Jun 13, 2022 3 min read

WEXFORD – If you plan on attending a Burgettstown-Neshannock baseball game in the future, don’t make any plans for after the game.

You’re going to be there for a while.

The previous meeting, in the WPIAL semifinals, went 12 innings and lasted nearly three hours.

On a breezy Monday night at North Allegheny High School, the two teams met again, this time in the PIAA semifinals. And this time, the game lasted nine innings before Neshannock pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 2-1 victory.

“I have the utmost respect for that program and Coach Tunno, but I hope I never see them again,” Neshannock head coach John Quahliero. “Nate Klodowsky, I’ll tell you. I’ve been coaching for 25 years and I have never seen someone as competitive as he is.”

The Lancers go to Penn State to play in the PIAA Class 2A title against Everett Thursday morning.

Burgettstown, which had never gone this far in the playoffs in school history, finished the season with a 16-6 record.

“We don’t hit with guys on and they do at the end of the game,” said Burgettstown head coach Doug Tunno. “We  had a great season though. It’s never good wen you lose.”

With the score tied 1-1 in the ninth, Neshannock relief pitcher Grant Medler opened the inning with a single to center, then moved to third on a double to right field. J.R. Prussin was intentionally walked to load the bases. Giovanni Valentine then lofted a soft fly ball to right field to send Melder home with the winning run.

Burgettstown starter Nate Klodowsky went 7 1/3 innings before reaching his pitch allowance. Klodowsky struck out six and walked four before being relieved by Andrew Bredel.

Sebastian Coiro reached his pitch limit the previous inning. He struck out eight and walked one. At one point, he had retired nine in a row.

Burgettstown took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a strange play. Brodie Kuzior smacked a single to right field. Luke Lounder laid down a good bunt to the right side that was fielded by Neshannock starting pitcher Sebastian Coiro, who threw Lounder out at first base.

But an alert Kuzior noticed third baseman Colton Shaffer was late getting back to the bag. So Kuzior kept running and made it to third base before Shaffer. A groundout by designated hitter Maddox Gratchen brought Kuzior home.

Neshannock’s base-running errors might have cost the Lancers a chance to win the game in the regulation seven innings.

Luke Glies got a one-out single to center field in the sixth and was pinch-run for by Michael Altmeyer. Right fielder Josh Pallerino singled to center. Altmeyer, however, tried to make it to third but was thrown out.

In the seventh inning, the Lancers’ Grant Melder, then the designated hitter, walked to start the inning.

When center fielder Dom Cubellus hit a grounder to first base, Melder made a big turn at second base and was thrown out at the bag.

Colton Shaffer then doubled in the tying run, sending a drive to the fence in center field.

It was the third time in 13 months that Neshannock defeated Burgettstown in a postseason game and in walk-off fashion. The Lancers eliminated the Blue Devils in 2021 WPIAL playoffs.