By: Chris Harlan 
Monday, May 24, 2021 | 11:51 PM

With two runners on, no outs and trailing by a run, Montour’s Mason Sike was told to be ready to lay down a bunt.

To his surprise, the bunt sign never came.

“I was really thinking it was going to happen, and he gave me the green light,” said Sike, who instead lined an RBI double to left, part of a three-run, sixth-inning rally to defeat Quaker Valley, 6-5, in a WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal Monday at Fox Chapel.

“He trusted me enough to let me swing,” Sike said, “and it ended up paying off.”

In a one-run game, as Montour knows well this season, small decisions can make big differences.

“I was torn,” Spartans coach Bob Janeda said. “I’m happy with the results.”

The back-and-forth win carried top-seeded Montour (14-5) to the semifinals to face No. 5 Laurel Highlands at 3 p.m. Tuesday back at Fox Chapel.

Against No. 9 Quaker Valley (9-12), the Spartans had trailed 2-0, led 3-2, trailed 4-3 and led 6-4. The Quakers tried to retake the lead again in the seventh, but Montour closer Gannon Kadlecik shut down the Quakers’ rally after one run.

“It was a hard game throughout,” Sike said. “We ended up coming clutch.”

Montour’s bats did damage in two innings, scoring three runs each in the third and sixth innings. Kadlecik keyed the third-inning rally with a two-run double.

In the sixth, Montour’s Ryan Gallagher followed Sike’s double with a sacrifice fly that scored Matt Luchovick. Sike then jogged home for a 6-4 lead when Quaker Valley’s arrant relay throw to the plate bounced out of play.

“The fans, the Burkett Birds (student section), they were all going nuts,” Sike said. “It’s the playoffs, bottom six and you’ve got the lead? That’s the best feeling in the world.”

Sike’s double wasn’t the only time he made Janeda’s strategy look flawless Monday.

In the top of the sixth, with Sike pitching in relief, Janeda decided to load the bases with an intentional walk. Sike promptly forced a comebacker that sparked a pitcher, to catcher to first base double-play to escape the jam unfazed.

Quaker Valley’s lead seemed destined to grow, but instead stayed 4-3.

“We were one hit away,” QV coach Dean Owrey said. “That ground ball back to the pitcher, six inches (farther away) and it gets through there and I get two runs.”

Sike pitched a scoreless sixth inning to earn the win in relief.

Montour starter Dylan Mathiesen allowed four runs on four hits over five innings, walked three and hit one batter. Luchovick relieved Sike and retired three of the four batters he faced to earn the save.

Quaker Valley scored two runs each in the first and fifth innings off Mathiesen and one in the seventh charged to Sike. Hunter Doherty and Jack Gardinier each scored twice for the Quakers, and Zeke Hendricks had three RBIs.

QV starter Adam Tanabe pitched the first three innings, and Jackson Bould handled the final three. They each allowed three runs.

As section foes, this was the third time Montour and Quaker Valley played one another this season. Montour won 11-3 and 7-5 in March.

“This is not the team that played them March 29 and March 30,” Owrey said. “I’ve got four sophomores and five juniors. I don’t have a senior on the field. … We were playing our best baseball at the end of the season.”

Montour played its share of close games this spring, losing five by a combined six runs.

But memories of another one-run loss loomed larger Monday. The last time the WPIAL held playoffs, Montour lost 5-4 in the first round in 2019.

“We remembered how that felt walking out of there,” Janeda said. “We said today, we’ve got to be on the other end of this.”

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review Staff Writer. You can contact Chris by email at charlan@triblive.com or via Twitter 

By: Greg Macafee 
Sunday, May 30, 2021 | 11:01 AM

When baseball season started in late March, Quaker Valley got off on the wrong foot, losing back-to-back games against eventual Section 2 champion Montour by a combined 10 runs.

That rough start continued, but the Quakers turned their season around in late April, made a playoff push through the beginning of May, and showed just how far they had come when they pushed Montour to the edge in their WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal matchup May 24, at Fox Chapel.

“We got off to a slow start and it’s tough to open up our season against Montour,” Quaker Valley coach Dean Owrey said. “That’s a tall order. But I knew that we could regain our footing, and I thought our second half would be better than our first and it was.”

The Quakers jumped out to a 2-0 lead May 24 in the first inning and after Montour scored three runs in the bottom of the third to retake the lead, the Quakers responded in the top of the fifth with two more runs.

Junior Adam Tanabe and sophomore Jackson Bould split the pitching duties and held the Spartans at bay for most of the evening, but they scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth and never looked back.

“I don’t think anybody gave us much hope to be competitive, and we were,” Owrey said. “We gave them a dog fight, and we gave them a run for their money.”

The Quakers were close, too. During their two-run rally in the fifth, they had the bases loaded with one out and a 4-3 lead. They were on the brink of breaking the game open and possibly upsetting the No. 1 seed.

A comebacker to Montour’s Mason Sike started a pitcher to catcher to first base double play that suddenly ended the inning and allowed the Spartans to limit the damage to just two runs.

“My guy hit a hard ground ball right up the middle. It just happened to go right back to the pitcher,” Owrey said. “A foot either way, especially on a turf infield with the infield up, that’s probably going to get through and we’re going to score two runs. Baseball is a game of inches. These guys just really demonstrated a lot of resolve towards the end of the season.”

The Quakers scored another run in the top of the seventh but ultimately couldn’t push the tying run across.

Quaker Valley gained a lot from its run in the playoffs. Since taking over the program, Owrey has been building, and although the record might not show it, the 2021 season might have been his best yet.

Not one senior played against Montour on May 24. A junior and a sophomore took on the top-seeded Spartans, and three juniors combined to drive in four runs. Not only was the matchup a key moment for their confidence, but it also allowed the Quakers to gain that big game atmosphere experience.

“I only had one player on the field, junior Zeke Hendricks, who was a starter as a freshman. He was the only one on our side that had playoff game experience,” Owrey said. “So for these guys to win one (playoff game) and almost win two, coming in as a No. 9 seed, it was pretty good. There’s no question in my mind that it had to benefit them and they know what it takes now. They know the margin of error. They know the level of preparation and mental focus it takes to pull it off when you get down to the final eight or the final four.”

Despite such a young lineup, the Quakers finished with four hitters over .300, four with double-digit RBIs and tallied 39 extra-base hits as a team. The Quakers also built up their experience on the mound and had three pitchers throw 20-plus innings, including junior Andrew Glas, who threw 44²⁄₃ innings and had a 2.66 ERA.

Greg Macafee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Greg by email at gmacafee@triblive.com or via Twitter .

By: HSSN Staff 
Wednesday, May 1, 2019 | 10:44 PM

 The Quaker Valley baseball team pulled of a second straight upset Wednesday afternoon, taking down top-ranked Blackhawk, 9-1, in a Section 2-4A game at Chippewa Park.

Christian Johnson hit a grand slam, and Isaac Guss hit a two-run double for the fourth-place Quakers (10-4, 5-4), who also defeated New Castle (7-6, 6-3) on Monday.

Jacob Commens allowed five hits over 5 2/3 innings with five strikeouts to earn the win.

John Malagise doubled for the Cougars (10-4, 8-2).

Quaker Valley, which has won six of its past seven games, will look to keep the run going against Beaver (8-6, 7-2) on Friday.

North Allegheny 4, Seneca Valley 3 — Cole Young knocked in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give No. 5 North Allegheny (12-5, 6-2) a Section 1-6A win over No. 3 Seneca Valley (9-5, 3-4).

Butler 5, Central Catholic 1 — Kyle Weitzel doubled in two runs, and Cooper Baxter doubled in another as Butler (5-9, 3-4) won in Section 1-6A.

Baldwin 3, Canon-McMillan 2 — Kieran Schmidt was 2 for 3 with an RBI, and Josh Dadig knocked in a run as Baldwin (5-8, 3-7) won a Section 3-6A game.

Gateway 7, Armstrong 6 (11 inn.) — Luke Jackson hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning to give No. 4 Gateway (11-4, 8-1) a Section 1-5A win. Anthony Cammuso was 4 for 6 with a double and three RBIs for the Gators.

North Hills 6, Hampton 5 — Jordan Albright and Aidan Knupsky each had two hits, and Drew Garth homered as North Hills (3-12, 2-6) topped No. 3 Hampton (9-6, 6-2) in Section 2-5A.

Shaler 10, South Fayette 8 – Justin DeSabato had three RBIs to help Shaler (9-5, 4-3) win a Section 2-5A game.

West Allegheny 13, Laurel Highlands 3 — Austin Hendrick hit two home runs and had four RBIs to help No. 1 West Allegheny (13-2, 10-0) win a Section 3-5A game.

Central Valley 3, Ambridge 1 — In Section 2-4A, Zak Phllis threw a four-hitter with eight strikeouts to help Central Valley (5-6, 4-5) earn a victory.

Hopewell 3, North Catholic 2 — Roman Gill struck out 10 batters in six innings to help No. 2 Hopewell (11-4, 9-1) win a Section 2-3A game. Mark Phillippi had an RBI for the Vikings.

Brownsville 10, Chartiers-Houston 5 — Chris Moats was 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs as Brownsville (9-4, 5-4) won in Section 1-2A.

Serra Catholic 15, Brentwood 3 (5 inn.) — Mark Black smacked a grand slam, and Nico Eremic and Patrick Brennan also homered as No. 2 Serra Catholic (14-2, 7-1) won in Section 3-2A. Eremic had four RBIs. Winning pitcher Alex Glumac was 3 for 4 with two RBIs.

Rochester 13, Bishop Canevin 3 (6 inn.) — Rochester (4-6, 4-5) scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to earn a Section 1-A win. Caleb Smith had two hits and two RBIs, and Zaine Jeffers had three hits for the Rams.

Connellsville 8, Latrobe 7 — Kade Musgrove had two RBIs to help Connellsville (7-4, 5-3) win a Section 2-6A game. Tucker Knupp and Ben Rafferty had two RBIs each for Latrobe (7-8, 2-5).

Penn-Trafford 2, Plum 0 (8 inn.) — Mario Disso doubled in two runs in the top of the eighth inning to give No. 1 Penn-Trafford (13-2, 6-2) a Section 2-6A win.

MacLean Maund allowed one hit and struck out 10 in 5¹⁄₃ innings, and Tyler Chrise earned the win after throwing 2²⁄₃ innings of hitless relief.

Highlands 7, Derry 6 (11 inn.) — Jett Slepak drove in Matthew Cekada with a two-out single in the bottom of the 11th inning, giving the Golden Rams a walk-off victory in a crucial Section 1-4A game.

The Golden Rams (9-7, 5-4) rallied from a 5-0 deficit and forced extra innings by scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Luke Beer’s single drove in D.J. Loveland for the tying run with one out.

Ryan Hood went 3 for 5 with an RBI for Derry (4-8, 3-7), and Ryan Bushey drove in two runs.

Mt. Pleasant 8, Indiana 2 — Aaron Alakson was 4 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI, and Joe Shrum had two hits and four RBIs as Mt. Pleasant (7-7, 5-5) won in Section 1-4A. John Wagner earned the win for the Vikings, who are a half-game out of third place.

Belle Vernon 4, Ringgold 3 — Garrett Greco had two RBIs, and Mason Pascoe knocked in a run as part of a four-run fifth inning, leading Belle Vernon (8-5, 7-4) to a Section 3-4A win.

Jeannette 11, Riverview 1 — Zander Malik was 4 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI, and Derrick Miller had three hits and three RBIs to help Jeannette (9-5, 5-3) win a Section 3-2A game.

Vincentian Academy 8, Greensburg Central Catholic 2 — Danny Morgano knocked in two runs to help No. 1 Vincentian Academy (8-0, 7-0) win a Section 3-A game. Zach Kuvinka was 3 for 3, and Brendan McGowan knocked in a run for the Centurions (7-8, 6-2), who had 10 hits.

Leechburg 11, Springdale 1 (5 inn.) — Jacob Pochiba scored from third on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Mangee to kick-start a nine-run fourth inning as Leechburg clinched a spot in the Class A playoffs with the win over Section 3 rival Springdale (2-10, 1-6). Dalton Hamm knocked in two runs for Leechburg (5-8, 4-4). Pochiba picked up the win, giving up five hits and striking out five.

Fox Chapel 6, Penn Hills 2 — Noah Marks and Jacob Gruden had a double and an RBI each for Fox Chapel (8-4, 6-3) in a Section 1-5A win at Penn Hills (2-10, 2-7).

St. Joseph 7, Clairton 0 — Tyler Wood singled three times and drove in three runs for St. Joseph (4-6, 2-4) in a Section 3 victory at Clairton (1-7, 1-5). Hayden Mallin doubled and was the winning pitcher.

Valley 6, South Allegheny 3 — Valley scored five runs in the first inning on its way to a Section 1-3A win over South Allegheny (2-11, 1-8). Cayden Quinn pitched five innings of relief and struck out 10 for the Vikings (4-6, 3-6). Shane Demharter and Javon Keys had two hits apiece. Isaac Kelly singled and had a pair of RBIs.

Kiski Area 17, Woodland Hills 1 — Ryne Wallace drilled a three-run homer over the right-field fence in the top of the seventh inning as Kiski Area rolled big past Section 1-5A opponent Woodland Hills (1-11, 1-9). Zach Morrill doubled and knocked in a run to pace the Kiski Area (7-8, 4-5) offense. Wallace picked up the win, striking out four.

Softball

Upper St. Clair 9, Peters Township 1 — Danielle Orendi threw a three-hitter with four strikeouts to lead Upper St. Clair (11-5, 9-4) to a Section 1-6A win that clinched the Panthers’ first playoff berth in 20 years.

Albert Gallatin 6, Connellsville 0 — Maddy Hershberger threw a two-hitter with seven strikeouts as Albert Gallatin (6-7, 6-6) beat No. 5 Connellsville (9-5, 8-4) in Section 1-5A. She also had two hits and three RBIs.

Armstrong 13, Laurel Highlands 9 — Michaela Ban, Chloe Hayes, Leah Barlett and Chloe Patz all had two RBIs, and Barlett, Patz and Mackenzie Egley homered as Armstrong (1-13, 1-10) won in Section 1-5A.

Kaia Zungri was 4 for 5 with two homers and four RBIs for Laurel Highlands (2-12, 2-10).

South Fayette 6, West Allegheny 5 — Liv Goerdt homered, and Lexie Vetter, Lauren Bernetta nd Ashley Micholas all had two hits as South Fayette (10-6, 7-4) won in Section 3-5A. Britney Wilson had two hits and an RBI for West Allegheny (7-6, 7-4).

Elizabeth Forward 13, McKeesport 0 (6 inn.) — Grace Smith was 2 for 4 with a home run and five RBIs, and Kailey Larcinese threw a one-hitter with 15 strikeouts as No. 4 Elizabeth Forward (12-3, 11-0) won in Section 2-4A.

Thomas Jefferson 7, Ringgold 3 — Haleigh Karcher doubled in two runs to help No. 5 Thomas Jefferson (11-3, 7-3) win in Section 2-4A.

Avonworth 9, North Catholic 5 — Cat Barie had two hits and three RBIs, and Maya Kozup homered and had two RBIs as No. 1 Avonworth (16-1, 9-1) won in Section 2-3A.

South Allegheny 10, Waynesburg 0 (5 inn.) — Sydney Kirkwood and Madison Kirkwood each hit a home run and had three RBIs to help No. 5 South Allegheny (13-2, 7-2) to a Section 3-3A win. Mikala Swearingen was 4 for 4 with two doubles.

Laurel 12, Freedom 0 — Mackenzie Latess hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and had seven RBIs as No. 5 Laurel (15-1, 11-1) won a Section 4-2A game.

Jefferson-Morgan 3, Mapletown 0 — Kyra Smitley knocked in two runs, and Jasmine Demaske doubled in another as Jefferson-Morgan (8-4, 7-2) won in Section 2-A. Cait Dugan threw a six-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

West Greene 14, Avella 0 (5 inn.) — Kiley Meek threw a one-hitter as No. 1 West Greene (13-3, 9-0) won in Section 2-A. Kaitlyn Rizor also threw a one-hitter as the Pioneers won another game in the doubleheader, 15-0, in three innings. Madison Lampe homered and had three RBIs.

Yough 1, Greensburg Salem 0 — Kaylynn Odelli’s walk-off single helped No. 2 Yough earn a Section 1-4A win.

Kierra Waywood threw a four-hitter with nine strikeouts for the Cougars (10-5, 7-2), who rebounded from Monday’s 4-3 loss to Mt. Pleasant and have won five of their last six games.

Rena Caruso allowed six hits and struck out four for the Golden Lions (5-9, 3-6).

Mt. Pleasant 5, Uniontown 0 — Mary Smithnosky and Carolyn Alincic combined for a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts to lift No. 1 Mt. Pleasant (13-0, 9-0) to a Section 1-4A victory. Smithnosky was 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs.

Hempfield 10, Butler 0 (6 inn.) — Ashley Orischak homered, and Emma Hoffner had four RBIs as Hempfield (11-5, 9-3) won a Section 2-6A game. Callie Sowers threw a two-hitter with eight strikeouts to earn the win.

North Hills 6, Norwin 5 — In Section 2-6A, Melanie Taylor hit a two-run home run to lead North Hills (9-6, 7-6) to victory. Makenzie Mihalko was 2 for 3 with a home run, and Bailee Bertani hit a two-run triple for No. 4 Norwin (9-5, 8-4), which allowed five unearned runs.

Penn-Trafford 12, Latrobe 2 (5 inn.) — Carlee Lamacz hit a three-run homer, and Brooke Cleland and Emma Little each homered and had two RBIs as No. 1 Penn-Trafford (14-0, 12-0) won in Section 1-5A. Mia Smith tossed a four-hitter to earn the win.

Jordan Novak was 2 for 3 with two RBIs for Latrobe (11-4, 8-4).

Franklin Regional 11, Kiski Area 7 — Angalee Beall struck out eight, and Kylee O’Neil doubled and tallied three RBIs for Franklin Regional (9-5, 8-3) in a Section 1-5A win.

Belle Vernon 15, Carrick 0 (4 inn.) — Sophia Godzack threw a no-hitter with nine strikeouts, and Jordan French, Vanessa Porter and Lindsay Steeber all knocked in two runs as Belle Vernon (6-11, 4-6) rolled to a Section 2-4A win.

Greensburg Central Catholic 17, St. Joseph 7 (6 inn.) — Bella Skatell was 4 for 5 with a double and RBI, and winning pitcher Jaden Cox knocked in three runs as Greensburg Central Catholic (5-8, 5-4) won in Section 3-A.

Central 8, Ligonier Valley 2 — Abi Cmar and Kaylee Colt each had RBIs, but Ligonier Valley (12-1) lost its first game of the season in nonconference play.

Apollo-Ridge 5, Serra Catholic 4 (8 inn.) — Emma Rametta hit a walk-off double that scored Addy Baustert in the bottom of the eighth to propel Apollo-Ridge (7-3, 6-3) to a Section 2-2A win over Serra Catholic (8-4, 8-3). Mollie Charlton and Kylee Wynn singled twice and had one RBI apiece for the Vikings. Grandley drove in two runs. The Vikings led 4-2 after six innings, but the Eagles scored twice in the top of the seventh to force extras.

Plum 14, Hampton 6 — Jillian Durst tripled among her three hits and had a pair of RBIs for Class 5A No. 5 Plum (13-2, 12-1), which handed No. 2 Hampton (13-1, 12-1) its first loss of the season and moved into a tie atop the Section 2 standings. Melanie Mienke doubled, had two RBIs and was the winning pitcher for the Mustangs, and Gabby Fischetti drove in three runs.

Burrell 10, Valley 2 — Sara Clark hit a leadoff home run to ignite a seven-run fourth inning as Class 3A No. 2 Burrell (10-2, 8-1) clinched at least a share of the Section 1 crown with the win over rival Valley (3-9, 2-7). Kayla Santucci singled twice and drove in four runs, Lea Coffman tallied three RBIs and Cara Fiore knocked in two runs.

Knoch 10, New Castle 0 (5 inn.) — Knoch pitcher Amanda Fischer gave up one hit and struck out 11 through five innings to lead the Class 4A No. 3-ranked Knights past Section 3 foe New Castle (5-6, 5-4). Brynnae Coe doubled and tripled for Knoch (11-0, 9-0).

Riverview 5, Northgate 1 — Alyssa Cappa pitched a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts to lead Riverview (6-4, 5-4) to a Section 2-2A win at Northgate (3-10, 2-8). Cappa also doubled and scored two runs. MiKaela Collins had a solo home run for the Raiders in the fifth inning.

Indiana 6, Highlands 5 — Highlands scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but its rally fell short in a Section 1-4A loss to Indiana (10-5, 5-4). Joie Beacom singled three times and scored twice for the Golden Rams (4-7, 3-6), and Jaycee Haidze singled twice and had a pair of RBIs.

 Michael Love

Wednesday, May 8, 2019 | 8:47 AM

The Quaker Valley baseball team still is alive for a spot in the WPIAL 4A playoffs, but it needs to defeat Ambridge on Wednesday afternoon to remain in the conversation.

The Quakers’ Section 2-4A finale against the Bridgers is at 4:15 at Esmark Field.

QV is 10-6 overall and 5-6 in section. The top four teams and ties make the playoffs from the section.

The Quakers are battling Central Valley (6-5) and New Castle (6-5) in the race. Central Valley and New Castle meet Wednesday, and the winner locks up third place.

Blackhawk (9-2) and Beaver Area (9-2) lead the section with one game left.

By: Shawn Annarelli 
Friday, April 26, 2019 | 6:50 PM

Quaker Valley’s baseball team has endured a season similar to Western Pennsylvania weather. One minute, it’s sunny and cheerful. The next, it’s raining and dreary.

If the Quakers can maintain consistency after their best week of baseball in years — the team outscored three opponents 39-6 last week — it can reach its potential in the second half of the season.

The week prior to the win streak, Quaker Valley lost three in a row.

Coach Dean Owrey called the team’s fielding “embarrassing” after the Quakers committed 12 errors in those games. The lineup produced eight runs, and only the pitching was effective.

“That week was a bit of an anomaly,” Owrey said. “We didn’t pitch poorly. We didn’t always hit well, but we played awful defense. We couldn’t end innings against good teams, which is why we lost.”

What the team needed, Owrey said, was a change in approach.

“There is a great quote I shared with this team before we made the pivot, a Don Drysdale quote,” Owrey said. “He said, ‘If a hitter is timid, it’s the pitcher’s responsibility to remind the hitter that he is timid.’ That was so classic of us for that (losing streak), and good teams took advantage of us.”

Pitching will continue to be Quaker Valley’s backbone, but its fielding and batting have reversed course since Owrey focused on rebuilding the team’s confidence.

No one committed an error during the win streak, and the team scored in double digits in each game. The streak was snapped Wednesday in a 2-1 loss to Obama Academy.

Senior Christian Johnson led the way during the win streak with eight hits in 10 at-bats, which increased his batting average from .300 to .467. He hit two home runs and drove in 13. His clutch batting followed five consecutive games without an RBI.

“Christian was hitting the ball hard before that,” Owrey said. “He was hitting rockets, but, unfortunately, he was hitting right at guys. When you don’t have your offense going, even those don’t go your way. Last week he hit the gaps, and everyone else hit around him.”

Johnson also has a team-leading 1.56 ERA.

Owrey expected Johnson to be a pitching ace, but he told him in the preseason he was “too talented not to be a great hitter.”

Johnson said: “I’ve had a lot of fun these last few games, especially coming back to the dugout and seeing everyone having a good time. You know, we have great coaches. If we hit with them and go over our approach mentally and physically, we can keep this going.”

Senior Isaiah Piatt leads the Quakers with a .571 on-base percentage and scored seven of his 14 runs during the winning streak.

Senior Isaac Guss, junior Yeudy Almanzar and freshman Zeke Hendricks have combined to reach base 21 times in their 35 appearances.

“It’s great to these guys have success,” Johnson said. “After seeing how hard everyone works in practice and how much they want to do well, I’m just as excited for them.”

Opponents aren’t excited to face the Quakers’ rotation.

Senior Jacob Commens, Piatt and Johnston have combined for nearly two-thirds of the team’s innings pitched and a 1.72 ERA.

If the Quakers remember lessons from their losses and keep in mind what led to their victories, Johnson believes they can go far in the playoffs.

“Maybe we didn’t start so hot, but this past week is what we’re capable of when everyone’s firing on all cylinders,” Johnson said. “We don’t want to get caught up in our success, but we have to know what worked and what we need to keep doing to make it to our goals. The sky is the limit.”

 Michael Love

Wednesday, May 15, 2019 | 9:18 AM

The Quaker Valley baseball team begins its playoff journey Wednesday afternoon at Seneca Valley High School against South Park in the first round of the WPIAL 4A tournament.

It is one of the earliest starts with first pitch at 2 p.m.

The Quakers picked up the No. 10 seed after they finished 11-6 overall in the regular season and tied for fourth place with Central Valley in Section 2.

The top three teams advance to the PIAA tournament. The championship game is May 28 at Washington’s Wild Things Park.

Varsity Boys Baseball is an interscholastic sport for students in grades 9-12. Varsity baseball competes in WPIAL Class 4A Section 2. Practices and games are held at Esmark Field at Bouchard Family Park in Bell Acres.