Riverside edges rival Neshannock in 9 innings to claim WPIAL Class AA title
Riverside's Michael Boswell and Neshannock's Frank Fraschetti produced such an outstanding pitching exhibition in the WPIAL Class AA final, it was only fitting the game ended on a close play at the plate with both pitchers at their innings limit.
Braden Bentel's two-out, RBI single up the middle scored Kolby Wolf from second, and Riverside captured the championship by defeating Neshannock, 1-0, in nine innings Tuesday at Consol Energy Park.
“It feels amazing, but I would say the hero would be Michael Boswell for pitching nine (scoreless) innings,” said Bentel, the Panthers' senior catcher and No. 8 hitter.
Boswell allowed just three hits and struck out five to record the win for Riverside (20-2), which split its section meetings with 2015 WPIAL and state champ Neshannock (19-3). Neshannock pitcher Frank Fraschetti, who pitched a shutout in last year's WPIAL final, allowed six hits and the unearned winning run in 8 2⁄3 innings.
With PIAA rules limiting pitchers to nine innings in a day, Boswell's time on the mound was over and Fraschetti had faced his final batter whether Wolf was called safe or out. The throw home from center fielder Dan Welker pulled catcher Brandon Scheidemantle toward the first-base side of the plate, allowing Wolf to slide to the outside and beat the tag by a split second.
“I knew I was safe, but it was a close call, and on those calls, some of those angles are tough. I just hoped (the umpire) got it right, and he did,” said Wolf, who reached base on an error and moved to second on Austin Dambach's sacrifice bunt.
“I was getting the go signal before the inning even started. Coach knew I was going to get on base, and he said we've got to end this game.”
From his spot in the dugout, Boswell — a Tiffin recruit — led the charge to pile onto his teammate at the plate in celebration of Riverside's fourth WPIAL title.
“I was halfway (to the plate) before the umpire made a call. If he was out, I would've just continued onto the field. If he was safe, dogpile,” Boswell said. “I knew yesterday I was getting the ball, and I wanted to finish it no matter how many innings it went.”
Boswell added with a laugh: “If it went 10, I was going to try to get out there and throw another inning. That might have been a problem.”
Boswell's shutout completed a WPIAL postseason in which the Panthers did not allow a run. Panthers coach Dan Oliastro, who earned his 600th victory, said it is the first time since McKeesport in 1955 that a team accomplished that feat.
Scoring chances were scarce, though Riverside stranded a runner at third in the third, and Neshannock did the same with one out in the sixth. Neshannock, bidding for its seventh WPIAL title, got exactly what it wanted from its ace but couldn't provide him support.
“We talked to (Fraschetti) after the eighth, and he said don't even think about taking him out. That's the type of kid he is, and I'm sure Boswell is the same way,” Lancers coach Mike Kirkwood said. “I've been on both (winning and losing) sides before. It's always tough when you do everything you can do ... bottom line, it comes down to us not getting bunts down. They got bunts down and moved runners.”
Matt Grubba is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mgrubba@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Grubba_Trib.
