Wright Stuff: Avella pitcher blanks Western Beaver in WPIAL playoff win
By Joe Smeltzer
For the Observer-Reporter
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
PITTSBURGH – It’s probably fair to call Bryce Wright a big-game pitcher.
Throwing a complete game shutout in the playoffs against a higher-seed gets you that label, and that’s what Wright did Thursday afternoon at Upper St. Clair’s Boyce Mayview Park.
Wright’s dominance on the mound and Avella’s big fifth inning led to the tenth-seeded Eagles pulling a slight upset, 5-0, over No. 7 Western Beaver in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs.
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- Avella’s Noah Kimberland connects for a single in the fourth inning of the May 15 first round WPIAL playoff game against Western Beaver at Boyce Mayview Field.
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- Avella starting pitcher Bryce Wright went the distance for the Eagles, allowing no runs on three hits, two walks, and striking out nine in the 5-0 win over Western Beaver in the first round of WPIAL playoffs May 15 at Upper St. Clair’s Boyce Mayview Field.
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- Avella’s Brayden Fuller sparks the Eagles fifth inning surge with a single that advances teammate Hayden Gatewood to third, in position to score the first run the May 15 first round WPIAL playoff game against Western Beaver at Upper St. Clair’s Boyce Mayview Field.
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- Avella third baseman Hayden Gatewood makes a key defensive grab for the first out of the third inning in the May 15 first round WPIAL playoff game against Western Beaver at Boyce Mayview Field.
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- Avella shortstop Logan Fedak lines up the throw to first for the second half of a first inning double play in the May 15 WPIAL first round playoff game against Western Beaver at Boyce Mayview Field.
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- Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter Western Beaver’s Benji Valdez steals second ahead of the tag from Avella’s Jorden Moore in the second inning of the first round WPIAL playoff game at Upper St. Clair’s Boyce Mayview Field on May 15.
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- Avella second baseman Jorden Moore scoops up a grounder behind Western Beaver runner Vinny Ross on the way to the third out of the sixth inning in the May 15 first round WPIAL playoff at Boyce Mayview Field.
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- Avella third baseman Hayden Gatewood (left) and pitcher Bryce Wright share congratulations after the 5-0 victory over Western Beaver in the first round WPIAL playoff game May 15 at Boyce Mayview Field.
In the second game of a doubleheader, Carmichaels defeated Western Beaver 9-1.
Over the seven innings, Wright allowed just two hits, struck out eight and only walked one.
Wright credited his teammates for his success but also acknowledged the strength of his No. 1 pitch.
“I was just blowing my fastball by a lot of them,” Wright said. “It felt good.”
After four innings of scoreless play, Avella (10-7) finally broke through in the top of the fifth, and the No. 9 hitter started it. With one out and none on, Hayden Gatewood singled. Then, leadoff man Brayden Fuller did the same. With first and third and one out, a groundout by Bryce Wright scored the game’s first run. Logan Fedak then doubled the lead by bringing Fuller home with a single. After Western Beaver (14-4) starter Vinny Ross hit Chas Rush to load the bases, his day ended. He allowed two runs– both earned– on five hits, walking and striking out two apiece. Christian Stefanakis came on in relief and promptly walked Noah Kimberland to make it 3-0. He then walked Jorden Moore, with ball four doubling as a wild pitch, to make it 4-0. He then walked Tristan Davis– batting for the second time in the inning– to make it 5-0. Stefanakis fanned Davis to end the inning, but the damage was done– five runs, 11 men sent to the plate, not a single extra base hit.
Wright didn’t need five runs. Or even two. He pitched a whale of a ball game, shutting out the Golden Beavers, only allowing three hits and, at one point, retiring 13 in a row.
Avella will now take on second-seeded Eden Christian Academy Tuesday, May 20, at a time and place to be determined.
Carmichaels 9-1
The tail end of this doubleheader wasn’t as dramatic.
Carmichaels scored a run in the first, four in the second and never looked back, cruising to a 9-1 win.
Robbie-Wilson Jones led the way offensively, ending the day going 2-4 with a walk and four RBI.
On the mound, Colin Andrews went the distance and allowed just one run for the win.
For coach Richard Krause, it was the latest chapter of what’s been a fun ride during this 2025 season.
“We went in, and we were the quintessential ‘one game at a time’ team,” Krause said. We weren’t going to look past anybody. We weren’t going to take anybody lightly. We were hoping teams would take us lightly.
“There was some chatter about (us being) down this year. We didn’t make any of the top tens, and we lost six senior starters last year. So I don’t think anybody thought this would happen except this group of people. And they just keep working.
Carmichaels scored first. With runners on second and third and nobody out, Jordan Davis drove in Robbie-Wilson Jones with an RBI groundout. In the next half inning, Parker Wilson-Jones made it 4-0 on one swing with a bases-clearing double with two outs. Another run came in on a double steal. With Jordan Davis on first and Wilson-Jones on third, the team perfected the play, and it was 5-0. Wilson-Jones drove in another run in the fourth with a single to make it 6-0. Davis’ RBI single one batter later effectively put the game to bed.
Carmichaels will now take on No. 3 Leechburg Tuesday at a time and venue to be determined.