News

by: Don Rebel

SOUTH HILLS RIVALS OPEN SECTION PLAY WITH DOUBLEHEADER

Weather permitting, the first WPIAL baseball section series of the season conclude Tuesday.

As a refresher, the district baseball committee began playing back-to-back home and away section games against the same opponent mostly on Monday and Tuesday of each week during the regular season following the cancelled 2020 season.

Sometimes a section series can go the Ernie Banks route: It’s a great day for baseball so let’s play two.

The Bethel Park at Upper St. Clair game Monday was postponed, so now the Section 2-5A opener between the two South Hills rivals will be section openers Tuesday.

The Black Hawks and Panthers will play a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. with both games being played at Boyce-Mayview Complex in Upper St. Clair.

A PLUM START

The 2024 campaign was a mixed bag for Plum baseball.

Thanks to a victory over Fox Chapel in their section finale, the Mustangs were able to earn a piece of a large pie that led to a tie with Penn-Trafford, Franklin Regional and the Foxes and four quad-champions in Section 1-5A.

While earning a share of the section crown in the regular season, the postseason was not kind to No. 5 Plum as it was ousted in the first round of the 5A playoffs by No. 12 Trinity in an 11-inning marathon, 6-4.

This season, the Mustangs are galloping out of the gates at a great pace.

Plum went 3-0 on its baseball trip to St. Petersburg, Fla., and returned home to knock off 6A Seneca Valley last week, 4-3.

Now Plum wraps up its first section series with a trip to Armstrong on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m.

The Mustangs swept the River Hawks a year ago, winning on the road, 15-4, and then edging Armstrong at home, 6-5.

MORE ON 1-5A

Heading into the start of section play Monday, the baseball section with the most combined wins in the district is Section 1-5A.

The seven teams – Plum, Franklin Regional, Penn-Trafford, Latrobe, Armstrong, Kiski Area and Penn Hills – were a combined 12-7, which is one more victory then the next closest, which is Section 2-5A at 11-8.

The Tuesday schedule for those two sections includes:

Section 1-5A

Plum at Armstrong at 3:45 p.m.

Penn-Trafford at Latrobe at 7 p.m.

Penn Hills at Franklin Regional at 4 p.m.

Section 2-5A

Upper St. Clair at Bethel Park at 4 p.m.

South Fayette at Moon at 4 p.m.

Trinity at Chartiers Valley at 4:15 p.m.