Multiple heroes emerge as Riverview baseball vies for section title

By: Michael Love
Saturday, April 26, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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When the Riverview baseball team has earned a win this season, the players have presented one of their own with a WWE championship belt signifying that player’s impact on the victory.

The belt has been distributed numerous times since the Raiders’ first win March 19.

The Raiders completed a dominating series sweep of Springdale on April 23 as senior Johnny Bertucci and sophomore Ian Stempfer combined for an efficient three-inning no hitter.

Sophomore Ashton Saunders was presented the belt. He contributed a double as part of a 12-hit attack and scored two runs in the 18-0 rout that put Riverview at 12-2 overall and 9-1 in Section 3-2A.

“Somebody usually rises to the top in a game, but if there are several who are deserving, the guys will talk among themselves and figure it out,” said Riverview head coach Bill Gras said.

“We will write it on a white board, who got (the belt) every game. A freshman, Dom DelRosso, pinch hit in a game, got a double and stole a base. They gave the belt to him. That just reinforced everything about this being a close-knit team. It meant so much to him. Owen Orbich, another freshman, also got it.”

Sophomore Lukas Duncan presented the belt to Saunders after the April 23 victory. He was in possession of the belt following a 10-0 victory over the Dynamos the day before.

Duncan earned the win in that game as he allowed just two hits over six innings. He walked three and struck out nine.

It was another strong pitching performance from a deep staff. The Raiders pitchers have thrown 10 shutouts. Duncan improved to 5-0.

“I was a little anxious for the game,” he said. “It was one of my first home starts. But I got dialed in and just worried about executing my pitches. I trusted the guys behind me. My fielders made plays, and that gave me confidence.”

Duncan also drew confidence from again throwing to his twin brother, Miles, Riverview’s starting catcher.

“It feels really good when we are on the same page,” Lukas Duncan said. “There aren’t too many days where he doesn’t know what I’m thinking or I don’t know what he’s thinking. That makes it easier to pitch to him. We really trust each other.”

The lineup also supported Duncan’s pitching efforts with nine hits. Senior Carter Loughren helped the cause with two hits and three RBIs.

Loughren missed a couple of early games because of a Model UN trip to Italy, but when he came back to the team, he worked right back in with a group that had jumped into the contenders’ mix in WPIAL Class 2A.

“I would keep track of the scores and text the guys after the game,” Loughren said. “Obviously, they succeeded while I was gone. As much fun as I had on my trip, I was super excited to get back. I had only played one or two games before I left.

“As soon as I came back, I was ready. Now, we’re out here winning games and doing it as a team. Everyone is contributing. We played for each other. No one goes out each game trying to be a hero. Whenever there is an opportunity, the next person steps up. We’re looking forward to seeing how far we can go.”

Riverview was scheduled to pay a visit to Serra Catholic for a nonsection game April 24. The game was to be contested past the deadline for this week’s edition. A section bye week followed with a home game against Leechburg scheduled for May 1.

Riverview will close its section slate with a monster two-game series with Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on May 5-6 that most likely will decide the section champion.

The Chargers improved to 7-1 with a series sweep of South Side (5-3) on April 23 and were set to face Carlynton in a two-game set the following week.

Riverview’s only section loss came at the hands of South Side, 16-2, on April 14.

“It was just one of those days,” Gras said. “We didn’t pitch, we didn’t hit, and (South Side) did. It was that simple.”

The Raiders players roared to a 15-0 win in the rematch two days later. Riverview didn’t score until the fourth, but it broke out for four runs in the frame before tallying five runs in the sixth and six more in the seventh.

Senior Eli DeVita and Lukas Duncan were strong at the plate and each drove in three runs. The Raiders collected 14 hits, and Lukas Duncan earned the win with nine strikeouts while giving up three hits and walking one.

“I think it kind of played into our hands a little bit,” Gras said. “South Side moved the game from Tuesday to Wednesday. It rained Tuesday, so we had a big powwow in the locker room, and it gave us the chance to talk to the boys, and they had a chance to talk.

“It was amazing to see them stand up and talk about what happened in that first game. It was good. I think they needed that (losing situation). I think it humbled them a little bit and reinforced the fact that they need to come out ready to go every game. Nothing is guaranteed. They came out and hit the ball well the next day and got good pitching.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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