Coming into the baseball postseason having lost five of its last seven games, South Fayette found a rhythm on the mound it hadn’t since the first game of the season and collected timely hits to take down No. 7 Franklin Regional, 8-2, on Tuesday in the WPIAL Class 5A first round.
“The fire was there,” South Fayette coach Marc “Bubba” Snider said. “We have, in my opinion, the best section in not only the WPIAL, but the state, and we were ready for this.”
Pitching had been an area of concern for the Lions throughout 2026, and they entered the postseason allowing 7.0 runs per game, the most of any team in the 16-team field.
South Fayette had only three games in which they allowed three runs or fewer, the least being a shutout in the opening game of the season.
Tuesday, Trey Skeen provided a dominant pitching performance for the Lions, allowing just two runs and two hits.
“Coach (Snider) took so much time these last few days preparing and constantly was helping me during practice,” Skeen said. “It’s game by game. I knew what was going to work in my bullpen, and I took it out on the field.”
The lone two runs and hits allowed by Skeen came in the bottom of the second inning off a two-RBI single from Miles Tomley, giving the Panthers their lone lead 2-1.
South Fayette opened the scoring in the first with an RJ Borgesi RBI single. It tied the score in the third inning when Franklin Regional threw the ball into the outfield trying to catch a runner stealing second, and Skeen scored on the error.
With one out and the bases loaded in the sixth after a pair of walks and a hit batter, coach Snider used Jacob Bostian to pinch-hit, and it paid off.
Bostian pulled through with a two RBI single, giving the lead to South Fayette, 4-2.
“He is a dog. He has that football mentality as a player,” Snider said. “He hasn’t had many opportunities as of late, and I told him, ‘I’m never going to stop believing in you’ and he pulled through.”
Colt Cloherty followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2, then Skeen hit a two-run homer to left field.
“He’s been so close all season,” Snider said. “To see that ball soar over the fence was probably more special for him, maybe more for his dad who was jumping up and down on the hill, but it was the best.”
The final run for the Lions crossed in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Evan Mizia.
With the victory, South Fayette picked up its first postseason victory since 2023 and advanced to face the lone remaining team from Class 5A’s Section 1, second-seeded Penn-Trafford.
“We know they can throw, but we are going to play Lions baseball,” Snider said. “We’ve got time to find out what they got. We didn’t have seven days for this one, but we do for (the next) one.”
As for Franklin Regional, the season ends at 13-7 overall, having finished fourth place in Class 5A’s Section 1. There is a lot to be excited for with the future of the Panthers as they lose just two starters from Tuesday’s matchup.