Decade’s best WPIAL finals: Baseball No. 5

By: Don Rebel
Monday, June 1, 2020 | 7:08 PM

2694963_web1_gtr-GCCJeannettebase11-060117 — Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review

Jeannette’s Michael Pompei, left, Brendt Billeck, Eric Hall, and Blaze Tran hoist the WPIAL Class A trophy after defeating Greensburg Central Catholic in the championship game at Consol Energy Park on May 31, 2017.

While it almost became a theme to repeat in WPIAL softball this past decade, it was nearly an impossible dream for district baseball teams.

Wild Things Park in Washington continued to be the home for the WPIAL baseball championships, but only twice in 42 title games was a school successful in repeating as champions. Seneca Valley in Class AAAA and Neshannock in Class A pulled it off the same two years in the spring of 2011 and 2012.

Speaking of Seneca Valley, the 2014 team gave hope for every team that qualifies for the district playoffs as that Raiders team captured WPIAL gold as the No. 16-seed.

So, while the third decade of the 21st century got off to a slow start with the 2020 season wiped away, here is a look back at the last 10 years with a countdown of the Top 10 WPIAL baseball championship games.

No. 5 – Rock chalk Jayhawks

In the five years prior to the 2017 baseball season, two Westmoreland County rivals were close in proximity only.

Greensburg Central Catholic had a combined record of 70-30 with a WPIAL championship earned two years earlier.

Jeannette was a program on the upstart, but one that was a combined 41-42 with only one postseason win from 2012-16.

That all changed for the Jayhawks in 2017. The team finished tied for second place in Section 2-A and won three WPIAL playoff games to reach the district finals.

A two-run Jeannette rally in the seventh inning led to the longest WPIAL baseball title game in 42 years. In the end, the Jayhawks were celebrating their first baseball crown.

Click the final score below for Bill Hartlep’s recap of the Jayhawks’ marathon win over the rival Centurions.

Jeannette 7, Greensburg Central Catholic 3 in 12 innings

Decade’s best WPIAL baseball finals:

No. 6, 2019 Class 3A: Steel Valley 5, Hopewell 4 in 8 innings

No. 7, 2012 Class AAA: Blackhawk 1, Belle Vernon 0

No. 8, 2010 Class AAA: Hopewell 2, Moon 1

No. 9, 2018 Class 6A: Canon-McMillan 2, North Allegheny 1

No. 10, 2017 Class 2A: California 3, Freedom 1 in 10 innings