After finishing with the best record in the regular season of the Latrobe Derry Area Teener League, St. Joe’s left no doubt as to who the best team was in the playoffs.

On Wednesday at Rosa-Oglietti Field, the top-seeded Owls turned in another dominant performance, outclassing third seed Heat Siphon 9-1 to sweep the best-of-three championship series, their first crown since 2023.

“It’s the 15-year-olds. They just wanted this so bad,” detailed Owls manager Ray Levay. “We were taking batting practice back in February, thinking this is our season. I’m almost relieved that we completed that mission.”

That group of 15-year-olds was paramount on Wednesday, as Anthony Petalino earned the victory on the mound, working into the seventh inning, while Fletcher Wnek reached base four times and scored twice, and Dawson Huber and Chase Schlesman each reached twice and notched a pair of runs batted in.

In the series opener on Monday, Huber tossed a one-hitter in St. Joe’s 12-0 victory in six innings. In the clincher, Petalino permitted just one run on seven hits in 6.1 innings, issuing a pair of walks while striking out five.

Petalino also benefitted from plenty of run support, as the Owls (22-2-1) exploded for six runs in the top of the first against the Pumpers. Facing pitcher Ty Blasko, Wnek opened the game with a single, Petalino followed with a base hit of his own, and Huber produced a two-run double to left-center. After Cameron Underwood reached on an error, Schlesman drew a walk, and Mason Long delivered an RBI single. Newt Palanko reached on another Pumpers’ error, and Noah Urban hit into a fielder’s choice that yielded a third error, allowing both Long and Palanko to score.

“I was actually pretty excited that we were the away team, because I knew the other team was going to be down a little bit,” said Levay. “If we could put up a good number in that first inning, I thought we’d be able to run away with it. I wasn’t expecting a six spot.”

The Pumpers (17-8) never really threatened after falling into the early deficit. Heat Siphon plated its lone run in the second, as Blasko opened the stanza with an infield single, and advanced to second on an error. After he moved to third on a groundout, he scored on an RBI single by Jackson Baum. Petalino retired the Pumpers in order in the third and fourth innings, however.

St. Joe’s sealed the outcome by scoring three runs in the fifth. Wnek drew a leadoff walk, stole his third base of the game, and moved to third on a groundout. Huber and Underwood then both walked. Parker Fajbik produced a sacrifice fly to score Wnek, and Schlesman contributed a two-run single to push the advantage to 9-1.

Petalino worked around a leadoff walk in the fifth, and escaped the sixth inning unscathed despite allowing three hits. After he reached his pitch limit in the seventh, Wnek came in to register the final two outs.

Blasko took the loss for Heat Siphon, going 4.1 innings and allowing eight runs, four earned, on four hits, with four walks and three strikeouts. Skoloda had the lone multi-hit effort for the Pumpers, while Owen Strauser drew a pair of walks.