May 17, 2017 4 min read

UPPER ST. CLAIR – It was déjà vu for both the Belle Vernon and Bentworth baseball teams Tuesday, as the Leopards and Bearcats each were eliminated for the second straight year from the WPIAL playoffs at Boyce Mayview Park.

This time, Bentworth lost to Quaker Valley 3-2 in a Class AAAA first-round game. That followed Bentworth’s 5-4 loss to Freedom in a Class AA contest.

“This is a tough one,” Belle Vernon coach Daryl Hixenbaugh said after consoling his senior-laden team for several minutes after the game. “You hate to see it end this way, but we just didn’t hit the ball.”

Belle Vernon, which had been crushing the ball during most of its 12-game winning streak that ended, was limited to four hits.

“I can’t explain it as we had our best hitting practice yesterday since I have been back,” said Hixebnbaugh, who is in his second stint at Belle Vernon. He then turned his attention to Leopards pitcher Deven Judy.

“Our defense failed Judy,” Hixenbaugh said.

Belle Vernon’s ace gave up two unearned runs, and the lone earned run was set up by a balk.

“That was our first balk all year,” Hixenbugh pointed out.

Quaker Valley (10-7) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an unearned run.

With two outs, Belle Vernon shortstop Josh Hoffman made an errant throw to first base, which allowed Ryan Jackovic to score.

Quaker Valley doubled its lead in the second.

Following back-to-back singles, Judy was called for a balk. Collin Jackovic followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to make the score 2-0.

In the fourth, BVA senior left fielder Derek Frolo made a diving catch on a line drive hit by Nic Saladino that prevented a run. Frolo then threw and doubled off QV’s Clayton Glas at first base.

Had Frolo missed the ball, the Leps would have been down 3-0 and the Quakers would have had Saladino at second or third with no outs.

The Quakers did extend their lead to 3-0 in the sixth with the help of another unearned run.

Joey Hess reached on a Jake Callaway throwing error and advanced to third when Cole Naylor missed Judy’s pickoff attempt at second. Noah Shultz drove him in two pitches later.

Down to their last six outs, the Leopards (14-4) scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to trim their deficit to 3-2.

With one out, Josh Hoffman singled and moved up when Callaway was hit by a pitch.

Hoffman stole third and Callaway moved up to second on a wild pitch. Hoffman scored on another wild pitch by Jack Hendricks.

After he walked Jordan Zilka, Hendricks was removed and Callaway scored on a fielder’s choice off of the bat of Evan Johnston.

Judy retired the side in the seventh, but BVA went in order to end the season for the 11 BVA seniors.

When asked if the layoff before after winning 12 straight games hurt the Leopards, Hixenbaugh refused to make excuses.

“(Quaker Valley) hasn’t played either,” he said. “We have to play the game.

“We have had a great season and this is a great group of kids. We had whole lot of fun and I hate to see I end this way for them.”

Eight of the Leopards’ 11 seniors were in the starting lineup Tuesday.

Bentworth (8-12) dropped a heartbreaker to fifth-seeded Freedom when the Bulldogs scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh.

A bases-loaded single by Nick Henderson drove in the game-winning run.

“That’s a tough way to lose,” Bentworth coach Dion Jansante said. “(Freedom) is a good hitting team.

“We had a couple of chances in the middle and late parts of the game but we couldn’t get everyone on the same page and we didn’t execute.”

After giving Freedom an unearned run in the third off of starting pitcher Riley Nickeson, Bentworth (8-13) scored four runs in the fourth.

Mac Skoyak’s infield single scored Josh Hughes, and Derek Richards doubled home Skoyak and Andrew Wiltrout. Richards scored the final run of the inning when Justin Kisner was issued a bases-loaded walk.

Freedom (14-4) scored a run in the sixth off of Hughes before scoring three more off of the senior in the seventh.