News

Photo Credit: North Allegheny Sports Network

by: Don Rebel

STATE PLAYOFFS COMMENCE FOR SPRING SPORTS

The district diamond playoffs are in the books as the curtain rises on the PIAA baseball and softball playoffs Monday.

While the other five classifications sent either three or four WPIAL teams into the state baseball and softball playoffs, the biggest classification has the smallest amount of qualifiers.

The Class 6A state playoffs only have two baseball and one softball team from District 7.

Seneca Valley (21-1) is the lone WPIAL rep in the 6A softball postseason.

The Raiders, who lost to Spring-Ford in the PIAA finals two years ago, are the only WPIAL champion to hit the road in the opening round as they visit District 10 champion McDowell (13-9) at 2 p.m.

Another team traveling to Erie is Mt. Lebanon (18-5) in a 6A baseball state opener. The 2023 PIAA runner-up Blue Devils will battle District 10 champion McDowell (14-7) at 4:30 p.m.

The WPIAL baseball 6A champion, North Allegheny, will host the No. 3 team out of District 3, West Lawn Wilson (15-7) at 4 p.m. in a game that can be heard on Trib HSSN.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

The Bethel Park baseball team knows all about bouncing back once the calendar hits June.

The Black Hawks lost in the WPIAL championship in 2021, but rebounded to win the PIAA Class 5A championship.

Bethel Park lost in the district semifinals in 2022, but won the WPIAL consolation game and went on to successfully defend its state crown with a second straight PIAA title.

Last spring, the black and orange lost to Shaler in the WPIAL championship game, however the Hawks could not three-peat as they fell in the state quarterfinals to Monsignor Bonner.

Now Bethel Park (15-7) heads east to visit District 3 champion Mechanicsburg (19-3) at Memorial Park at 4 p.m.

Elsewhere in 5A baseball:

• WPIAL 5A champion Penn-Trafford (20-3) will go up against the No. 5 team out of District 3, Lower Dauphin (17-9) at Plum at 4:30 p.m.

• WPIAL consolation game winner Franklin Regional (15-8) heads east to visit District 6 winner Hollidaysburg (14-5) at 4 p.m.

FAMILIAR FOES

The only PIAA first-round softball or baseball game between two WPIAL teams takes place between a pair of Section 2-5A softball teams.

Latrobe (11-12), the No. 4 team out of the district, will travel to face WPIAL champion Armstrong (18-3) at 4 p.m.

Armstrong swept both section contests.

The River Hawks won 6-1 at Latrobe on April 9, and then rolled past the Wildcats at home two weeks later, 8-2.

Latrobe has lost two straight games to Thomas Jefferson in the semifinals and Penn-Trafford in the consolation game after stunning defending champion Trinity in the district first round and No. 3 West Allegheny in the WPIAL quarterfinals.

Elsewhere in 5A softball:

• WPIAL runner-up Thomas Jefferson (12-8) will visit District 3 runner-up Solanco (19-5) at 4 p.m.

• WPIAL consolation winner Penn-Trafford (15-6) hits the road to take on District 6 champion Central Mountain (14-5) at 4:30 p.m.