The total of WPIAL baseball teams left in the PIAA playoffs fell to three Friday afternoon when Monsignor Bonner knocked Bethel Park out of the Class 5A bracket for the second consecutive season with a 6-4 win in Mechanicsburg.
Bethel Park (16-8-1) jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a two-run homer from Michael Bruckner in the top of the first.
Monsignor Bonner (19-8) answered with a four-run bottom of the first, keyed by a two-run single from Harry Carr. Austin Cannon hit a two-run homer in the second to make it 6-2.
Bethel Park closed to 6-4 on RBI singles by Santino Diulus and Jack Bruckner in the fourth but got no closer.
Carr picked up the win for Monsignor Bonner, giving up four runs in five innings. Jack Redding worked two scoreless to earn the save. Diulus took the loss for the Black Hawks.
Monsignor Bonner will face Hollidaysburg in the semifinals Monday.
The remaining WPIAL baseball teams are Indiana in Class 4A, Avonworth in Class 3A and Eden Christian in Class A.
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