Squaring off against a dominant pitcher in Noah Emswiler, Greensburg Central Catholic faced a significant challenge in Tuesday’s WPIAL Class 1A Baseball Championship. However, the No. 2 Centurions scored just moments into the game, seemingly dismissing some of those concerns.

That was the only run that GCC would plate, however, as Emswiler proved overpowering, while the Eden Christian Academy offense used one big inning to claim a 5-1 victory at EQT Park in Washington.

As a result, the top-seeded Warriors (16-4) captured the first district crown in program history, while the Centurions were denied their second WPIAL Championship.

Emswiler went the distance in earning the victory, allowing four hits, including just two over the final six innings. He also issued a pair of walks, but racked up 15 strikeouts.

“The advantage was Emswiler. It begins and ends on the mound,” detailed GCC head coach John Boyle. “When you have a dominant pitcher like that, you have to scrap across runs. We didn’t get enough.”

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After Emswiler began the contest with a strikeout, Stephen Kochis delivered a single, and GCC superstar catcher Anthony Grippo followed with an opposite-field double to bring home the first run. Emswiler then struck out his mound opponent, Tyler Samide, and induced a groundout to limit the damage.

The Centurions (17-1) threatened in the second and third innings, as well. With two outs in the second, Dan Brady singled and Wil Bateson reached on an error, but Brady was tagged out after he overran second base to end the inning.

In the third, Grippo drew a two-out walk, and his courtesy runner, Tom Stilley, moved to second on a balk, but Emswiler again fanned Samide to keep the deficit at 1-0.

Meanwhile, Samide wiggled out of trouble in each of the first two stanzas, but the Warriors broke through in the third. Emswiler reached on an infield single with two outs, and Josh Tilden and Levi DeFazio drew walks. With the bases packed, Samide hit Andrew Sharpless, bringing home the first run for Eden Christian. Samide left the bases loaded, though, courtesy of a strikeout of Levi Parrott.

Eden Christian exploded in the fourth frame, though, turning a tie game into a 5-1 advantage. Luke Burford opened the inning with a walk, and Kyle Fowler placed a bunt perfectly for a single. After a sacrifice bunt, Brady Hull ripped a two-run single to right.

Boyle wrestled with the decision to walk Hull with first base open, but ultimately, he had faith in his ace to retire the Slippery Rock University commit.

“Tyler felt confident, and so did I, that we could get him,” Boyle revealed. “Tyler was getting squeezed a little bit at the plate, and got a little frustrated. It took him a couple of batters to get his command back.”

Tilden and DeFazio added RBI hits later in the frame, extending the Eden Christian lead.

That was more than enough run support for Emswiler, who struck out the side in both the fifth and sixth innings, and finished his stellar effort with a strikeout in a one-two-three seventh inning.

“He keeps you off balance. He throws hard inside. And he’s accurate,” Boyle said of Emswiler, a Lipscomb University pledge.

In taking the loss, Samide also tossed a complete game, allowing five runs, including four earned, on eight hits, with four walks and six strikeouts. Grippo finished 2-for-2 with a walk.

DeFazio was an offensive standout for the Warriors, notching an RBI double and drawing a pair of walks. Emswiler, Tilden, and Sharpless each reached base twice.

Both teams enter the PIAA Class 1A playoffs, beginning on Monday. Not satisfied with silver, the Centurions believe they can make a run in the state tournament.

“We’re going to get back to work, and see if we can make it happen,” Boyle stated. “We got the arms, and we got some really good, experienced hitters, so I think we have all the ingredients to make a pretty good run here.”