Neshannock Shuts Out Quaker Valley for 6th WPIAL Baseball Title

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, May 26, 2015 | 7:26 PM

The cruel and quick ending to their championship dreams in 2014 was a driving force during the entire 2015 campaign for Neshannock. A year ago, the Lancers won their section, finished 18-1 in the regular season and were a clear cut top-seed in the Class AA playoff brackets. But Neshannock was stunned by Seton-LaSalle in their first postseason game and while bitter at first, the seeds for success this spring were planted. In fact, it turned into a golden crop for Mike Kirkwood and the Lancers this year after they blanked Quaker Valley Tuesday 4-0 at CONSOL Energy Field in Washington.

The title is the sixth baseball championship for Neshannock to go along with their AA title in 1991, Class A crowns in 2002, 2004, 2011 and 2012 and now another Double-A championship.  The sixth title puts the Lancers alone in second place behind old Allegheny High School from the 1920’s and also North Allegheny High School with seven baseball championships. The title also is one-for-the-thumb for head coach Mike Kirkwood, who has been at Neshannock for five of the six title triumphs. No other active WPIAL coach has more than three baseball championships.

All of the scoring took place in the bottom of the first inning when Ray Scala led off with an opposite field double and went to third on a perfect bunt base hit by Rich Serigenese. After Quaker Valley starter Tyler Garbee struck out Jake Swope, Don Colucci was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Garbee registered a big strike out of Frank Fraschetti and was ahead no balls and two strikes on Jason Swope when he missed on an outside fastball and Swope drilled a two-run single to left centerfield scoring Scala and Serigenese. After both Colucci and Swope moved up a base on the throw home, Jeff Sanfillipo delivered another big two out, two run single to make it 4-0 Lancers after one inning.

Neshannock did miss on a couple of opportunities to add to their lead.  In the second inning with Scala at third base and one out, he did not tag on a fly out to left field by Serigenese. Then the bottom of the third ended with Swope getting thrown out at home plate following a bloop hit to right field by Sanfillipo.

But four runs was more than enough for Fraschetti, who only allowed more than one baserunner in an inning once. The Quakers lone threat came in the second inning when Peyton Russoniello singled but was doubled off first when John Medich line out to third baseman Swope. Garbee followed with a single but the inning ended when Jack Hendricks bunt single attempt was denied by Fraschetti, who improved to 3-0 this postseason. The junior right-hander threw a complete game three hitter in which he did not walk a batter and struck out five. Fraschetti retired the final ten Quakers hitters in a row.  

The loss for Quaker Valley means the wait for the school’s first baseball championship will go at least another year. This is the second title game loss for the Quakers in three years after they fell to 7-1 to Beaver in the 2013 Class AA finals.  

Quaker Valley falls to 15-5 and will advance to the PIAA Class AA baseball playoffs as the #2-seed out of District 7 and will face the District 9 champion, either Moniteau or Cranberry in Round One on Monday.

Neshannock begins its pursue of double gold also on Monday when they face the loser of the Richland vs Bellwood-Antis District 6 Class AA championship game which is slated for Wednesday.

Score By Innings:
QUAKER VALLEY QUAKERS  :  0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0  =  0-3-1-1
NESHANNOCK LANCERS  :  4 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – x  =  4-7-1-5

Winning Pitcher:  Frank Fraschetti – 7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Losing Pitcher:  Tyler Garbee – 6 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 7 K