

Dumbroski, who pitched four innings of relief to earn the win, sealed it with a quick-snap pick-off of pinch-runner Blase Bugosh at first for the final out.

The Eagles’ all-time scoring leader in basketball, Dumbroski shook his head after the victory.

“That was insane,” Dumbroski said of the crazy finish. “(Grippo) is a good catcher and has a great arm. I was surprised he threw down there.”

GCC coach John Boyle, whose team had won by the mercy rule in two playoff victories, said his team worked on small-ball defense this week.

He took the blame for Grippo’s throw to second.

“That’s on me,” the coach said. “Brian has been around a long time, and we know how they like to play small ball. We practiced (situations) all week. We were prepared. It’s about the little things. They made one more play than us. We didn’t get the timely hits that we got all year.”

GCC, which had outscored Sewickley Academy and Bishop Canevin, 30-1, in two playoff games, had nine hits to Serra Catholic’s four. The Centurions’ 11-game winning streak was snapped.

GCC ace Tyler Samide, who tossed back-to-back abbreviated no-hitters in the first round and quarterfinals, worked into the sixth before exiting with 104 pitches.

“We had him at 106 and were ready to protest if we lost,” Dzurenda said.

Samide, who did not allow a hit in nine playoff innings until Brodi Reiger’s bloop single in the second, struck out seven and walked six before he was replaced by Alec Martin with two down in the sixth.

Said Dumbroski of Samide, who moved to 8-1: “He’s a really good pitcher; He was dealing.”

“Tyler has been phenomenal,” Boyle said. “He was dominant today. We were fortunate to (start him again). Alec was going to start had we played Tuesday.”

GCC, which left eight runners stranded in the first three innings, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a run-scoring single by Samide. Grippo, who led off with a single, scored the run.

After Max Black doubled off the right-field wall and Chris Johnson dropped a single in between three defenders in shallow left to start the fourth, Matt McNeal was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

An error at third and a fielder’s choice let Johnson score to make it 1-1.

Dumbroski replaced starter Tyler Skaggs in the top of the fourth.

With two outs via strikeout in the sixth, GCC went ahead by a run thanks to singles from Jackson McMullen and Bobby Smithnosky, the latter driving in a run. GCC was caught stealing twice, including once in the sixth to kill its chances to add on.

Samide walked Brody Rieger and Hann with two outs in the sixth, and Dumbroski singled home Rieger to tie it 2-2.

“Owen is the best player on the field,” Dzurenda said. “The ultimate competitor.”

Martin took the mound out of the bullpen and struck out Jacob Jellison.

The strikeout was part of a bang-bang few seconds that saw the double-steal put the Eagles in front to stay.

Ian Shipley singled with two down in the GCC seventh, but Dumbroski threw a strike to first to pick off Bugosh.

Sean Walker and Smithnosky each had two hits, including a double apiece, for GCC. McMullen was 2 for 2 with a walk.

Black doubled for the Eagles.

“You have to execute against good teams,” Dzurenda said. “GCC is a great team. They probably have the better lineup. The scouting report was a lot of curveballs. They just crush fastballs. They are an aggressive team.”

Serra Catholic, which won a WPIAL Class A title in 2022 and was the district runner-up in 2A the last two seasons, will play No. 6 Carmichaels in the championship game next week at EQT Park in Washington.

GCC will play No. 2 Eden Christian in the third-place game next week.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Greensburg C.C., Serra Catholic