Decade’s best WPIAL finals: Softball No. 3
By:
Thursday, June 4, 2020 | 10:48 PM
Valley seniors Maureen Pallone, left, and Casey Bonk accept the 2010 WPIAL Class AA trophy after beating Burrell, 5-4, in 12 innings.
From classification expansion to field renovations forcing a change in the venue for the district championships, there was a lot going on with the WPIAL softball championships this past decade.
From Lilly Field at Cal (Pa.) to Seton Hill to a mishmash of title games played here and there or anywhere there was turf in a battle against Mother Nature, there have been plenty of memorable moments at the WPIAL softball finals.
Wash, rinse and repeat was the theme in district softball these past 10 years as nine schools were able to successfully defend their WPIAL championships this past decade, including a three-peat by West Allegheny, a four-peat by West Greene and one for the thumb with five straight championships for Hempfield.
So, while the third decade of the 21st century got off to a slow start with the 2020 season wiped away, here is a look back at the last 10 years with a countdown of the Top 10 WPIAL softball championship games.
No. 3 – Valley of gold
The Alle-Kiski Valley area knew it would have a WPIAL softball championship to celebrate in 2010. It just had to wait and wait and wait some more to find out who it would be.
Rivals Valley and Burrell collided for a third meeting in the 2010 season with the district Class AA championship at stake in what turned out to be a titanic struggle.
It ended up being the second-longest district softball title game in three-and-a-half decades.
After beating Burrell twice in the regular season by a combined score of 11-2, the third time was no walk in Memorial Park.
The game was tied in the second inning and again in the ninth before Valley came back to win it in the 12th inning, securing the Vikings’ second softball crown in four years.
Click the final score below for the Bill Beckner’s recap of the Vikings’ victory over the Buccaneers.
Valley 5, Burrell 4 in 12 innings
Decade’s best WPIAL softball finals:
No. 4 – 2010 Class A: Vincentian Academy over Chartiers-Houston
No. 5 – 2012 Class AA: Deer Lakes over Greensburg Central Catholic
No. 6 – 2018 Class 2A: Laurel over Frazier
No. 7 – 2018 Class A: West Greene over Monessen
No. 8 – 2018 Class 4A: Belle Vernon over Elizabeth Forward
No. 9 – 2012 Class A: Chartiers-Houston over Carmichaels
No. 10 – 2015 Class A: Jefferson-Morgan over Chartiers-Houston
More High School Softball
• Trib 10: Baseball power rankings shaken up despite poor week of weather• Leechburg softball team proud to uphold playoff streak
• Westmoreland County softball notebook: Southmoreland captures elusive section title
• Close games sharpen Greensburg Central Catholic softball for battles ahead
• Trib HSSN softball player of the week for May 1, 2023
