Aliquippa Snaps 107-Game Baseball Losing Streak

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, April 3, 2017 | 10:53 PM

Streaks are meant to be broken.

On Friday night, it was the Connecticut women’s basketball team that had a 111-game winning streak snapped in the Final Four on a buzzer-beater.

On Monday afternoon, another triple-digit streak came to an end. On a dreary day in Herman, Pennsylvania, the Aliquippa baseball team defeated Summit Academy 5-4, snapping a 107-game losing streak for the ‘Quips dating back to April 21, 2008.

It has been a long time coming for an Aliquippa program synonymous with victory in Western Pennsylvania. Boasting a record 16 WPIAL football championships and the active lead with 12 WPIAL basketball titles, it is difficult to imagine their spring sports program to be any different.

However, year after year, Aliquippa baseball has been almost as a “bye week” for opponents. Eight straight seasons of winless baseball, including 81 of 107 losses by double-digit deficits, might be enough for most programs to close shop completely.

Not for a town like Aliquippa.

Head coach Dan Bible has kept the ‘Quips program together, and turned it from an automatic win on the schedule to a nip-and-tuck battle to the end. The automatic mercy rule games have all of a sudden turned to one- and two- run struggles. The no-hitters have turned to home runs. The forfeits due to lack of available players  have turned to bench players getting quality, meaningful innings and playing competitive baseball.

The ‘Quips have had a number of close calls over the past couple of years on the diamond. A close battle saw Aliquippa fall 8-5 to Cornell late last season. The 2017 campaign started off on a heartbreaking note as well, as a 2-0 lead over Union evaporated into a 3-2 walkoff defeat in the season opener.

When Summit Academy jumped to an early 2-0 lead over the ‘Quips on Monday, it may have felt like more of the usual for Aliquippa. But these are not the ‘Quips of the past. Malik Lowe, A.J. Wallace, and Elijah Smith roped three straight base hits to start the third inning and knot the score at 2-2.

The toughest competition for the Aliquippa baseball program over the past two decade, has been the other sports programs at Aliquippa. With such successful football and basketball programs, it becomes difficult to convince some of best athletes in western PA to head to the diamond when they could be weightlifting, playing AAU, or running track in the spring.

Elijah Smith certainly showed on Monday that some of Aliquippa’s best athletes do find their way to the baseball diamond. Smith was phenomenal on the mound for the ‘Quips, throwing six innings of three-hit baseball, allowing only two runs and striking out 12 Knights’ batters. He mixed speeds and locations all game, baffling Summit Academy hitters throughout the contest. Smith also contributed at the plate, going 3 for 5 with a pair of RBIs. Smith reached base in all five plate appearances.

Smith was not alone in the Aliquippa offensive attack. Leadoff hitter Malik Lowe went 3 for 4 with an RBI, and all nine starters reached base for the ‘Quips in the game.

It takes seven innings to win a game, and the final out is always the toughest one to get. When that final out means giving your team their first victory in nearly nine years, that final out become even more difficult to get. With relief pitcher A.J. Walker now on the hill, Summit Academy rattled off back-to-back singles, which coupled with an errant throw from the outfield, scored two runs to make the score 5-4.

With the lead cut to one and the tying run at third base, the thoughts of “not again” had to be running through the minds of the Aliquippa team. However, Walker stayed calm and got the final Knight batter to line out to end the game, record the save, and begin the long-awaited celebration.

It has been nearly a decade since Aliquippa baseball got their last victory. Come Wednesday, the ‘Quips will look to start a brand new streak: a winning one. In the mean time, they can say something that few baseball fans thought they would ever say.

Aliquippa baseball is in first place of their section.

Congratulations to Coach Bible and the rest of the Aliquippa baseball team and coaching staff, and good luck the rest of the season!

Tags: Aliquippa