The Riverside Panthers defeated Mount Carmel 4-2 Thursday afternoon to earn its 6th PIAA State Championship.
Zach Hare allowed only two hits across 6.1 innings, striking out 11 batters to earn the victory.
Hare tossed two innings of no-hit ball before allowing a 2-out single in the top of the third inning to break his hitless inning streak at 34 consecutive hitless innings in the postseason – an amazing streak believed to be a national record.
Riverside got on the board first in the third inning after John Bowser swatted a RBI-double to left field and the Panthers added another run via a Dylan Meyer RBI-double in the fourth inning.
Mount Carmel drew a pair of walks against Hare in the top of the fifth with two outs, but the senior righty struck out leadoff hitter Brayden Brinkash to end the rally attempt.
The Red Tornados (20-5) tied the game in the sixth inning after a Riverside error and a sacrifice fly each netted a run for Mount Carmel to tie the game.
Riverside quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning to regain the lead with a series of bunts. Christian Lucarelli drew his second walk of the game to lead off the inning before Drake Fox reached on a bunt and Meyer singled to shortstop. With the bases loaded Jackson Barber laid down a successful bunt to score a run and Logan Young followed suit with a run scoring sacrifice bunt.
Hunter Garvin collected the save for the Panthers, relieving Hare in the seventh inning and striking out two batters.
Meyer lead Riverside’s offense with two hits and and RBI while Christian Lucarelli drew two walks and scored twice for the Panthers.
Riverside (21-2 Overall) wins its second PIAA title in three years, two years after the Panthers earned a perfect season with a victory over Camp Hill in the 2023 PIAA Championship.
This is the school’s sixth state championship overall, three more than any other WPIAL school.
Final (Class 3A) — Riverside 4, Mount Carmel 2 … Riverside wins second PIAA title in three years & sixth overall, three more than any other WPIAL school. Zach Hare was mortal, giving up 2 unearned runs & 2 hits in 6 1/3 innings. Had 11 K’s. Hunter Garvin gets the save. pic.twitter.com/KCOb4uStgO
— Brad Everett (@BREAL412) June 12, 2025
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