A-K Valley WPIAL baseball and softball playoff preview capsules for May 17, 2022

By: Michael Love
Monday, May 16, 2022 | 6:19 PM

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Baseball

Class 5A

First round

11-Plum (12-6) vs. 6-Shaler (14-6)

7 p.m. Tuesday at North Allegheny

The teams last met in the playoffs in 2015, a WPIAL Quad-A quarterfinal game won by Shaler, 1-0 … The Mustangs, the third-place team from Section 2, lost three of four to end the regular season. Seven of their 10 section games were decided by one run … Shaler tied South Fayette for second in Section 3. The Titans most recently won a WPIAL title in 2019.

Class 3A

First round

9-McGuffey (7-8) vs. 8-Deer Lakes (9-11)

4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Peterswood Park

Deer Lakes tied Derry and Mt. Pleasant for second place in Section 3 with 6-4 records. The Lancers won three of four to close out section play including a sweep of Valley … McGuffey finished in a three-way tie for second in Section 4 with Southmoreland and Waynesburg. The Highlanders hope to make a run to their first-ever baseball title.

Class 2A

First round

4-Charmichaels (14-1) vs. 13-Apollo-Ridge (9-7)

6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Latrobe

The teams also met last year in the first round with Carmichaels winning that matchup … The Mighty Mikes, the champions of Section 1, have won 10 in a row since a 10-9 loss to section rival California on April 14 … Apollo-Ridge, which tied for second in Section 3 with Shady Side Academy at 7-3, features Brandon Butler, Bradey Schrock and Nathan Kavulic all hitting better than .500.

Class A

First round

8-Greensburg Central Catholic (8-7) vs. 9-Leechburg (7-5)

4 p.m. Tuesday at Plum

The Centurions, the 2015 Class 1A champions, tied Bishop Canevin for second in Section 2 at 7-3. GCC handed section champ West Greene its only section loss, 14-2, on May 3 … Leechburg won its final four Section 3 games – sweeps of St. Joseph and Riverview – to finish third at 6-4.

7-Bishop Canevin (7-5) vs. 10-Riverview (6-10)

2 p.m. Tuesday at Shaler

The Crusaders won a WPIAL title in 2000. Bishop Canevin captured five of its final six section games and tied Greensburg Central Catholic for second in Section 2 … The Raiders hope to make a second-straight run to the WPIAL Class 1A title game. They finished fourth in Section 3 (4-6) with sweeps of St. Joseph and Springdale.

Softball

Class 5A

First round

8-Thomas Jefferson (10-7) vs. 9-Kiski Area (12-6)

5 p.m. Tuesday at Plum

Thomas Jefferson finished 8-2 in Section 2, one game behind champion Penn-Trafford. The Jaguars, a WPIAL semifinalist in 2019, handed the Warriors their only section loss, 3-2, on April 14 … Kiski Area, tied with Franklin Regional for second in Section 1 at 9-3, won eight straight before a wild 12-11 nonsection loss to Highlands last Thursday.

2-Penn-Trafford (15-2) vs. 15-Plum (7-11)

5 p.m. Tuesday at Norwin

The Warriors’ two losses this season, to Thomas Jefferson and Hempfield, both were decided by one run. Penn-Trafford pitched eight shutouts in the regular season and scored 10 or more runs seven times … Plum clinched a spot in the playoff with a 6-0 win over Penn Hills on May 10. The Mustangs are in the playoffs for the third season in a row.

Class 3A

First round

7-Valley (10-6) vs. 10-Keystone Oaks (9-10)

3 p.m. Tuesday at Plum

Valley, in the playoffs for the second year in a row after a seven-year hiatus, finished second to No. 3 Deer Lakes in Section 1. The Vikings fell to South Allegheny in the first round last year … Keystone Oaks, the third-place team from Section 2, went 7-4 down the stretch after a 2-6 start.

Class A

First round

7-Jefferson-Morgan (6-7) vs. 10-St. Joseph (6-4)

6 p.m. Tuesday at Trinity

The Rockets tied Mapletown for third place in Section 2 behind West Greene and Greensburg Central Catholic. Jefferson-Morgan has just two seniors and six freshmen on its 12-player roster … St. Joseph qualified for the playoffs for the second season in a row. The Spartans, who lost in last year’s first round, capped the regular season with a 15-8 win over Jeannette that snapped a four-game losing streak.

6-Leechburg (8-5) vs. 11-Rochester (4-7)

5 p.m. Tuesday at Mars

The Blue Devils are in the playoffs for a WPIAL-record 35th straight season. Leechburg finished second in Section 3 at 8-2 with both losses coming to rival Springdale (4-3 and 3-1) … Rochester was fourth in Section 1 behind Union, South Side and Bishop Canevin.

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.