Riverside baseball looks to capture back-to-back WPIAL Class 3A championships

WASHINGTON — For the second consecutive season, Riverside is back in the WPIAL Championship game after yet another dominant season, this time matching up against Avonworth at Wild Things Park in Washington, Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the WPIAL Class 3A Championship game.

This Panthers roster is no strangers to the bright lights of the postseason as the team has posted a 41-1 record over the past two seasons after capturing both a WPIAL and PIAA championship during the 2023 season, and will look to repeat as back-to-back WPIAL Champions for the first time in school history.

Riverside rolled through regular season play outscoring opponents 162-22, posting an impressive 16-1 record overall and an 11-1 record in WPIAL Class 3A Section 1 play, which was good enough for the Panthers to secure the top spot in the Class 3A bracket.

Even though Dan Oliastro’s squad secured the top seed in their respective classification, the road for Riverside to Tuesday’s WPIAL Championship game was not an easy one as it was put to the test with two thrilling matchups in the first and semifinal rounds, respectively.

How They Got Here

In its first-round matchup against Keystone Oaks, Riverside trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning before stringing together four runs in the bottom half of the inning surviving a scare against the Golden Eagles. Riverside pitchers Zack Hare and Hunter Garvin combining for a no-hitter, striking out a combined 13 batters in the victory.

Following an 11-1 victory in the quarterfinals against South Park, Riverside’s Hare and Garvin put together yet another masterpiece in the WPIAL semis against South Allegheny as Hare pitched six innings allowing two hits and three free passes while striking out 11. Garvin finished the job in the seventh striking out the side in order to punch the Panthers' ticket to their second consecutive district title game with a 2-0 win.

Stellar Pitching Leads the Way

Pitching has been Riverside’s strong suit throughout its season as the Panthers have three pitchers that have led the way for them.

The junior pitching trio of Zack Hare, Hunter Garvin and Christian Lucarelli have been the rock for this team throughout the season and will play an integral role in Tuesday’s WPIAL Championship game against Avonworth.

Hare has emerged as Riverside’s top arm this season as in 10 games he has posted a 0.67 ERA in 42 innings allowing just 17 hits and four earned runs walking 17 while striking out 83 batters. He has also held his opponents to a .119 batting average which is a team low amongst all pitchers.

Alongside Hare, Garvin has closed out a multitude of the Panthers games this season as he appeared in 10 games throwing 22.1 innings allowing four earned runs on 14 hits walking two batters while fanning 37.

While Hare and Garvin each have played a key role during the postseason, Riverside also has another strong arm in Lucarelli who is committed to pitch at Duke University once his high school career concludes in the 2025 season.

Lucarelli has pitched 20 innings this season allowing just three runs walking eight and striking out 41 batters.

Strong Bats Look to Wake Up

Although pitching has had the upper hand during the postseason, the Panthers have also been known to handle the bats throughout the season.

Garvin and Hare have each also produced at a high level at the plate along with their work on the mound with Garvin leading the charge offensively, posting a .467 average in 45 at-bats, collecting 21 hits while also driving in 24 runs in 17 games. The junior also recorded nine extra-base hits on the season, recording four doubles and smacking five home runs over the wall.

Hare posted a .556 average in 17 games, collecting 25 hits while driving in 19 runs in his junior campaign.

Seniors Bo Fornataro and Ashton Schlosser have also been key contributors at the plate as both have been key pieces at the top of the lineup for the Panthers, with Fornataro hitting over .400 and Schlosser driving in 12 runs this season.

Scouting the Antelopes

After punching its ticket to the WPIAL Championship game, Avonworth will look to capture its first WPIAL title since 1992 on Tuesday afternoon at Wild Things Park.

Throughout the season, Avonworth compiled a 17-8 record while also finishing with an 8-2 record in Section 2 play, which was good enough for the seventh seed in the Class 3A bracket.

In a crazy right-hand side of the bracket, Avonworth defeated No. 10 seed Greensburg Salem before defeating No. 15 seeded East Allegheny, and then No. 14 seeded Burrell, 2-1, in eight innings to punch its ticket to the WPIAL Championship game.

Senior Hunter Blackson has led the charge offensively for the Antelopes, posting a .375 average while collecting 18 hits and 12 RBIs. Cooper Schardling, a sophomore corner infielder, also has played a key role in Avonworth’s success, hitting the ball at a .344 clip while collecting 21 hits and 16 RBIs throughout 22 games.

Aidan Tinker has been the Antelopes ace throughout the season as in 40.2 innings of work, the senior has allowed just five runs on 23 hits and nine walks while also fanning 56 hitters.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Riverside baseball looks to capture back-to-back WPIAL Class 3A championships