See Riverside baseball clinch PIAA championship berth against South Park
Hunter Garvin gets the third out of the top of the seventh inning against South Park to punch Riverside’s ticket to the PIAA 3A state championship game.
Riverside and Mount Carmel Area will face off in the PIAA Class 3A baseball championship.The game will be played at Penn State’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on June 12 at 1:30 p.m.Riverside seeks its sixth PIAA title, while Mount Carmel makes its first championship appearance.
Riverside will appear in its second PIAA Class 3A championship game in three seasons when it faces off against Mount Carmel Area in a battle of district champions for the state title.Â
Here is what you need to know about the championship matchup.Â
When is the PIAA Class 3A championship game?
The PIAA Class 3A championship game will mark the second game of the 2025 PIAA baseball championships on Thursday, June 12, with the first pitch slated for 1:30 p.m. at Penn State’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.Â
What’s at stake?
Riverside is vying for its sixth PIAA title under longtime head coach Dan Oliastro, who is in his 57th year as the skipper. Each of the previous five times that Riverside has made the trip to State College, it has captured PIAA gold. Its last state championship victory came in 2023 when it shut out Camp Hill 4-0 to cap off a perfect season.
Mount Carmel will be making its first trip to the state championship game in its second appearance in the PIAA playoffs after making a run to the quarterfinals in 2024.Â
How they got here
Riverside has hit its stride in the state playoffs after playing in several tight one-run games in the WPIAL postseason.
It began its state playoff run with a dominant 9-0 win over Huntingdon with Christian Lucarelli throwing a complete game three-hitter.Â
In the quarterfinals, it posted its second consecutive shutout of the state tournament defeating section foe Mohawk 6-0. Riverside pitcher Zach Hare tossed a no-hitter, striking out 13 in the win.Â
Most recently in the semifinals, the Panthers defeated South Park 4-1 for the second time this postseason in a rematch from the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals. Lucarelli threw six innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Sophomore shortstop Dylan Meyer has been one of Riverside’s hottest hitters in the state postseason, compiling seven hits and six RBIs in three games.
Hare, who is slated to pitch in the championship game, has thrown 31 â…“ consecutive no-hit innings for Riverside across the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs. In his past two outings for the team, he threw a perfect game in the WPIAL championship game against Quaker Valley followed by the aforementioned no-hitter against Mohawk.Â
The senior Slippery Rock signee has posted a 9-0 record in 12 appearances, throwing 66 innings and striking out 127.Â
On the other side, Mount Carmel knocked off two district champions en route to the championship game.Â
In the opening round, it beat District II champion Dunmore 5-0 as pitcher Drew Yagodzinskie pitched a one-hitter, striking out 14 and allowing just one walk.Â
The team then faced District III runner-up Bermudian Springs, taking the game 3-1 with first baseman Clarke Cartwright driving in a pair of runs.
In its semifinal matchup against District III champion Berks Catholic, Yagodzinskie pitched a complete game, allowing three runs while striking out 11. The bottom of the order for Mount Carmel came up big by driving in three RBIs.
Projected starting lineups7-1 Riverside (20-2)
1. Sean Hayes, C
2. John Bowser, RF
3. Hunter Garvin, CF
4. Zach Hare, P
5. Christian Lucarelli, 1B
6. Drake Fox, 3B
7. Dylan Meyer, SS
8. Jackson Barber, LF
9. Logan Young, 2B
4-1 Mount Carmel Area (20-4)
1. Brayden Brinkash, C
2. Jason Klokis, RF
3. Jon Morgante, SS
4. Drew Yagodzinskie, DH
5. Lukas Carpenter, P
6. Gabe Yuskoski, 3B
7. Clarke Cartwright, 1B
8. Walker McGinley, LF
9. Brody Brinkash, 2B