Three Bucks County area teams played in Friday's PIAA state baseball quarterfinals after two competed Thursday.
District 12 champion La Salle (Class 6A), District One fifth-place finisher Neshaminy (6A) and Holy Ghost Prep (District One Class 4A champ) had their quarterfinal games pushed back to Friday afternoon. Conwell-Egan (District 12 champion) competed in 4A and Faith Christian (District One champ) in Class A on Thursday.
Here’s what happened in the quarterfinals, along with three semifinal matchup previews:
PIAA State Playoffs
(all games at 4 p.m. unless noted otherwise)
Class 6A
Quarterfinals, Friday
(12-1) La Salle 1, (1-1) Downingtown East 0 (15 innings): The Explorers won the epic, 15-inning game on junior Aimon Chandler's walkoff RBI single that scored senior Casey Nealon, who was hit by a pitch and sacrificed to second base. That ended the unforgettable 4-hour-plus affair at Neumann University in Aston, Delaware County. La Salle (23-3) somehow survived a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the top of the 13th inning.
Senior Liam Hawley had three hits, including a double, while senior Matt Gannon added three hits and Chandler two for Kyle Werman's team.
Junior Jack Pye retired the first 10 batters, four of them via strikeout, and had a no-hitter through 6⅓ innings with seven strikeouts for the Explorers. Senior Cole Kochanowicz came on in relief after Downingtown East's single to lead off the top of the seventh and contributed 5⅔ quality innings, giving up four hits with seven strikeouts. Senior Logan Potter started the 13th and junior Chris Cavalcante relieved him as La Salle escaped the bases-loaded, no-out situation with a strikeout, an infield popup and fielder's choice. Cavalcante ended up going the final 2⅔ and picking up the win.
(2-1) Hazleton 2, (1-5) Neshaminy 0: SOL Patriot Division champ Neshaminy (21-4) allowed single runs in the fourth (without a hit) and seventh innings at De Sales University. ... Senior Anthony Trommer and juniors Danny Nocito and Jake Plebani had singles for Neshaminy, which had runners on second and third base with one out in the second but didn't score. Senior Luke Schweiker pitched the first 4⅔ innings and junior Steven Martin handled the final 1⅓.
Neshaminy had last made states in 2021 by securing the district title and won a PIAA opening-round playoff game. The win total is a single-season school record, surpassing 18 in 2019. … Hazleton edged Central Bucks East 1-0 in the first round on an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh.
Poll: Vote for top baseball junior: Who is the best junior in Bucks County area's spring season
Semifinals, Monday
(12-1) La Salle vs. (2-1) Hazleton, 4 p.m. at De Sales University: The Explorers (23-3) won their 13th Philadelphia Catholic League championship after also taking the PCL title in 2021 on the way to capturing the state championship. … Hazleton edged District One fifth-placer Neshaminy 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
First round, June 3
(12-1) La Salle 7, (1-4) Plymouth Whitemarsh 4: TheExplorersscored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first inning en route to the home victory. JuniorJack Pyepitched the first 5⅔ innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs while seniorCole Kochanowiczhandled the final 1⅓. SeniorsMatt GannonandFrank Provenzanoeach had two RBIs, with seniorsLiam Hawley(triple, three runs scored),David Vozzoand juniorAimon Chandleradding two hits apiece.
(2-1) Hazleton 1, (1-3) Central Bucks East 0: SeniorDamian Fraynethrew six scoreless innings of two-hit ball and struck out seven forthe visiting Patriots(17-8), with sophom*oreJason Abertcoming on in relief. Hazleton won it on a two-out error with two runners on base. SeniorChase Harlan, juniorColin Lynchand sophom*oreAnthony Nirohad hits for CB East. … The Patriots qualified for the state playoffs for the first time in school history. They won the Suburban One League Colonial Division title for the first time since 2013.
(1-5) Neshaminy 4, (11-1) Bethlehem Liberty 0:SeniorLuke Schweiker(four innings, six strikeouts) and juniorSteven Martin(three innings, two strikeouts) combined for a no-hitter. SeniorStone Powelldrove in a second-inning run with a single forNeshaminy(21-3), with sophom*oreMike Sassanoadding an RBI single in the top of the fourth and sophom*oreBrandon Lallcontributing a two-run single in the seventh at De Sales University. SeniorJoel Bonnerand Lall had two hits apiece.
(3-1) Hempfield 12, (1-6) North Penn 2 (6 innings): The visiting Knights (16-9) allowed six runs in the first inning and four in the third. North Penn used three pitchers. SeniorBen Farleyhad a two-run double in the third for the Knights. … NP finished third at districts a year ago and advanced to the state semifinals in 2021 and ’23.
Class 4A
Quarterfinals, Thursday
(4-1) Danville 2, (12-1) Conwell-Egan 0: Danville scored the game's only two runs — they were unearned — in the top of the second inning at Wenger Field in Fredericksburg. Eagles senior Kyle Tuthill pitched well over the first five innings and senior Gianni Serenelli contributed two scoreless innings. Seniors Dylan Held, Braydon Janzer, junior Chase Forester and sophom*ore Julian Grotz had hits for CEC (16-6).
Conwell-Egan won the school's first state playoff game Monday after tying for second place in the Catholic League with a 9-3 regular-season record. CEC hadn’t won districts since 2017, when it competed as a Class 3A school. … Danville topped Scranton Prep 5-2 in Monday’s opener.
Manto turns CEC around in a hurry: Conwell-Egan experiencing high-level baseball success with Jeff Manto
Friday
(1-1) Holy Ghost Prep 14, (2-1) Dallas 6: The Firebirds scored four runs in the third inning and six in the sixth at De Sales University. Sophom*ores Jake Keaser (RBI triple, run-scoring double) and Mat Riendeau (three doubles) each had three RBIs for Holy Ghost (16-8). Junior Keith Freiband contributed a pair of run-scoring singles, sophom*ore Eddie Rosado (three hits) chipped in an RBI single and sacrifice fly and sophom*ore Colin Davis added three hits and two RBIs for Holy Ghost. Senior Justin Lucas started for the Firebirds and went 5⅔ innings, striking out six, with relief help from sophom*ore Bam McNab (one unearned run allowed).
Semifinals, Monday
(1-1) Holy Ghost Prep vs. (4-1) Danville, 4:30 p.m. at Wenger Field, Fredericksburg: HGP (16-8) secured its third district title in four years before winning the first two games at states. It reached the 4A state title game in 2022. … Danville outlasted District 12 champ Conwell-Egan 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
First round, June 3
(12-1) Conwell-Egan 10, (11-1) Bethlehem Catholic 4:The Eagles(16-5) jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings, thanks mainly to a five-run second inning, and stayed in control the rest of the way for the opening win. CEC had 11 hits in the victory, which is CEC’s first in the state playoffs. Philadelphia Catholic League schools joined the PIAA during the 2008-09 school year. SeniorBraydon Janzerhad three hits and three RBIs, with seniorScott Ray(RBI) and sophom*oresKeegan Johnson(double, two RBIs) and Connor Landau (RBI) contributing two hits apiece. FreshmanBrady Guzzieallowed one earned run in 4⅓ innings and struck out seven and juniorChase Foresterdidn’t give up a hit over the final 2⅔.
(1-1) Holy Ghost Prep 20, (12-2) Constitution 0 (3 innings): TheFirebirds(15-8) rolled to victory, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first inning and 13 in the second. HGP had 17 hits, 10 of which went for extra bases (nine doubles and a home run by sophom*oreJake Keaser). Sophom*oresMatt Baker(two RBIs) andColin Davis(three RBIs) had two doubles apiece, while sophom*oresTyler Bergkoetter(double) andMatthew Evans(three RBIs) each went 3 for 3. Sophom*oreKillian McHughtossed three hitless innings, striking out eight. An error kept him from an abbreviated perfect game. … Constitution, which plays in the Philadelphia Public League, lost to Conwell-Egan 21-0 in three innings for the District 12 championship.
Class A
Quarterfinals, Thursday
(1-1) Faith Christian 11, (2-1) MMI Prep 0 (6 innings): The Lions (21-0) kept rolling by scoring one run in the top of the first inning, two in the third, three runs in the fourth and five in the sixth inning at Walter Stump Stadium in Pine Grove. ... Senior Grayson Weikel had six RBIs for Faith, including a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Senior Kendri Beltre contributed three hits, two RBIs and scored three runs. Junior Reid Miller tossed a three-hit complete-game shutout, striking out nine.
The Lions will face District 6 champion Bishop McCort in Monday's semifinals at Greene Township Park in Scotland (4). … MMI Prep downed visiting Millville 11-1 in five innings in the first round.
Semifinals, Monday
(1-1) Faith Christian vs. (6-1) Bishop McCort at Greene Township Park, Scotland: Faith (21-0) earned three straight Class A district titles from 2017-19, winning a first-round game at states in 2018. ... Bishop McCort rallied to down District 5 runner-up Southern Fulton 9-8 in a Thursday quarterfinal.
First round, June 3
(1-1) Faith Christian 1, (11-1) Nativity BVM 0: JuniorReid Miller’sRBI double in the top of the third inning produced the game’s only run for the undefeated Lions (20-0) at North Schuylkill HS in Ashland. SeniorGrayson Weikel(six innings, five strikeouts) and Miller (final inning, one strikeout) combined to pitch a no-hitter.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PIAA State Baseball Playoffs: Matchups, scores, recaps
