Breaking down the 2025 WPIAL softball playoffs

By: Triblive And Bill Beckner Jr. And Michael Love
Thursday, May 8, 2025 | 8:15 PM

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WPIAL softball playoffs breakdown

Class 6A

Favorite: Eight-time WPIAL champion Hempfield has arguably the most talented batting order in the state with six Division I commits, including pitcher Riley Miller (Kent State), catcher Ella Berkebile (Bucknell), shortstop Allie Cervola (Ohio), second baseman Lauren Howard (Virginia), outfielder Claire Mitchell (UMBC) and pitcher Julia Varhola (James Madison). The Spartans, who won the title in 2023, were upset in the semifinals last year by Norwin. They are chasing a ninth WPIAL crown. The record is 10 (Baldwin, Sto-Rox). The Spartans split with Seneca Valley, losing 2-1 and winning 1-0, the latter a great duel between Miller and Hames with each tossing a 1-hitter. The latest win secured the No. 1 seed.

Contenders: Lexie Hames-powered Seneca Valley is the defending champion and, despite a lighter-hitting lineup than last year, still has the talent to repeat and win a third title in four years. Hames, a Clemson commit, has 900 career strikeouts. Bella Gross and Abby Kalkowski provide offense behind Hames, who has been leading off this year. The Raiders lost to Hempfield, 1-0, earlier this week, which could have been the difference between a No. 1 and 2 seed. … North Allegheny finished third in the nine-team section and won 7 of 8 heading into its final regular-season game. … Pine-Richland owns a pair of brow-raising wins over Seneca Valley but was swept handily by Hempfield. Catcher Callie Henne is a Pitt commit. … Canon-McMillan, a returning semifinalist, earned a split with North Allegheny.

Don’t overlook: While it lost some key pieces, Norwin was the runner-up last year and lost by only a run (4-3) to Seneca Valley in the final.

Prediction: Hempfield over Seneca Valley

Class 5A

Favorite: Potent Penn-Trafford lost its opener but won every game after leading up to its final regular-season matchups with Derry and North Allegheny. The Warriors are on a 17-game winning streak. They feature IUP commits Cam Ponko and Bella Rubbe, Seton Hill commit Rilie Moors and several others who carry heavy bats. Pitcher Allyson Paulone is more experienced and helped the Warriors reach the semifinals last year. Penn-Trafford won a PIAA title in 2019 but has never won a WPIAL championship.

Contenders: Shaler, the Section 1 champ, scored 10 or more runs eight times and features fireball pitcher Bria Bosiljevac. … Section 3 winner West Allegheny is on a seven-game winning streak and is allowing just 2.8 runs per game. … North Hills, which finished second to Shaler, is another team with offensive pop. … Armstrong won WPIAL titles in 2024 and ’22 and has the offense — its 194 runs (10.2 rpg) are the most in 5A — to start another run. … Franklin Regional, which battled Penn-Trafford and Armstrong in section, has two Division I players in shortstop Toryn Fulton (South Florida) and catcher/second baseman Ciara Camacho (Kent State). Latrobe was a semifinal team last year.

Don’t overlook: Thomas Jefferson and Baldwin jockeyed for position in Section 4 and split their series.

Prediction: Penn-Trafford over Shaler

Class 4A

Favorite: Defending champion Elizabeth Forward won Section 2 while averaging 10.5 runs. The Warriors’ losses are to a team from Florida and Belle Vernon. Addyson Nigut hits .521 with 24 RBIs, and Julia Resnick has four home runs. Ace Julia Johnson has struck out 84.

Contenders: Hampton reached the semifinals last year and is on a 13-game winning streak. Five Talbots have driven in at least 10 runs. Sophomore Marissa Snyder is hitting .471. She also has 83 strikeouts and a 2.45 ERA as a pitcher. … Knoch has been one of the best hitting teams in the WPIAL all season. The Knights have 198 runs (11 rpg), the most in the class and third most in the league. Their only loss came in the season opener to Plum, 8-7. They won 17 straight after that, including nine shutouts. Freshman Emersyn Jones has 10 home runs and 37 RBIs. Eight players have 10 or more RBIs. Marlee Fraser is 5-1 with a 1.08 ERA and 52 strikeouts. … West Mifflin finished second to West Mifflin in Section 2. … Blackhawk was a semifinalist a year ago. … West Mifflin is led by pitcher Rylie Dobnak, who has a 1.30 ERA and 118 strikeouts.

Don’t overlook: Derry is having one of its best seasons in recent history and features power with Haylee Myers, Sophia Doherty and Francesca DePalma. … Indiana is sneaky good behind freshman pitcher Sam Martin.

Prediction: Elizabeth Forward over Knoch

Class 3A

Favorite: South Park (18-0) joins Neshannock and Carmichaels as the only undefeated softball teams in the WPIAL. The Eagles hope for another shot at WPIAL gold after falling to Mohawk in the Class 3A title game last year. South Park, with a core of seven players who returned from the 2024 team, breezed through Section 3 play at 10-0. The Eagles outscored section opponents 113-5. South Park closed the regular season Wednesday with a 6-4, eight-inning win over Class 5A playoff qualifier Baldwin. Depth in the lineup has helped the Eagles soar this spring. Seniors Ally Wilder and Mady Wilder and freshman Emma Hays combined for five of the team’s eight hits. Hays singled and homered and drove in two runs. Junior Sydney Sekely pitched all eight innings against Baldwin and gave up six hits, one earned run and one walk while striking out 15.

Contenders: Mohawk (13-5) will begin defense of its WPIAL 3A title, and it heads into the playoffs with a key victory over District 10’s Sharpsville which stopped a three-game losing streak. One of those losses came at the hands of Class 2A No. 1 Neshannock. Mohawk won the Section 2 title by two games over Avonworth and Ellwood City. … Mt. Pleasant, the Section 1 champion with an 8-2 record, won its third straight Wednesday afternoon by a 9-5 score over Uniontown. Its only two section losses came to Burrell and Deer Lakes. The Vikings hope for better things this postseason after falling to No. 6 Central Valley in last year’s first round. Sophomore Danica Trainer, an all-state shortstop last year, leads the team in batting at .527 (29 of 55) with six doubles, four home runs and 14 RBIs. Mt. Pleasant last won a WPIAL title in 2021. … Ellwood City reached the WPIAL quarterfinals last year. The Wolverines own three WPIAL titles, the most recent two coming in 2016 and ‘17. Ellwood City (10-8) tied Avonworth for second in the section at 7-3, but the Wolverines swept the Antelopes. Ellwood City hopes to get back on track after losing three of its last four to close the regular season. Sophomore Lena Lucarelli is batting .500 (26 of 52) with two doubles, three triples, two home runs and 13 RBIs. … Avonworth won six of its last seven to close out the regular season. The Antelopes handed Mohawk its only section loss. Avonworth owns three WPIAL titles, all coming in the last six seasons (2019, 2022, 2023). The Antelopes averaged 9.1 runs. Senior all-section catcher Emma Obersteiner is a solid field general, and all-state shortstop Sydney Savatt is committed to Division I Rider.

Don’t overlook: McGuffey (10-5) was competitive in a pair of losses to South Park, falling 5-3 in the first meeting. The Highlanders also split with Keystone Oaks. McGuffey won five of six to close out the regular season. Senior pitcher Makenna Crothers is a Muskingum commit, and junior catcher Nicole Klages joined Crothers on last year’s all-section team.

Prediction: South Park over Mohawk

Class 2A

Favorite: Neshannock, 17-0 after an 11-0 win over Class 3A Mohawk on Tuesday, is in position to win its third straight WPIAL Class 2A title. The Lancers, also last year’s state champion, won the Section 1 title at 12-0 and outscored section opponents 164-7. Four of those seven runs surrendered came in a 14-4 win over section runner-up Laurel on April 2. Neshannock was the only undefeated team left in Class 2A heading into a nonsection clash Thursday with Class 4A power Elizabeth Forward. All-state standout Addy Frye, a senior Providence commit, batted .548 with a team-leading 29 RBIs through 17 games while compiling a 15-0 record and an 0.56 ERA with 137 strikeouts and just nine walks in 74 2/3 innings of work. Six in the lineup are hitting .500 or better, led by junior Jaidon Nogay, who owned a .610 average (25 of 41) with 25 RBIs, five doubles and 21 runs scored. Seniors Gabby Quinn and Miley Anderson collected 24 and 23 RBIs, respectively.

Contenders: Chartiers-Houston will test its mettle as a No. 2 seed after claiming last year’s Class A championship with a 9-5 win over Union. The Bucs also advanced to the PIAA semifinals. All-state honorees from 2024, senior pitcher Meadow Ferri, junior catcher Ella Richey and junior shortstop Laura Rush, helped Chartiers-Houston capture the Section 3 title at 10-0. The Bucs’ lone loss through 18 games came against Class 3A power South Park, 4-3. … Laurel’s only two losses in Section 1 play came to undefeated Neshannock. The Spartans have won four straight, including Tuesday’s 7-4 triumph over Class 4A power Knoch (17-2). Sophomore Maddie Evans, junior Ivy Pancher, sophomore Lexi Krol, junior Mayci Lang and freshman Hailey Fell have helped fuel the Laurel offense. Lang was an all-state selection last year. The Spartans finished third in last year’s WPIAL Class 2A playoffs and advanced to the state semifinals. … Frazier, like Chartiers-Houston, made the move to Class 2A and found success throughout this spring. The Commodores, 13-3 through Tuesday’s close 6-5 loss to Class 4A playoff qualifier West Mifflin, won the Section 4 title by one game over Waynesburg Central. Frazier scored 148 runs through its first 16 games, an average of 9.3 a contest. The Commodores’ only loss in 2024 came at the hands of West Greene in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals. Juniors Emi Bednar (catcher), Gracen Hartman (infield) and Grace Vaughn (infield, East Tennessee State commit), help lead the Frazier lineup. … South Allegheny, a Class 2A newcomer this season down from Class 3A, makes its return to the WPIAL playoffs after missing out the past two seasons. The Gladiators finished third in the 2022 Class 3A playoffs and qualified for states. South Allegheny swept through its Section 2 games on the way to the title, and it outscored section opponents 147-6. The Gladiators, 14-3 through a tough 4-0 nonsection loss to Yough on Wednesday, are led at the plate by junior catcher Cadence McBride, who owned a .659 average (27 of 41) with 16 extra base hits, including five home runs, and 28 RBIs through 15 games played.

Don’t overlook: Seton LaSalle (9-5) forged a tie for second place in Section 3 with an 8-3 victory over Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on Wednesday in the section finale for both teams. The Rebels, who got a big day from Gianna Ferrieri at the plate and in the pitching circle, finished with a 7-3 section record and avenged an earlier 11-4 loss to the Chargers. The win was their fifth in a row. Ferrieri finished 3 for 3 with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs, while giving up eight hits, a walk and three earned runs with four strikeouts.

Prediction: Neshannock over Laurel

Class A

Favorite: Union (16-2) captured another section championship this spring while it focuses on getting back to the top of the mountain. The Scotties had won back-to-back WPIAL titles in 2022 and 2023 before falling to Chartiers-Houston in last year’s Class A final. Union reeled off 13 straight wins through a 17-0 nonsection victory over Class 5A Mars on Tuesday. The Union pitching and defense gave up just one run in that stretch and scored 11 or more runs 10 times. Senior Mia Preuhs (.523) and juniors Olivia Benedict (.521) and Olivia Williams (.523) front the Scotties at the plate. Sophomore Irelyn Fisher owns 29 RBIs and has 67 for her career, while Preuhs has six home runs and 32 RBIs, and Benedict has eight home runs and 24 runs batted in. Preuhs also is 10-2 in the circle with a 1.08 earned-run average.

Contenders: Carmichaels has been powerful in and out of Section 2 play. The Mighty Mikes outscored opponents 140-12 through 14 games, all wins. That included 9-1 and 5-1 victories over No. 3 West Greene in their section series en route to the outright section title. Senior Kaitlyn Waggett (.532) and junior Carys McConnell (.550, 27 RBIs) help lead a Mikes team which finished third in WPIAL Class A last year. … West Greene’s losses to Carmichaels were its only setbacks through 15 games (13-2). The Pioneers scored 10 or more runs eight times and pitched five shutouts. West Greene, which won five straight WPIAL Class A titles from 2016-21, was a WPIAL semifinalist last year. Senior Payton Gilbert leads the team with a .538 average, owns 19 RBIs, and has 94 strikeouts and a 2.28 ERA in 95 innings pitched. … Serra Catholic (11-5) finished tied for the Section 3 title with Jeannette and shut out the Jayhawks, 4-0, on April 28. The Eagles, a Class 2A quarterfinalist last year, won seven games in a row through a pair of 15-0 win over St. Joseph on Tuesday. Keyara Watkins fronts the offense with a .511 average and owns seven extra base hits. Junior Kelly Morrissey owns a team-leading 22 RBIs. … Jeannette (12-4) edged Serra, 2-1, on April 22 as junior Grace Stein collected two hits and surrendered just four hits in the pitching circle while striking out 15 in the complete game. Stein (.432) and junior Abby Shaw (.426) led the offense with a combined 37 RBIs though Tuesday’s 15-0 win over Ellis, while Stein owned a 0.78 ERA in 89 2/3 innings over 16 appearances with 173 strikeouts and just 13 walks.

Don’t overlook: South Side (10-7) defeated Sewickley Academy, 4-3, on Tuesday to forge a tie for second place in Section 1 with the Panthers behind champion Union. The win was the Rams’ fifth straight. Maya Ringhoff leads South Side with 24 RBIs and 11 extra base hits. Madison Morrow owns a team-best four home runs. South Side has scored 10 or more runs 10 times.

Prediction: Union over Carmichaels

Tags: Armstrong, Avonworth, Baldwin, Blackhawk, Canon-McMillan, Carmichaels, Chartiers-Houston, Derry Area, Elizabeth Forward, Ellwood City, Franklin Regional, Frazier, Hampton, Hempfield, Indiana, Jeannette, Knoch, Laurel, McGuffey, Mohawk, Mt. Pleasant, Neshannock, North Allegheny, North Hills, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Serra Catholic, Seton La Salle, Sewickley Academy, Shaler, South Allegheny, South Park, South Side, Thomas Jefferson, Union, West Allegheny, West Greene, West Mifflin