Fast start propels Mars to title game
As West Allegheny’s last batter flied out to right field, Mars players stormed the infield knowing they would be the school’s first team to play in a WPIAL championship.
“I’m so excited,” starting pitcher Will Bednar said. “This is surreal.”
The Indians, the No. 1 seed and 11-1 in Class 5A Section 2, couldn’t find a rhythm against Bednar in the WPIAL semifinal as Mars went up two runs in the first inning and won the semifinal, 4-1, Wednesday at Boyce Mayview Park.
Last year, the Planets beat Indiana and Hopewell to advance to the WPIAL 3A semifinals before falling to Chartiers Valley, 6-1. The experience of that playoff run helped the Planets this season, Mars coach Andy Bednar said.
“That gives the guys some confidence, last year,” Andy Bednar said. “Played a lot of playoff games, consolation game and everything, and I just couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Mars will face Latrobe in the WPIAL 5A championship either May 30 or 31 at Wild Things Park in Washington, Pa.
West Allegheny will face Chartiers Valley, which lost to Latrobe, in a third-place consolation game. The winner of that game will advance to the PIAA playoffs along with Mars and Latrobe. While disheartened by the loss, West Allegheny coach Bryan Cornell said the team will now focus on its shot at the state tournament.
“I just told the kids they’re in the semifinal for a reason,” Cornell said. “They’re a very good baseball team, and we got beat by the better team today. End of story. They played better than us, and the fortunate thing for West Allegheny is our season’s not over. We have an opportunity. So we’ve just got to regroup.”
In the first inning, with runners on first and second, Frank Craska doubled to score Spencer Croskey and Max Pasquinelli and give Mars a 2-0 lead. West Allegheny was held scoreless through the first three innings until Austin Hendrick led off in the fourth with a triple to center field. With Chasen Claus at bat, Hendrick scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1.
The Planets quickly got the run back, as Brandon Wetherholt tripled to left and Croskey scored him with an RBI single in the next at-bat.
In the seventh, West Allegheny reliever Justin Usenicnik walked Wetherholt and Croskey. Jack Anderson singled and advanced to second on the throw, sending Wetherholt home to give Mars some cushion at 4-1.
Time dwindled as West Allegheny waited for its offense to arrive.
In the sixth, Devin Donaldson snuck a grounder by Mars pitcher Bednar and second baseman Croskey, and Claus’ single put runners on the corners for the Indians. Michael Starkman popped to Croskey as the Indians failed to gain ground on the Planets.
Cornell credited Bednar for his solid outing on the mound.
“He mixed his pitches and threw strikes, and we just let the fastball go by too many times,” Cornell said.