An overpowering one-hit pitching performance by Colby Weber and a seven-run second inning rally proved to be the difference as third-seeded Shaler rolled past Montour, 8-0, Wednesday night in the opening round of the WPIAL Class 5A baseball tournament at North Allegheny High School.
The Titans scored once in the bottom of the first inning of a game that was delayed by more than an hour at the start due to rain. Ben Yeckel’s solo homer with two outs put Shaler on the board.
The Titans then erupted for seven in the second inning, with Landon Schiffhauer’s two-run homer starting the rally.
An error, a walk and a single loaded the bases, and Joey Rispoli’s two-run single increased the Shaler lead to 5-0. Yeckel’s base hit brough home another run and Colby McGuire’s two-run single made it 8-0.
That was more than enough for Weber, who was nearly untouchable during his seven innings of mound work.
Weber yielded a two-out single to Michael Ivanoff in the first inning, then proceeded to set down the next 19 batters in a row.
Weber did not walk a batter and struck out 14, including two of the last three batters he faced in the seventh and final inning.
Yeckel was the lone Titan to finish with more than one hit, as he went 2 for 2 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Ivanoff started on the mound for Montour but was lifted after giving up four hits and five earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. Mateo Weber worked the final 4 2/3 innings in relief, yielding two hits and one run, which was unearned. He walked one and struck out five.
Montour, which was seeded 14th in the tournament, finished the season with a record of 12-8 overall and 6-4 in Section 4.
Photos by Mike Longo Jr.
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