Riverside baseball program top in state again
For the second time in six years, Riverside has won back-to-back PIAA Class AA baseball champions, giving head coach Dan Oliastro more championships than anyone else in history. The Panthers achieved that distinction by defeating North Star 6-2 in the semifinals and Pine Grove 5-4 in the title fray.
The right-handed duo of Rob Hardy and Blaise McCarty carried the Panthers to victory both times – Hardy starting and McCarty finishing against North Star and reversing the order against Pine Grove. Hardy was the key hitter against North Star with three hits and four runs batted in and Tyler Falk had a key run-scoring triple in the championship.
Amazingly, that trio - plus infielder Devin Kelosky - accounted for all of Riverside’s returning experience from its 2011 WPIAL and PIAA championships. The rest of the lineup was new and inexperienced at the beginning of the season but, after a 22-6 season that included a disappointing loss in the WPIAL Championship game to archrival Ellwood City, inexperience wasn’t a problem at all at State College.
Almost all that experience will be back next year as the Panthers go for the three-peat. Only three of the gold medal recipients also received diplomas this month – Hardy, catcher Tyler Whitlatch, and outfielder Corey Belonzi – so experience will be as much a strength in 2013 as it was lacking in 2012.
The right-handed duo of Rob Hardy and Blaise McCarty carried the Panthers to victory both times – Hardy starting and McCarty finishing against North Star and reversing the order against Pine Grove. Hardy was the key hitter against North Star with three hits and four runs batted in and Tyler Falk had a key run-scoring triple in the championship.
Amazingly, that trio - plus infielder Devin Kelosky - accounted for all of Riverside’s returning experience from its 2011 WPIAL and PIAA championships. The rest of the lineup was new and inexperienced at the beginning of the season but, after a 22-6 season that included a disappointing loss in the WPIAL Championship game to archrival Ellwood City, inexperience wasn’t a problem at all at State College.
Almost all that experience will be back next year as the Panthers go for the three-peat. Only three of the gold medal recipients also received diplomas this month – Hardy, catcher Tyler Whitlatch, and outfielder Corey Belonzi – so experience will be as much a strength in 2013 as it was lacking in 2012.
baseball