Burrell baseball team seeks another playoff upset
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Sunday, May 19, 2024 | 4:52 PM
Burrell’s Ryan Bates (lefrt) celebrates with Justin Hyland after making a diving catch against Mt. Pleasant during their WPIAL Class 3A playoff game.
Burrell pitcher Stevie Hasson meets catcher David Kleckner after finishing the first nning against Mt. Pleasant during their WPIAL Class 3A playoff game.
Burrell’s Brayden Mell celebrates with AJ McLafferty after they scored against Mt. Pleasant during their WPIAL Class 3A playoff game.
Being a double-digit seed and winning in the playoffs has become a theme for Burrell this school year.
The Bucs boys basketball team made a run to the WPIAL finals as an 11 seed, and after pulling off an upset over No. 3 Mt. Pleasant in the first round, the 14th-seeded Burrell baseball team will look to make a similar journey.
The Bucs play No. 11 Neshannock in the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals 6:30 p.m. Monday at Seneca Valley.
“When the bracket came out, I think some of our guys really took that (underdog) role on,” Burrell coach Jay Miller said. “I think some of us may have expected to have a higher seed, but we got 14 and we were excited to be in. It’s a one-game-at-a-time approach, but I definitely think some guys were surprised by the 14 next to our name.”
If the Bucs (12-8) beat the Lancers (11-9) they will qualify for the state playoffs and join the boys basketball and boys soccer programs in accomplishing that feat in 2023-24.
There is one major crossover between basketball and baseball: starting shortstop Dylan McKallip.
The Bucs would love to replicate the performance they put forth in the first round against Mt. Pleasant.
They beat the Vikings, 6-2, behind six shutout innings from senior lefty Stevie Hasson. The defense was solid behind Hasson with no errors and crucial double play in the fifth inning.
AJ McLafferty had a big day at the plate with a two-run triple in the fourth. Isaac Lacinski also drove in a pair of runs.
“We did a really good job of running the bases, defensively we were sound and Stevie (Hasson) did a good job filling the zone with strikes,” Miller said. “I don’t want to say rinse, wash, repeat, but if you throw strikes, play good defense, run the bases well and put the bat on the ball you have a good chance.”
Neshannock is a double-digit seed as well but has a long-standing pedigree of success with six WPIAL baseball titles. The Lancers were in the WPIAL 3A final last year and lost to Riverside.
They finished third behind Riverside and Mohawk in Section 1-3A but got a win over Riverside this year, becoming the first team to do so in two years.
The Lancers dispatched Waynesburg, 6-1, in the first round.
“John (Quahliero) is a great coach,” Miller said. “I know him through multiple people, and I know he’s a great coach who teaches the right things. He asks his players to do the routine things routinely, and as long as that works out things will usually fall your way. They do a really good job of developing kids from the time they are young all the way through high school. It’s something we hope to emulate here at Burrell in the future.”
Jerin Steele is a freelance writer
Tags: Burrell
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