Union defends WPIAL Class A baseball title with win over Eden Christian

By: Antonio Rossetti
Wednesday, June 1, 2022 | 4:20 PM

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Some names have changed, but the result was the same for the Union baseball team Wednesday afternoon at Wild Things Park.

The No. 2-seeded Scotties successfully defended their WPIAL title by beating undefeated and top-seeded Eden Christian, 4-1, in the Class A championship game.

Union overcame three double plays on bunt attempts, which kept Eden Christian in the game. Nonetheless, the pitching and defense for the Scotties played a crucial part in their victory.

The Scotties (12-4) were bolstered by a dominant pitching performance by senior Tyler Staub, who tossed a complete-game four-hitter with eight strikeouts and two walks.

It was a similar performance to last season when then-senior Jake Vitale tossed a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts in guiding the Scotties to the title.

Staub said he was able to keep hitters off balance.

“My fastball was working. The curveball was mixing them up,” Staub said. “They didn’t know what was really coming, but I knew that they were late on the fastball. I hit my corners, spotted them up, and I got the job done.”

The Scotties scored all four runs in the sixth inning. After catcher Nick Vitale singled and left fielder Mark Stanley hit a ground rule double to left, second baseman Brennen Porter smacked a two-run single.

On his timely hit, Porter said he shortened up and lined one into right field.

“My coach, he always preaches short to the ball, especially when we get low in the count,” Porter said. “ We got runners in position and when you put a ball in play, that’s how we get runs by putting the ball in play. That’s all we’re really trying to do right there.”

DH Dayne Johnke singled and first baseman Shane Roper walked, loading the bases for Grayson Blakely.

The Warriors pulled Bees after 5.1 innings pitched. Caleb Emswiler moved from second base and relieved Bees. Emswiler hit Blakely with the first pitch he threw, making the score 3-0.

Emswiler struck out Staub but walked in another run, putting right fielder Rocco Galmarini aboard. The Warriors then recorded the final out in the top of the sixth, but the Scotties led 4-0.

Porter said the team stayed calm and eventually drove runners in when they needed to.

“My man Mark Stanley stepped up to smack it and I saw that,” Porter said about Stanley’s ground-rule double. “We had little chips here and there, and we just keep chipping away, and that’s all it took.”

The Warriors (17-1) notched their lone run off of a double by Emswiler in the bottom of the sixth, scoring Bees from third, but the late RBI was not enough for Eden Christian.

Staub allowed one baserunner in the bottom of the seventh, closing out the game with a strikeout.

For Union, Porter was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored, Staub went 2 for 4, and Vitale went 1 for 2 but reached base three times.

Staub said he and the team were motivated to repeat as WPIAL champs.

“Back-to-back, that’s what’s been our goal,” Staub said. “I dealt with an injury in football that I couldn’t even walk. I didn’t know if I was even going to play, so being able to come to this moment and finish it out and be the pitcher, this was like a dream come true.”

Union coach Bill Sanders said that nerves got to some players early, which caused some woes at the plate. The Scotties had three pop-up bunt double plays early in the game.

“There are some guys here that haven’t been in this situation before,” Sanders said. “They stayed calm and then they executed later in the game. It was good to see them come back and just continue moving forward.”

Sanders said he is looking forward to seeing how the team does in the state tournament.

“Those guys up there (in Northern PA), they’re good teams, but we’re going to battle and we come to battle,” he said. “Our goal is to win the WPIAL championship and then win a state championship.”

Both teams advance to the PIAA tournament, which begins next week.

Watch an archived video stream broadcast of this game on Trib HSSN.

Tags: Eden Christian, Union