Trip to state playoffs on the line when Riverview baseball takes on Laurel in 3rd-place game

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 | 5:33 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Eli DeVita is ready to do whatever he can to help make sure Wednesday’s WPIAL Class 2A third-place consolation is not his final high school game.

“We know Laurel is a playoff team and they made it as far as we did,” said DeVita of the No. 12 Spartans who the Raiders will face at 2:30 p.m. at Washington & Jefferson’s Ross Memorial Park with a trip to the PIAA tournament on the line.

“We know it’s going to be a good game. We just have to play our game and trust in what we can do. We’ve seen what we can do.”

DeVita and fellow senior Johnny Bertucci each collected three hits in Friday’s 3-1 semifinal loss to No. 2 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Riverview, the No. 6 seed in the Class 2A bracket, hoped to take down the section rival Chargers after losing twice to them in the regular season.

The Raiders collected seven hits, and Bertucci struck out four and walked three OLSH batters over six innings while driving in Riverview’s lone run.

Sophomore Rex Roberts singled to lead off the top of the seventh, but a double play squashed any momentum Riverview hoped to develop in what turned out to be their final at-bat.

OLSH defeated Riverview for the fourth time overall.

“It was tough to lose to OLSH in the semifinals knowing we had a good chance to beat them (Friday) and three times this year,” DeVita said.

“We just couldn’t get it done. But the long weekend helped us. It gave us some time to flush that loss and come back Monday and have a good practice. We realize there is another chance for us to make a run. We just have to take care of business (Wednesday).”

Riverview will play for its first trip to the PIAA playoffs since 2021.

The Raiders, who fell to Union in the WPIAL Class A title game that year, bowed out of the state tournament with a 6-1 first-round loss to District 10 champion Kennedy Catholic.

“We started this in January, and our goal every year has to be playing meaningful baseball in June,” DeVita said.

“It’s nice to see that our hard work has paid off with the opportunity we have. This is our third season. We had the preseason and the regular season, and this is the season we love the most.”

DeVita said the players have heard a lot about the 2021 team and their run to the WPIAL title game and playing in the state playoffs.

“We want to be that next Riverview team to play in the state playoffs,” he said.

“It’s cool to know about the last team to do it, but we want to be that next team to do it.”

Laurel saw its five-game winning streak snapped with an 8-7 loss to No. 8 Freedom in Friday’s other semifinal at Neshannock High School. The Bulldogs tallied the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth.

The Spartans (10-11) pulled off a pair of upsets to reach the semifinals. They took down No. 5 Fort Cherry, 4-3, in the first round and shut out section rival and No. 5 Shenango, 6-0, in the quarterfinals.

Last year, Laurel, as the No. 8 seed, fell to No. 1 Serra, 9-1, in the quarterfinals.

The Spartans are seeking their first trip to states since 2019 when they finished third in the WPIAL and beat District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle in the first round of the PIAA tournament before falling to WPIAL champ Seton LaSalle in the quarterfinals.

Laurel is fueled by junior pitcher/infielder Luca Santini, junior utility/outfielder Jacob McBride, sophomore catcher Kolton Carlson and senior pitcher/infielder R.J. Kissick. Carlson doubled and drove in two runs against Freedom, while Kissick also doubled and drove in a run.

Carlson leads the team with a .493 average (33 for 67), 27 RBIs and 11 extra base hits.

Riverview sophomore Lukas Duncan, 6-1 this season, is scheduled to start against the Spartans. He fired a complete-game four-hitter with nine strikeouts to lead the Raiders to a 2-1 quarterfinal victory over No. 3 Burgettstown last week.

Riverview coach Bill Gras said he used OLSH as some motivation for his team to get the job done against Laurel and get to states.

The Raiders, if they make the PIAA tournament, could see OLSH again as early as the quarterfinals. But ultimately, Gras said, the focus and concentration is on taking one step at a time.

That step right in front of them is Laurel.

“The seniors would like one more crack at OLSH before they graduate, but they are happy to have that opportunity to be out there and to play in June. It all starts (Wednesday).

“At practice Monday, the guys, I think, were still taking it in that they have another chance to make another run. After practice, the guys were locked in and ready to go.”

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.

Tags: Riverview