After losing the WPIAL Class 5A Championship Game to Franklin Regional in dramatic fashion, the Bethel Park baseball team regrouped and got accomplished their ultimate goal.
The Black Hawks defeated District 3 champion, Red Land, 4-2 in the PIAA title game at Penn State University’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Thursday afternoon.
It was their second state title in program history and first since 1988.
On their path to the state title game, Bethel Park defeated District 3 runner-up, Northern, 5-1, in the first round, District 11 champion, Southern Lehigh, 7-2 in quarterfinals and District 6 champion, Central Mountain, 1-0, in the semifinals.
The pitching carried the Black Hawk throughout the playoffs, and it was no different in the title game.
Senior Eric Chalus, a Kent State commit, held the potent Red Land offense in check. The lefty battled through six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out six and got out of a couple late inning jams.
Closer Cody Geddes was able to escape a jam of his own in the seventh inning which saw the tying run on second base to clinch the state championship.
Bethel Park jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, making it easier for their pitching staff.
Geddes contributed with the bat as well, ripping a two-run triple in the first inning, scoring Chalus and David Kessler. Geddes came around to score on an RBI groundout by Zachary Sackett.
They pushed the lead to 4-0 with a RBI single by Kessler in the second inning.