May 30, 2023 4 min read

One thing you have to like about the Burgettstown High School baseball team is the Blue Devils know a good thing when they see one.

Burgettstown made the PIAA playoffs for the first time in 40 years last season, and the Blue Devils weren’t going to wait long for a return trip.

Andrew Bredel fired a five-hitter and drove in two runs, and Brodie Kuzior and Riley Kennedy each hit a pair of doubles as Burgettstown clinched a spot in the PIAA Class 2A playoffs that begin next week by defeating New Brighton 5-1 in the WPIAL’s third-place game Tuesday at Ross Memorial Park.

The win puts Burgettstown (15-4) in a game against District 9 champion Redbank Valley (18-4) Monday in the first round of the state tournament.

“This puts Burgettstown on the map for baseball,” said Bredel, who struck out eight and walked only one. “Making the state playoffs hadn’t happened for 40 years before last season. This proves that Burgettstown baseball isn’t going away. We’ll be here again.”

Bredel, a senior lefthander, was in control throughout against New Brighton (15-6). He took a shutout into the sixth inning and needed only 91 pitches to throw his second complete game of the postseason.

“I was attacking for the first strike and after that it was secondary pitches,” Bredel said of his game plan.

The lone New Brighton run scored on a odd play as the Lions’ Bobby Budacki scampered home from second base when a passed ball kicked off the fencing in front of the Burgettstown dugout and rolled about 70 feet from home plate before it could be tracked down.

Burgettstown scored the only runs it would need in the top of the third inning. James Leuice, the No. 9 hitter in the Blue Devils’ batting order, began the inning with an infield single. One out later, Eric Kovach worked a walk off Budacki, the New Brighton starting pitcher. Bredel then lined a single into left field that scored Leuice with the first run.

Kuzior followed by going the opposite way with a long drive to left centerfield that bounced over the fence for a book-rule double. Kovach scored on the play but the bounce helped New Brighton because courtesy runner Trent Stevens had to stop at third base and was eventually thrown out at home plate on a infield grounder.

The Blue Devils scored two more times in the fourth and the inning started with another book-rule double, this one by Kennedy. He moved up on a fly ball by Leuice and scored on an error. Kovach was hit by a Budacki pitch to put runners on first and second and Bredel made it 4-0 with an RBI single to left field.

New Brighton’s run came in a crazy sixth inning. Brennan Cattivera started the frame by reaching base on a catcher’s interference. However, Bredel picked Cattivera off first base. It was one of two pickoffs by Bredel in the game and his third in the postseason.

With two outs, Bredel hit Budacki with a pitch and Brock Budacki followed with a single. The passed ball and unfortunate roll up the third-base line allowed the Lions to score and close to within 4-1.

Burgettstown coach Doug Tunno has told his team the goal for each game is to score five runs. The Blue Devils got their fifth run in the top of the seventh but didn’t really need the tally.

Kuzior led off with a towering fly ball to left field that the Lions allowed to fall between the left fielder and shortstop as Kuzior ended up on second base with a double. Three batters later, Kennedy belted his second double to make it 5-1.

“I tell these kids that if we score five runs, then we’re not losing many games,” Tunno said. “That four-run cushion early, the way Andrew has been throwing the second half of the season, was big.

“He did a good job today. (New Brighton) hit a couple of shots against him. But Andrew is going to pitch in college. He’s good. He mixes up his pitches.”