Bishop Canevin entered the WPIAL Class A baseball playoffs as the 12th seed, the lowest seed remaining, but they left the field with a 9‑5 win over fifth‑seeded Leechburg.
Leechburg drew first blood in the opening inning when Mason Bertino launched a leadoff homer, and later added a 2‑1 lead after Dylan Kapalica’s RBI single in the second.
The tide turned in the third when a dropped fly ball allowed the Crusaders to seize a 3‑2 advantage, and they extended it with four runs in the fourth, sparked by a combination of aggressive baserunning and Leechburg’s miscues.
Errors Prove Costly for Leechburg
Key contributions came from Nate Astor, who delivered a two‑run homer in the sixth to push the lead to 9‑4, and Jackson Maddox, whose RBI single earlier in the inning added to the surge.
Coach Heath Shimer acknowledged the difficulty of executing under pressure, noting that the team will finish the season 9‑8 and return seven starters next year, while his own future remains uncertain.