North Allegheny baseball edges Seneca Valley in Section 1 showdown

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, April 11, 2018 | 10:27 PM

Over the last 15 years, North Allegheny and Seneca Valley have combined for seven WPIAL baseball crowns. On Thursday, less than 24 hours after both teams suffered losses in their respective Section 1-6A openers, the two teams played a gem of a game.

Ben Surman blooped a single over a drawn-in infield in the top of the seventh to break a scoreless tie as North Allegheny edged Seneca Valley, 1-0.

“We let them have it pretty good after (Tuesday's) game,” said North Allegheny second-year coach Andrew Heck, referring to the Tigers' 13-4 loss at Shaler. “We responded the way I thought we would. This wasn't the kind of game I thought it would be. I thought we would both score some runs.”

Runs were nonexistent in the first six innings thanks to stellar pitching and defense by both teams.

Seneca Valley (3-3, 0-2) turned five double plays — two wiped out leadoff walks, one erased a leadoff single and one prior to a triple by the Tigers' Turner White.

Seneca Valley's two best chances came in the second inning when Justin Dattoli walked and Gabe Lawson was hit by a pitch. But Joe Kozlina flied out to center field. Dattoli tagged and went to third. After North Allegheny center fielder Turner White's throw to third base was late, Caiden Wood came off the bag for the throw and gunned out Lawson, who was trying to reach second base for the rare 8-5-4 double play.

Then, after Raiders catcher Cameron Vozel doubled and Anthony Cinicola reached on an error, sophomore pitcher Ben Petshke got SV pitcher Cory Greiner to ground into an inning-ending double play.

That was the final batter Petshke, who threw five innings, allowing three hits with three walks and four strikeouts for NA (3-1, 1-1).

“I thought Ben pitched great,” Heck said. “There's a fine line early in the season. It wasn't a pitch count thing. He was throwing really well, but last year he never pitched more than three innings. So, while five innings wasn't stretching him, you have to be smart early in the season. Plus, it gave Colin a chance to throw a couple.”

Colin Cain pitched the final two innings, allowing one hit and one walk to pick up the win.

The game's lone run came when Wood walked to lead off the seventh and Juliano Capretta bounced a single that just eluded the glove of diving second baseman Dattoli for the Raiders. After a Greiner wild pitch, Seneca Valley coach Eric Semega brought his infield in, setting up Surman's flair the opposite way, just over the glove of shortstop Cinicola, bringing Wood home.

Greiner took the loss, allowing five hits with five walks and four strikeouts.

Don Rebel is a TribLive High School Sports Network broadcaster and staff writer. Reach him at drebel@tribweb.com.

Tags: North Allegheny, Seneca Valley