Decade’s best WPIAL finals: Baseball No. 6

By: Don Rebel
Thursday, May 28, 2020 | 10:36 PM

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While it almost became a theme to repeat in WPIAL softball this past decade, it was nearly an impossible dream for district baseball teams.

Wild Things Park in Washington continued to be the home for the WPIAL baseball championships, but only twice in 42 title games was a school successful in repeating as champions. Seneca Valley in Class AAAA and Neshannock in Class A pulled it off the same two years in the spring of 2011 and 2012.

Speaking of Seneca Valley, the 2014 team gave hope for every team that qualifies for the district playoffs as that Raiders team captured WPIAL gold as the No. 16 seed.

So, while the third decade of the 21st century got off to a slow start with the 2020 season wiped away, here is a look back at the last 10 years with a countdown of the Top 10 WPIAL baseball championship games.

No. 6 – Like father, like son

The 2019 WPIAL Class 3A championship game featured two teams closing out the decade looking for their second baseball crown.

Hopewell won the 2010 AAA title while Steel Valley won AA gold in 2014.

The Vikings took control of the game with a four-run third inning and led 4-1 heading into the seventh.

The Ironmen rallied with three runs in the seventh and another in the eighth to pull off the win.

Steel Valley coach Pat Loughran added more gold to the family treasure chest after his father Tom won WPIAL championships as the football coach at South Park.

Click the final score below for Chirs Harlan’s look back at the Iromen’s comeback triumph over the Vikings.

Steel Valley 5, Hopewell 4 in 8 innings

Decade’s best WPIAL baseball finals:

No. 7, 2018 2012 Class AAA: Blackhawk 1, Belle Vernon 0

No. 8, 2010 Class AAA: Hopewell 2, Moon 1

No. 9, 2018 Class 6A: Canon-McMillan 2, North Allegheny 1

No. 10, 2017 Class 2A: California 3, Freedom 1 in 10 innings

Tags: Hopewell, Steel Valley