A-K Valley softball playoff capsules: Games for Tuesday, May 25, 2021

By: Michael Love
Monday, May 24, 2021 | 6:36 PM

Class A

Tuesday

2-Leechburg (12-4) vs. 3-Union (11-7)

4 p.m. at Mars

Coaches: Debbie Young, Leechburg; Fred Settle, Union

Winner plays: Winner of 1-West Greene (16-2) vs. 4-South Side Area (12-3) in championship game June 2 or 3 at California University of Pa.

Players to watch: Anna Cibik, Soph., P/1B, Leechburg; Kate McCurdy, Sr., C, Union

Extra bases: The game is a rematch of a 2019 WPIAL semifinal won by Union, 5-3. The Scotties went on to lose to West Greene in the Class A title game. Leechburg defended its No. 2 seed last Thursday with a 9-5 win over Mapletown behind a team collection of 12 hits. Sky Raypush, Bella Vozar and McKenna Pierce drove in two runs each. Vozar led the way with three hits. Emma Ritchie surrendered just five hits and struck out six to pick up the win. Union is seeking its first WPIAL softball title. The Scotties, who tied South Side Area for the Section 1 title, have won six of their last seven games. Union had a flair for the dramatic in its quarterfinal against No. 6 Greensburg Central Catholic as Allie Ross singled on a 3-2 count to score two runs in a 6-5 walk-off victory. The Scotties collected 10 hits, and Ross had three of them with three RBIs in all. McCurdy added a pair of RBIs in the win.

Class 5A

Tuesday

7-Armstrong (14-4) vs. 14-Fox Chapel (13-6)

2 p.m at Mars

Coaches: Doug Flanders, Armstrong; Chris Olbrich, Fox Chapel

Winner plays: Winner of 8-North Hills (14-5) vs. 5 Chartiers Valley (13-7) in championship game June 2 or 3 at Cal (Pa.).

Players to watch: Cassidy Adams, Soph., OF, Armstrong; Brynn Palmer, Jr., SS/3B, Fox Chapel

Extra bases: The River Hawks and Foxes are in the WPIAL semifinals for the first time. The top four seeds in the Class 5A bracket have been eliminated, leaving No. 5 Chartiers Valley as the highest seed remaining. All four semifinalits also have clinched a spot in the PIAA playoffs. Fox Chapel advanced to the semifinals with a dramatic walk-off rally against Franklin Regional last Thursday at Plum. Palmer punctuated the rally with a three-run winning homer. Neena Pietropaolo hit her second solo home run in as many games. Fox Chapel is 7-2 in games this season decided by one or two runs. Armstrong, the Section 1 runner-up to Plum, advanced to the semifinals with a dominant 11-0 win over No. 15 Indiana last Thursday at Plum. The River Hawks have won four straight since a 5-0 loss to Plum on May 10. Cameryn Sprankle limited the Indiana offense to three hits, and Emma Smerick (home run, four RBIs) and Jenna Clontz (home run, three RBIs) paced the Armstrong offense. Riley Kilgore added two RBIs in the win.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.