CRANBERRY TWP — When it comes to championships, Joel Shaffer had been there, done that.

But not like this.

The Cranberry Township resident and Central Catholic senior third baseman enjoyed glory on the diamond as a 13 and 14-year-old. His Cranberry Pony League teams advanced to World Series play in Fullerton, Calif., and Washington, Pa.

“Going to California to play baseball with the friends I grew up with was the most thrilling thing in my life,” Shaffer said. “I figured nothing in baseball could top it.

“But this comes pretty close.”

“This” was Central's miracle-like run to the school's first-ever WPIAL Class AAAA baseball championship. The Vikings won their section title, but did not win a non-section game all spring and entered the WPIAL playoffs with a mediocre 8-7 record.

They trailed Franklin Regional, 7-2, with two outs and a runner on base in the seventh inning. An improbable six-run rally produced an 8-7 victory.

Shaffer had a run-scoring single during the uprising. He scored the tying run and gleefully celebrated with teammates as the winning run scored behind him as part of a three-run double.

“That was unbelievable. I've never been part of a comeback like that one,” Shaffer said.

What followed was a win over defending WPIAL champion Seneca Valley — and many of Shaffer's former teammates — in the quarterfinals, then a come-from-behind 6-2 win in nine innings over Shaler in the semifinal round.

“We were down 2-0 entering the seventh inning and had no momentum at all,” Shaffer said. “We got a leadoff hit in the seventh and everybody started thinking about the Franklin Regional game.”

Central rallied to tie the game. Shaffer wound up getting the win in relief, tossing scoreless innings in the seventh, eighth and ninth frames.

“We could always count on Joel to give us quality relief innings,” Central Catholic coach Frank LaCava said. “He'd come into games and throw hard.”

A two-year starter at third base for Central — and a three-year pitcher — Shaffer allowed only one earned run in 12.1 innings pitched over his final two seasons. He compiled a 7-1 record and a 0.28 earned run average.

“We had one of the top-ranked teams in the state my sophomore year,” Shaffer recalled. “Our whole infield wound up playing ball in college. Our third baseman went to Pitt, shortstop to Mercyhurst, first baseman to Seton Hill ... then we lost in the (WPIAL) quarterfinals to Pine-Richland.

“That was tough to take.”

The Vikings made up for it this time around.

Shaffer made three stellar plays defensively in a 2-0 WPIAL championship game win over Norwin.

“There is not a better fielding third baseman in the WPIAL than Joel Shaffer,” LaCava insisted. “He's one of the smoothest fielders I've seen at that position in a long time.”

He wasn't a bad hitter, either. Shaffer hit a combined .355 over his two years as a starter.

“I went to St. Alexis in Wexford from kindergarten through eighth grade,” Shaffer said. “My choices for high school were OLSH or Central Catholic. I opted for the Quad-A school over Single-A because I wanted the competition.”

Central Catholic had not reached the WPIAL title game since 1979 — when Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino played for the team.

That 1979 squad lost the championship game.

“I played on a team that did something Dan Marino's team couldn't do ... That's pretty cool,” Shaffer said.

Now Shaffer is headed for John Carroll University. He will play baseball there and major in biology, with the goal of entering dental school.

John Carroll won the Ohio Athletic Conference title in 2014. The team was 25-16 this season under 16-year coaching veteran Mark Thibeault, who has won 328 games there.

“I'm hoping I can start there as a freshman. That's the goal,” Shaffer said.

LaCava isn't betting against him.

“Joel will be a great college player,” the coach said. “He's always finding things to work on to improve his game.

“He's a hard-nosed player and a great student. I'm sure they'll be very happy with him.”