PIAA baseball semifinal rundown: Colby Weber's three-hitter sends Shaler to second final in three years; Freedom, Eden Christian advance

Dominant pitching plus timely hitting.

That has been Shaler’s formula for success this postseason, and the Titans doing it once again Monday has them headed to play for a state title for the second time in three years.

Colby Weber tossed a three-hitter, and Ben Yeckel and Kaleb Jockel notched run-scoring hits to lead WPIAL champion Shaler to a 2-0 win against District 3 champion Lampeter-Strasburg in a PIAA Class 5A semifinal at Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, Cambria County.

Shaler (20-6) will take on District 1 runner-up Upper Dublin (17-5) in the championship at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Penn State’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. It’s the fourth trip to the final for Shaler, which will be looking for its third title overall and first since 2023. Lampeter-Strasburg (21-6) was trying to reach its first final since 2019.

Colby Weber threw a three-hitter and struck out nine in Shaler’s 2-0 win against Lampeter-Strasburg in a PIAA Class 5A semifinal in Cresson, Pa. (Sam Heasley/Next Level Creative)

Weber, a senior right-hander and East Carolina recruit, was terrific as he improved to 11-0 this season. Weber gave up just singles in the second, fifth and sixth innings. He struck out 9, did not walk a batter, and only two Lampeter-Strasburg hitters reached second base.

“He was excellent,” Shaler coach Brian Junker said. “He gave what he’s given us all year. His fastball was there, and we needed his off-speed pitches today because they’re a good fastball-hitting team. And he was lights out with that, too. He was outstanding.”

It was the second shutout of the PIAA playoffs and third of the postseason for Shaler, which has surrendered 7 runs in seven playoff games. Weber threw a one-hitter in a PIAA first-round victory against Conestoga Valley.

Yeckel and Jockel were the stars at the plate Monday, driving in runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Yeckel’s double in the fourth drove in Troy Leas, who led off with a single. An inning later, Jockel’s two-out single scored Brendan Fitzgerald, who reached on a single.

“You feel good when you have a one-run lead and Colby out there, but you feel great when you have a two-run lead,” Junker said.

Shaler finished with seven hits, with Leas registering two of them.

Class 2A

• In a game that included a weather delay of nearly three hours, Boden Hilliard tossed a three-hitter and struck out 10 to lead WPIAL champion Freedom (18-7) to its first final courtesy of a 2-0 win against District 10 champion Mercyhurst Prep (24-2) at Slippery Rock University. Tommy Ward hit a two-run inside-the-park home run in the first inning to provide the game’s only runs. Ward drove in Nick Fessler, who led off the inning with a single. Winners of eight in a row, Freedom finished with five hits, with Ward accounting for two of them. Hilliard walked just one and retired the final 14 hitters he faced, the final six coming after a long weather delay that went into effect after the fifth. Freedom, which had never won a PIAA playoff game prior to this season, will take on District 1 champion Faith Christian (21-2) at 10:30 a.m. Friday in the final. Faith Christian defeated Eden Christian, 4-1, in the 2024 Class 1A final.

Class 1A

• WPIAL third-place qualifier Eden Christian (19-5) racked up 15 hits on its way to a 12-1 win against District 9 runner-up Clarion (16-7) at Slippery Rock University. It will be the third trip to the final in five years for Eden Christian, the runner-up a season ago that is seeking its first title. The Warriors will play District 5 winner Southern Fulton (24-1) in the title game at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Penn State. After scoring 16 runs in the quarterfinals, Eden Christian’s offense showed up in a big way again. The Warriors, who average 10 runs a game, scored 4 runs in the third and 5 in the seventh. Brady Hull and Levi DeFazio had three hits apiece, while Christian Watkins and Levi Parrott each drove in 2 runs. The Warriors also walked six times and benefited from six Clarion errors. Noah Emswiler and Jacob Janicki teamed up to throw a three-hitter. Emswiler pitched the first three innings and Janicki the final four.

Scores

Class 6A semifinals

Cedar Cliff 3, Bethlehem Liberty 2

North Penn 1, Neshaminy 0

Class 5A semifinals

Shaler 2, Lampeter-Strasburg 0

Upper Dublin 1, Elizabethtown 0 (8)

Class 4A semifinals

Indiana 5, East Pennsboro 5 (14 innings, suspended until 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in Bellefonte)

Montoursville 6, Pope John Paul II 0

Class 3A semifinals

Mount Carmel 4, Berks Catholic 3