PIAA baseball, softball finals on tap Thursday in 3 things to watch in high school sports

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, June 14, 2018 | 8:18 AM

From 2006 through 2016, Ringgold did not win a baseball playoff game.

That is because the Rams didn't even qualify for the district postseason in that 11-year span.

Things began to change last spring when the Rams made the Class 4A playoffs and beat Freeport in Round 1 before falling to Blackhawk in the quarterfinals.

With a lot of returning players, hopes were high for Ringgold to build on last season's turnaround campaign.

Now the Rams are a win away from reaching the golden summit. You can't get any higher than that.

After falling to South Fayette in the WPIAL title game 4-1, Ringgold has bounced back with PIAA playoff wins over St. Mary's, Hopewell and Meadville.

Now the only thing separating them from a first state championship on the diamond is District 2 champion Valley View.

Hear the game on the TribLive High School Sports Network at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

How the West was won

Two WPIAL softball teams hope to add more gold to their collection Thursday at Penn State.

Both West Greene and West Allegheny spent Tuesday afternoon at Peterswood Park and both pulled off come-from-behind semifinals wins over the teams they beat in the district title games, Monessen and Thomas Jefferson, respectively.

West Greene looks to repeat as PIAA Class A champion in a third straight battle with Williams Valley in Happy Valley. The Pioneers and Vikings have split the two previous meetings, with Williams Valley winning in 2016 and West Greene in 2017. The game begins at 11 a.m.

West Allegheny tries to win its first state softball crown against Lampeter-Strasburg in the 5A title game at 4 p.m. The Indians hope to follow in the footsteps of the 2006 girls' volleyball team as the only girls' teams in school history to win PIAA championships.

Both state softball finals can be heard Thursday on the TribLive High School Sports Network .

Other Thursday state finals

Three other PIAA championship baseball and softball games will take place Thursday at Madlar Field at Lubrano Park (baseball) and Beard Field at Nittany Lions Park (softball).

District 10 2A champion Rocky Grove faces Camp Hill in the first baseball championship game at 1 p.m.

The last baseball title game of Day 1 is for the 5A crown when Marple Newtown takes on Lower Dasuphin.

In softball, District 6 champion Philipsburg-Osceola faces Holy Redeemer in the 2A championship game at 1:30 p.m. That game can also be heard on the TribLive High School Sports Network .

Don Rebel is a TribLIVE High School Sports Network broadcaster and staff writer. Reach him at drebel@tribweb.com.

Tags: Ringgold, West Allegheny