Penn-Trafford coach Lou Cortazzo hosted his team for a spaghetti dinner two weeks ago.
The damage?
Try 16 pounds of pasta and more than 400 meatballs!
“These kids can eat,” Cortazzo said with a laugh.
And even though it was a fulfilling meal, this Penn-Trafford team stayed hungry, hungry to win a first WPIAL championship, that is.
Late Tuesday, the Warriors were finally able to feast on a title.
Brayden Stone and Ian Temple had two hits apiece and Penn-Trafford used a four-run fourth inning to take down Bethel Park, 4-3, in the WPIAL Class 5A championship at Wild Things Park.
It was the first WPIAL championship for Penn-Trafford (20-3), which was appearing in the final for only the second time. And it came against Bethel Park (15-7-1), the team that had rallied late to beat Penn-Trafford, 8-5, in last year’s semifinals.
“To be able to get back this year against a team that knocked us off, it makes us feel even better. It’s amazing,” said Stone, a junior second baseman and one of seven starters back from last season.
Bethel Park, meanwhile, lost in the championship game for the second year in a row and for the third time in four seasons. The Black Hawks won PIAA titles in 2021 and 2022 but have not claimed a WPIAL title since 1987.
It looked like that might change Tuesday, though, after Ryan Walsh hit a two-run double in the bottom of the third inning to put Bethel Park ahead, 2-0. But Penn-Trafford not only got those two runs back but also took a two-run lead courtesy of a four-run fourth inning. After Ethan Septak and Brody Hoffman drew one-out walks, Temple followed with a sharp single to right that got past right fielder Jack Bruckner, allowing two runs to score.
“It was a shot,” Cortazzo said. “He almost came up with the play. What I saw was get on your horse and run, and that’s what they needed to do. That was huge. That was a big play.”
Another one followed when Carmen Metcalfe beautifully laid down a squeeze bunt to bring home Temple. And then with two outs, Stone sent a blast deep to left that bounced off the wall and went for a run-scoring double that plated Metcalfe to make it 4-2.
“My main goal right there was to put the barrel on the ball and make something happen, and that’s what happened,” Stone said.
Bethel Park, which had won eight of its previous nine games, quickly fought back, loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Ethan Stanhoff hit a sacrifice fly to center to make it 4-3, but Ryan Petras was thrown out trying to move up to second base, ending the inning.
The Black Hawks again had excellent scoring opportunities the next two innings, but stranded two runners on base in both the fifth and sixth against reliever Dom Delio. Hunter Brown came in to pitch the seventh and gave up a two-out single to Noah Lejeune before getting pinch-hitter Nicholas Rillo to strike out swinging to end the game.
Brandon Roher picked up the pitching win for Penn-Trafford. He surrendered three runs and four hits in four innings before giving way to Delio.
“We pitch by committee,” Cortazzo said.
Bethel Park pitchers struck out 15 Penn-Trafford hitters. Starter Santino Diulus gave up four runs (two earned) and five hits with nine strikeouts in four innings. Walsh didn’t give up a hit and walked one to go along with six strikeouts in three innings. Diulus is a Seton Hill recruit and Walsh a Virginia Tech recruit.
“We knew we could do this,” Cortazzo said. “I give these seniors credit, I sent them a reminder today and told them I’m proud of them, not only for what they do on the field but for making this team a family.”
Family first and now WPIAL champions.
And these Warriors might not be done yet.
“It’s beyond amazing with these guys, man,” Stone said. “We’ve worked all year. We just love each other. We’re a family. We don’t want these days to end. States next, so we’re going to look to get out there, compete and hopefully bring home a state title, too.”
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.