Bobcats Final Season Comes To An End With Loss In Opening Round Of PIAA State Playoffs

The Clarion Area Bobcats fell by just one run, 7-6, to the homestanding Eden Christian Academy Warriors, in Sewickley on Monday, June 1st, in the first round of the PIAA State Playoffs.

Eden Christian, a private school, is the District 7 (WPIAL) champion. The Bobcats are the District 9 number 2 seed.

With the loss, the Bobcats close out their historic last season as a program, as they will merge with Clarion-Limestone to form the Central Clarion Wildcats baseball team, starting with the 2027 season.

Neither team scored in the first inning. The Bobcats scored an unanswered run in the second and three more unanswered runs in the third.

Neither team scored in the fourth. The Bobcats failed to score in the top of the fifth. The Warriors scored two runs in their half of the inning, cutting their deficit in half, at 4-2.

The Bobcats scored a run in the top of the sixth, for a 5-2 lead.

Eden scored four in the bottom of the inning, giving them their first lead of the game at 6-5.

The Bobcats tied the game in the top of the seventh, before Eden Christian scored the winning run in the bottom of the deciding inning to set the final score.

Parker Miller was 3-for-3 for the Bobcats, including two doubles. He scored twice and stole a base. Dylan Smail had a double, an RBI and a run scored. Evan Kriebel doubled and scored a run.

Carter Hindman had a single and drove in a run. Hayden Weber also had a single. Wyatt Watterson scored a pair of runs and stole a base.

Billy Kahle drove in a run, and Gabe Anderson had another stolen base for the Bobcats.

Smail worked 5 2/3 innings on the mound, striking out three batters. Ethan Rex pitched 2/3 of an inning, with one strikeout.

For Eden Christian, Jackson Bremmer had a homer, three RBIs and scored twice for the Warriors. Brady Hull had four hits including a home run.

In the state quarterfinals, the Warriors went on to defeat West Middlesex 6-1.

Eden Christian will now play District 9 champion Elk County Catholic in the PIAA 1A semifinal at Homer Center’s First Commonwealth Field today (Monday, June 8th at 3:00 pm). Waiting for the champion of the western bracket will be the winner of today’s other state semifinal game between Dock Mennonite and Homer Center.

The Bobcats finished a fine 13-7 record season as KSAC champions and District 9 runners-up.

The Clarion Area baseball program’s storied history has included numerous additional conference championships, multiple District 9 championships, a 2017 PIAA State Runner-Up finish, and a PIAA 1A State champioship in 2023.

(2026 Bobcats, you represented this great Clarion Area program well!!!!)