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The way the Blue Devil baseball team was playing heading into the District 6-AA championship last week, it was going to take a monumental effort to get them out of the playoffs.

And that’s exactly what happened.

The season came to an end for Bellwood-Antis yesterday after falling to Neshannock 1-0 in 10 innings in the first round of the PIAA Class AA tournament in Beaver Falls.

It was the first time this season the Devils were shutout in consecutive games and only the second time B-A suffered back to back losses. The Devils lost 6-0 to Richland in the District championship last Wednesday.

Senior Chad Luensmann, who is signed to play next year at Nebraska, went nine innings, striking out 12 and allowing only three hits.

He was matched almost pitch for pitch by Lancer starter Frankie Fraschetti, who also went nine innings, allowed three hits and stuck out 11.

Luensmann came out in the tenth and was replaced by sophomore Nevin Wood, who had the team’s only other pitching victory in the playoffs. Wood allowed a hit and the go-ahead run was sacrificed to second. After intentionally walking the bases loaded Wood struck out one batter and nearly escaped the jam before Ray Scala connected for a two-strike base hit to win it.

“It’s definitely disappointing to lose after a game like that,” said Luensmann. “I was a fun pitching dual, but it’s no fun coming out on the losing side. But that’s how baseball goes sometimes.”

B-A ends its most successful season since 2003 with an ICC North championship and a 20-6 record, as well as a pair of seniors who reached the 100-hit plateau in Luensmann and Trenton Creppage.