Westmoreland softball playoff capsules: Games of Monday, May 23, 2022

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, May 22, 2022 | 5:01 PM

Class 4A quarterfinals

5-Montour (13-4) vs. 4-Yough (13-3)

3 p.m. at West Mifflin

Winner plays: Winner of 8-Freeport (10-6) vs. 1-Beaver (16-0) on Wednesday in semifinals

Players to watch: Mia Arndt, Montour; McKenzie Pritts, Yough

Extra bases: Montour held off Knoch in the first round 11-9. The Spartans trailed 9-7 heading to the bottom of the fifth. Arndt went 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs, and Avrie Polo also went deep and had three hits. Montour has won six of its last seven games. Two of its losses are to section foe and top-seeded Beaver (3-2 and 3-0), which could await the winner. … Yough muscled its way into the quarterfinals with a 7-3 victory over Blackhawk. Now, the Cougars are seeking their first semifinal trip since 2018. In the first-round win, Pritts had a career playoff game going 3 for 4 with a double, home run and five RBIs, and Emma Augustine, the lone senior, was the winning pitcher with eight strikeouts.

6-Belle Vernon (12-7-1) vs. 3-Burrell (11-1)

5 p.m. at Norwin

Winner plays: Winner of 10-West Mifflin (12-9) vs. 2-Elizabeth Forward (14-2) on Wednesday in semifinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Ashley Joll, Belle Vernon; Katie Armstrong, Burrell

Extra bases: Belle Vernon registered its first playoff win since 2018 with a 10-5 victory over New Castle. A big-hitting lineup continued to produce offense. Lexi Daniels homered and drove in four runs, and Joll and Mia Zubovic had two hits and two RBIs apiece. Talia Ross was the winning pitcher with 10 Ks. The Leopards’ last semifinal trip came in 2018 when they captured back-to-back WPIAL titles. … Burrell returns to action after a first-round bye. The Buccaneers, who have two WPIAL titles (2000, ’11) have posted eight shutouts behind Armstrong and a solid defense. The Bucs have allowed just nine runs in 12 games. Their lone defeat came against Highlands, 4-1, on May 2. A limited schedule only allowed for two nonsection games. Pyper Ferres is an offensive weapon in a steady lineup. The Bucs have a 6-1 win over Mt. Pleasant. They are 6-0 on the road this season.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Burrell, Montour, Yough