PIAA BASEBALL Ellwood City wins state championship

The Wolverines beat Tamaqua for the PIAA Class AA state baseball title.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Aaron Lillibridge hit a run-scoring single in the top of the sixth to break a 1-1 tie, and Kevin Ricciuti pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, as Ellwood City downed Tamaqua 3-1 Monday to capture the PIAA Class AA state baseball title.
The championship was the first in the school's history, and the Wolverines (21-6) ended the year with a 16-game winning streak.
Tamaqua (20-5) left five runners on base in the first three innings, including the bases-loaded first, but managed to grab a 1-0 lead on Allen Graver's RBI groundout.
Ellwood City tied the score in the second when Mike Fidell doubled with one out, and after Jay Cortez struck out and Levon Hudson walked, Matthew Clark singled to right field before Lillibridge struck out to end the uprising.
Lillibridge delivers
The Wolverines finally got to losing pitcher Kyle Spotts (8-1), who walked pinch hitter Lou Nocera and T.J. Post in the sixth before giving up the game-winning hit to Lillibridge. He lined the single off the glove of Zach Kupchinsky at first to give Ellwood City a 2-1 advantage.
The winners added an insurance run in the seventh when Ricciuti singled, advanced to third following a wild pitch and throwing error, and then scored on Daren Sharek's sacrifice fly to center.
Tamaqua made a final attempt to rally in the seventh on a walk to Alex Zukas and single by Spotts. Ricciuti, who was hit twice by line drives in the game, got a fly ball out, and after a walk loaded the bases, struck out Graver to end the game.
The Wolverines were led offensively by Fidell's double and single followed by Tony Cunningham, Clark, Jeremy Honsaker, Ricciuti and Lillibridge each with one single.
Spotts and Graver each had two singles for the Blue Raiders, who had their nine-game winning streak snapped in the loss, while Tory Graver added a single.
West Chester East 14, Bethel Park 3
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Brian Muldowney hit a three-run triple to highlight a seven-run first inning as West Chester East captured the Class AAA championship.
The Vikings (24-2) had 12 hits against three Black Hawks pitchers.
Brian Muldowney opened the first with a single and Doug Reitz was safe on an error with a second miscue on the play, allowing a run to cross the plate.
Eric Chamness was hit by a pitch, and after two outs, Neil Jackson walked with Tom Boyd reaching on a third Bethel Park defensive mistake allowing a third run to score giving the Vikings a 3-0 lead.
Justin Hackett followed with an RBI double, and after Greg Babinecz walked to load the bases, Brian Muldowney ripped a bases-clearing triple to give the District 1 second-place finishers a commanding 7-0 lead.
Bellwood-Antis 2, Elk Lake 1
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Adam Plummer struck out nine batters and allowed just two hits to lead Bellwood-Antis to the Class A championship.
The Blue Devils (22-4) scored what proved to be the winning run in the fifth inning. After Chris Alley struck out, Ricky Shannon reached first on a throwing error and Plummer singled to right with Shawn Weiand following with a single to center field to give Bellwood-Antis the lead, 2-1.