Westmoreland WPIAL softball capsule for May 27, 2021

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 | 3:54 PM

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Thursday’s game

Class 3A

Third-place game

Southmoreland (11-5) vs. Avonworth (12-6)

2 p.m. Wednesday at Gateway

Coaches: Todd Bunner, Southmoreland; Jenna Muncie, Avonworth

What’s at stake: The winner qualifies for the PIAA playoffs, and the loser is done for the season.

Players to watch: Amarah McCutcheon, Fr., SS, Southmoreland; Abigail Stanley, Sr., OF, Avonworth

Extra bases: Southmoreland, the No. 7 seed, fell short in the semifinals with a 4-2 loss to No. 11 Ellwood City. The Scotties rallied for a run in the bottom of the seventh and were primed to load the bases and make a two-out rally, but McCutcheon was thrown out at third to end the game. Senior pitcher Jess Matheny struck out nine and allowed just five hits, all singles. Two errors proved costly as they led to three runs for the Wolverines. The Scotties played in the third-place game in 2017 and lost to South Park, 4-3, before winning the WPIAL title and reaching the state semifinals the following year. … Avonworth, the WPIAL champion in 2019 and a PIAA quarterfinalist, could not figure out Mt. Pleasant pitcher Mary Smithnosky in an 8-0 loss to the top-seeded Vikings in the semis. Smithnosky pitched a one-hitter and struck out nine, facing 23 batters. Stanley had the lone hit, a single in the third. In a 10-6 quarterfinal win over South Allegheny, Leah Logan and Meghan Fissore each went 3 for 4 and Alivia Lantzy and Rylee Gray each had two hits and two RBIs. Lantzy, a freshman, is the ace in the circle who has good spin on her pitches. The Antelopes beat Southmoreland, 3-2, in the ’19 WPIAL quarterfinals on the way to a title.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Avonworth, Southmoreland