More gritty than pretty, Bethel Park beats Thomas Jefferson in 5A quarterfinals

By: Don Rebel
Monday, May 19, 2025 | 11:58 PM

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Bethel Park saw Thomas Jefferson score four runs earlier in the game without the aid of a hit and decided to give it a shot once the game remained tied through seven innings.

Senior Ryan Petras raced home from third base on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning as Bethel Park edged Thomas Jefferson in a WPIAL Class 5A baseball semifinal, 5-4.

“We always say it doesn’t always have to be pretty, it just has to be gritty,” Bethel Park coach Patrick Zehnder said. “This one definitely wasn’t pretty, that’s for sure.”

Like an amusement ride at nearby Kennywood Park, this battle of 5A section champions played at West Mifflin had plenty of thrilling twists and turns.

Section 2-5A champion Bethel Park struck in the bottom of the first inning when Petras, a Duquesne football commit, walked, stole second base and scored on a double by Noah LeJeune.

The Black Hawks increased their lead and chased Thomas Jefferson starter Colin Pearson in the second inning.

Following a one-out single by Nick Rillo and walks to Erie Meihl and Joey Levis, Petras and Ethan Stanhoff delivered RBI infield singles to increase the BP lead to 3-0.

When Pearson uncorked a very wild pitch that allowed Levis to score, his night was over.

“TJ is a great team with a great pitching staff,” Zehnder said. “You know you’re in for a battle, so the fact we were able to get runs early on them, we felt really confident that would bode well for us.”

The early boost in morale disappeared in the top of the third inning when the Jaguars tied the game without a hit.

Bethel Park starting pitcher Owen White walked leadoff hitter Dominic Metz, and then walked Carter Kirsch with one out, then with two outs, walked Josh Chalavich to load the bases and Justin Fry to force in a run.

Matt Hughes came in to relieve White and looked like he would get out of the jam when he induced Tyler Lesko to pop the ball up, but the ball was dropped in shallow right field and three unearned runs scored to tie the game, 4-4.

That when the bullpens of both teams took over.

Dominic Metz for the Jaguars was great in relief, pitching 5⅓ innings of scoreless baseball, allowing six hits and striking out five.

He pitched out of bases-loaded and two-out situations in both the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings.

On the Black Hawks side, after Hughes pitched 1⅔ of scoreless relief, Mike Bruckner pitched the final four innings for the win, allowing no runs, four hits and two walks while striking out seven.

“He’s one of the best pitchers in the WPIAL, and he hasn’t started a game for us this year,” Zehnder said of Bruckner. “We love to have him in that second half of the game situation whether we get a lead or it’s tied. He’s able to get the toughest outs in the game, and he’s done it all year. He’s a selfless guy and does whatever the team needs.”

The team needed and got the winning run without a hit.

Petras was hit by a pitch by new Jaguars pitcher Tyler Lesko, went to second on a wild pitch and was safe at third on a fielder’s choice bunt by Stanhoff on which Jaguars catcher Josh Chalovich tried to get the lead runner, but his throw was late. After an intentional walk to LeJeune loaded the bases with no outs, a wild pitch ended the game and the season for TJ.

The Section 4-5A winners finish with a record of 15-5. Luke Kosko was 2 for 4 with a double for Thomas Jefferson.

LeJeune was 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles for the Black Hawks, who improve to 18-4 and have reached the final four in 5A for the fifth straight season.

Bethel Park will battle top-seeded Pine-Richland at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Plum.

“Our offense is able to put pressure on defenses with bunts and runs. The dam is going to break eventually,” Zehnder said. “It was easy to get frustrated, but we just had to keep pushing forward. These guys have such resiliency. They are an experienced group. We’re excited, and I wish we could play right now.”

Tags: Bethel Park, Thomas Jefferson