WEXFORD — Entering extra innings in its WPIAL Quad A semifinal against Seneca Valley Wednesday, the Bethel Park baseball team had left 11 runners on base, including seven in scoring position.

The Black Hawks made up for it in the top of the eighth inning.

With the score knotted at 4, the first six Bethel Park batters reached base in the eighth, yielding eight runs in a 12-4 win over Seneca Valley at North Allegheny High School.

"When these guys get rockin' and rollin,' holy smokes," said Black Hawks coach Jim Rider of his team's offense.

The loss snapped SV's 17-game winning streak. Its last loss was a 1-0 setback to Plum March 26.

Bethel Park (16-5) tallied 16 hits in the game, with five coming in the final inning.

Tyler Bream relieved SV starting pitcher Kyle Helisek at the beginning of the inning and was greeted with back-to-back singles by Marc Foster and Dan Cybulski, followed by a walk to Mike Leviseur that loaded the bases.

With the infield playing in, Matt Carson found a hole between shortstop and third base, scoring Foster.

Trailing 5-4, SV coach Eric Semega elected to bring in Gabe Grinder to pitch.

But the senior had no better luck, as a fielder's choice by Jake Kalkbrenner turned into a fielding error, allowing two more runs to score.

Grinder pitched to nine batters, finally getting out of the inning with a strikeout and two groundouts, but the Raiders' hopes for their first WPIAL title in 13 years evaporated with the eight-run deficit.

They were retired in order in the bottom of the eighth.

"(The Black Hawks) are absolutely a fundamentally sound team at the plate," Semega said. "They led off the last inning with a couple of hits and then a wheel fell off for us and it got worse from there."

Before it could win the game in extra innings, Bethel Park needed to score the equalizer in the top of the seventh.

Trailing 4-3, the Black Hawks received an RBI single from Jimmy Meyer that scored Ed Kessler.

Kalkbrenner, who began the play at second base, tried to score the go-ahead run on the hit, but Grinder threw a perfect strike to catcher Ryan Turner that ended the inning.

The Raiders (17-2) left runners on second and third base in the bottom of the seventh. They were the last of 10 runners SV stranded in the game.

"We had a lot of missed opportunities, but it wasn't for lack of effort," Semega said. "Today just wasn't our day."

Andy Kountz picked up the win after pitching a complete game for Bethel Park. He tallied four strikeouts, two walks and gave up the four runs on eight hits, but only two of the hits came in the final six innings.

"Early in the game, he was up with everything," said Rider "And give Seneca Valley credit, they made him pay for it. But later on, I thought he settled down."

Helisek struck out six, walked five and gave up four runs on 11 hits.

"Any time you enter the bottom of the seventh inning with a chance to win the game, your starting pitcher has done his job," Semega said.

The Raiders can qualify for the PIAA playoffs by defeating the loser of Wednesday's other semifinal between Plum and Peters Township. The consolation game's date, time and site have yet to be determined.

Bethel Park 101 100 18—12 16 1Seneca Valley 210 010 00—4 8 2Andy Kountz and Dan Cybulski; Kyle Helisek (6 K, 5 BB), Tyler Bream (8) and Gabe Grinder (8, 1 K, 2 BB) and Ryan Turner and Matt Johnson.

W: Kountz (4 K, 2 BB).

L: Bream (0 K, 1 BB).

Bethel Park (16-5): Jimmy Meyer 2-1B 2B 3R 3 RBI SB, Marc Foster 2-1B R RBI 2SB, Dan Cybulski 1B 2B R 2 RBI SB, Mike Leviseur 1B 2R RBI, Matt Carson 2-1B R RBI, Ed Kessler 3-1B 2R 2 RBI SB, Jake Kalkbrenner 2-1B R SB, Alex Tarr R SB, Joe Vehec 3B

Seneca Valley (17-2): Ken Walrond 2-1B RBI, Phil Double 2R, Cory Mazzoni 1B 2B R RBI, Andrew Fornadel 1B RBI, Gabe Grinder 1B 2B R RBI SB, Jim Burry 1B, Brandon Durbin SB

Next: Seneca Valley vs. Plum-Peters Township loser, WPIAL Quad A consolation game, TBA