Westmoreland County PIAA softball playoff capsule for June 9, 2022

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 | 4:35 PM

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Class 5A

Quarterfinals

Penn-Trafford (19-3) vs. Southern Lehigh (19-6)

3:30 p.m. Thursday at Norlo Park Softball Complex, Fayetteville

Winner plays: Winner of Central Mountain (21-2)/Armstrong (21-4) on Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD)

Extra bases: Penn-Trafford didn’t hit like it can in the first round, sending 14 pop-ups into the air, but still managed a 3-1 victory over District 3 runner-up Twin Valley. The host team saw Alivia Lichtner hit a home run in the bottom of the first inning, but Penn-Trafford settled in from there. Sophomore Mackenzie Keenan had three hits, and senior Hannah Allen drove in two runs for the Warriors. Mia Smith picked up her 19th win of the season, allowing three hits. Penn-Trafford won the state title in 2019. A WPIAL final rematch against Armstrong could await the Warriors. … Mikaela Benner allowed four hits and struck out eight to lead Southern Lehigh to a 5-2 win over Shippensburg in the first round. It was the team’s first state playoff win in 15 years. Morghan Davies added a sacrifice fly and put a ball in play that led to two runs via an error. Lila Padden, a freshman, had an RBI triple, and second baseman Hannah Bausher pushed in a run with a squeeze bunt for the Spartans. Legendary coach Brian Neefe, in his 51st season, has seven District 11 titles and 835 career wins. The Spartans had 13 hits in the district title game, a 10-6 win over Pottsville, as Bausher doubled in a run and third baseman Kaley Hoffman homered.

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

Tags: Penn-Trafford