JACKSON TWP — At first glance, it was a mediocre season for Seneca Valley’s baseball team.

But in reality, 2014 was far from ordinary.

The Raiders staggered into the postseason with an overall record of 6-11 before reeling off four straight wins to capture the fourth WPIAL title in the program’s history (1994, 2011, 2012).

“Getting to the playoffs is one of our goals every year,” said SV coach Eric Semega. “You get to the playoffs and anything can happen at that point.”

The Raiders certainly proved that. Their improbable run as the No. 16 seed was unanimously chosen as the Butler Eagle’s top local sports story of 2014.

In its final Section 1-AAAA game of the season against visiting Fox Chapel May 5, SV earned a 4-1 win to tie it with North Hills for third place.

That meant a spot in the playoffs, but the odds still seemed heavily against the Raiders, a team that had failed to win back-to-back games all season, suffering through a pair of three-game losing streaks in the process.

“We put a lot of work in, but just weren’t getting the big play or the big hit at certain times,” said Semega. “Sometimes, that’s hard for kids to overcome.”

But the Raiders had an ace up their sleeve. Senior pitcher Connor Coward, who had not pitched since a brief relief appearance against Mt. Lebanon March 27, was about to return from a back injury.

The first team to feel the sting of the rejuvenated Raiders was top-seeded Hempfield as SV stunned the Spartans 10-5. Vince Augustine and John Davis both belted a home run and Troy Martin hurled 4 1/3 innings in relief to earn the win.

Coward made his return in a quarterfinal showdown with Shaler, striking out six in five innings as SV moved on with a 3-0 triumph.

“Health-wise, I was 100 percent,” said Coward, now a freshman at Virginia Tech, “but my velocity was not where it used to be. It was just a matter of getting back into pitching shape.”

Next up was a semifinal game against Pine-Richland May 22 at Kelly Automotive Park. Coward threw a complete game and withstood a late Rams rally in a 5-4 decision.

Augustine and Johnny Brittner both drove in two runs and first baseman Dan Lopresti turned in a huge defensive play in the victory.

The Rams had scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning and Sam Gessner came to the plate as the tying run with two outs.

His groundball appeared to be headed to right field, but Lopresti dove to his right to make the stop, then flipped the ball to Coward at first base to end the game.

“That play sticks out for me,” said Semega. “If that ball gets through, who knows what happens?”

The Raiders were riding high. Never mind their 9-11 record, this was a team getting key contributions from its pitching, hitting and defense. But the biggest source of confidence entering the WPIAL Class AAAA championship game against Baldwin was the knowledge that Coward would be on the hill.

“His return was a big jolt of energy for us,” said Brittner, SV’s second baseman. “He was a dominant force and we knew we had a chance to win any game when he was on the mound.”

Coward saved his best game for the clash with the Highlanders at Consol Energy Park. After a rocky first inning, he settled down and blanked Baldwin over the final six innings in a 5-2 victory. Coward’s outing included 11 strikeouts and no walks and he benefitted from a solo home run from teammate Matt Rafferty that sparked a four-run bottom of the fifth.

“I know my teammates well,” said Coward. “I grew up with most of them and it was very frustrating not being able to help them during the regular season. To be able to come back and contribute my two cents toward that WPIAL title, it meant everything to me.”

The Raiders’ run extended into the state playoffs, where they defeated Moon (4-2) and DuBois Area (8-0). Their season came to an end with a 3-2 semifinal loss to Conestoga in Franklin County June 9. SV ended the spring with a final record of 12-12.

But SV’s 2014 season will not be remembered for the adversity the Raiders faced, but how they responded to it.

“We knew if we did what we needed to do in our section games, we’d have a chance at the playoffs,” said Brittner. “It was awesome to be part of it.”