HARMONY – Season-ending losses can sting.
Thursday’s setback may bother Riverside’s baseball team for a while.
The Panthers blew a 4-1 lead and had three golden opportunities to end the game in the ninth inning of a PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal at Seneca Valley. Ultimately though, Neshannock triumphed, 5-4, in 11 innings.
“The pitching was great. We held them to five runs. There were just a couple bad things that happened,” Riverside coach Dan Oliastro said. “We didn’t play our best game.”
The Lancers (19-7), who fell to the Panthers (17-7) twice during WPIAL Class 2A, Section 2 action, struck first with an unearned run in the opening frame. Colten Shaffer collected a two-out single. Courtesy runner Andrew Moses replaced him at first. An errant pickoff attempt sailed into right and allowed Moses to run all the way to third. He held up halfway to the plate, but a high overthrow to home allowed him to score.
Riverside countered with a four-run second inning. Bo Fornatero singled to start the frame and Mitch Garvin drew a walk. They moved up a base on Sammy Barber’s sacrifice bunt. Ashton Schlosser drew a walk to load the bases. Neshannock starting pitcher Cam Foy walked Hunter Garvin to bring in the tying run.
Zach Rich replaced Foy on the mound and hit Sean Hayes, which forced in another run. Madden Boehm followed with a two-run single for a 4-1 lead.
Neshannock rallied to tie it in the top of the fifth. Jack Glies was hit by a pitch to start the inning. He swiped second base as well. After a groundout, Josh Pallerino followed with a run-scoring double. That chased Riverside starting pitcher Ronnie Harper. Christian Lucarelli replaced him on the mound and walked the first batter he saw. After a strikeout, Grant Melder ripped a two-run double to knot the score at 4-all.
The Panthers left the bases loaded in the fifth and stranded a runner on third in the sixth. They had multiple chances to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. Sean Hayes and Schlosser drew walks. With an out, Boehm hit a flyball to left that landed on the foul line and spun into foul territory. However, Schlosser was held up at third and Boehm was limited to a single. With the bases loaded, Riverside attempted a squeeze play, but the Lancers pitched out and tagged out Schlosser.
“I blew that. That was my mistake,” Oliastro said. “The ball was way outside and he tried to bunt it. I don’t know if they picked up the signal or we left too soon. That’s on me.”
Still, the Panthers had a chance to win it. Evan Burry drew a walk to load the bases, but Neshannock pitcher Gio Valentine coaxed a groundout to end the inning.
The Lancers went ahead in the top of the 11th. Dominic Cubellis hit a sinking liner to right-center and Boehm dove for the ball at full speed, but just missed it. It allowed Cubellis to scamper to third. Jacob Rynd followed with a run-scoring single.
Riverside had one last chance in the bottom of the 11th. Schlosser led off with a single and went to second on Hunter Garvin’s sacrifice bunt. However, the next two Panthers flew out to end the game.
“It was a good season,” Oliastro said. “We only have one senior that played (Boehm), so we’ll be back.”
Boehm led the Panthers with four singles. Fornatero singled twice.
