Momentum carries Riverside into Class AA championship
The irony is, Kolby Wolf doesn’t see many fastballs these days. When he finally did get one Tuesday, he didn’t see that, either — as it hit him square in the face, causing his nose, top teeth and, really, everything to go numb.
After a few moments on the ground, Wolf was back on his feet, having met with a trainer, and felt fine while icing down his face. He shoved a couple cotton swabs up each nostril and went back in at first base for the top of the second inning.
How could his teammates not be inspired by that?
Riverside (19-2) and its senior first baseman are headed to the WPIAL Class AA final for a rubber match with Section 5 rival Neshannock (19-2) at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Consol Energy Park.
“That was big to know he would do that for our team,” Panthers ace Michael Boswell said of Wolf after Riverside’s 2-0 semifinal shutout Tuesday of Keystone Oaks. “It was a big team thing, it wasn’t a selfish thing.”
A team would be hardpressed to enter the biggest game of its season with more momentum than the Panthers have. They won their first two playoff games by 100 scores in five innings, so yes, they have yet to allow a run in the postseason.
Boswell, in particular, has been stellar, with a 7-1 record and 0.67 ERA on the season with 81 strikeouts in 52 innings. Naturally, he’ll take the ball again in the Class AA final against the defending WPIAL and PIAA champion Lancers and their own ace, Frank Fraschetti, one of the four winningest pitchers in WPIAL history.
“To be honest, that’s who our kids [were] expecting to play,” said longtime coach Dan Oliastro, in his 48th season. “It may sound crazy, but that’s who they want to play.”
Fortunately for the Panthers, Oliastro knows a thing — or three — about winning championships. He guided Riverside to WPIAL titles in 2011, 2006 and 1996, as well as a championship appearance in 2012 before winning the PIAA crown that year.
He has been bullish on his latest team from the beginning, knowing they had a chance to do something special. None were old enough to be on those championship teams in 2011 and 2012, but they were there in the bleachers watching it all unfold.
“They know what we’re doing, they’ve bought into the program and I love coaching them,” Oliastro said. “They’re fun to coach because they’re very focused. I don’t say much to them at all. I just say, ‘Look, I trust you; just do what I ask you to do, and we’ll be fine.’ ”
Riverside’s three playoff shutouts have come after eight in the regular season. Though Boswell is the unquestioned workhorse, fellow senior Vince Loccisano is 5-0 with a 0.79 ERA and junior Adam Jeannette is 6-1 after blanking Steel Valley in the quarterfinals.
There’s also not an easy out to be found in Riverside’s lineup, from leadoff man Dylan Speicher to No. 9 hitter Will Yasenka. Jason Dambach is hitting .444, Cristian Cicchinelli .390 and Austin Dambach, Jason’s younger brother, is at .385.
“We have a great staff, and I think part of the reason why we’re hitting the ball well is because our second, third and fourth guys are throwing to us live at practice,” Wolf said.
Wolf actually has the lowest average of the regulars, at .260, but was the team’s leading hitter last season, has drawn 14 walks and slots in at the cleanup spot with a team-leading two homers. It’s no surprise his teammates were pumped to have him back after that frightening hit-by-pitch — for the semifinal, final and beyond.
“I thank God for that, because I know he was watching over me in that at-bat and he allowed me to come back into the ballgame,” Wolf said, dried blood still around his nose. “There’s no way I could’ve watched the game from the bench. There’s no way.”