Decade’s best WPIAL finals: Softball No. 2
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Monday, June 8, 2020 | 10:50 PM
Maddie Uschock pitches against Latrobe during 2018 WPIAL championship game.
From classification expansion to field renovations forcing a change in the venue for the district championships, there was a lot going on with the WPIAL softball championships this past decade.
From Lilly Field at Cal (Pa.) to Seton Hill to a mishmash of title games played here and there or anywhere there was turf in a battle against Mother Nature, there have been plenty of memorable moments at the WPIAL softball finals.
Wash, rinse and repeat was the theme in district softball these past 10 years as nine schools were able to successfully defend their WPIAL championships this past decade, including a three-peat by West Allegheny, a four-peat by West Greene and one for the thumb with five straight championships for Hempfield.
So, while the third decade of the 21st century got off to a slow start with the 2020 season wiped away, here is a look back at the last 10 years with a countdown of the Top 10 WPIAL softball championship games.
No. 2 – Dynasty survives, barely
In the history of WPIAL softball, only two school have won back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back district championships.
Sto-Rox won five in a row from 2000-04 and Hempfield won a combined five straight Class AAAA and 6A championships from 2015-19.
The Spartans won their 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 titles by a combined score of 33-2.
However, the 2018 title game at Seton Hill University was different. There would be no golden cruise control for Hempfield when it squared off with rival Latrobe.
In the end, which didn’t come until the ninth inning, the Spartans squeaked out the fourth of their five straight diamond crowns while the Wildcats were left with their second straight 6A runner-up trophy.
Click the final score below for the Bill Beckner’s recap of the Spartans’ victory over the Wildcats.
Hempfield 2, Latrobe 1 in 9 innings
Decade’s best WPIAL softball finals:
No. 3 – 2010 Class AA: Valley over Burrell
No. 4 – 2010 Class A: Vincentian Academy over Chartiers-Houston
No. 5 – 2012 Class AA: Deer Lakes over Greensburg Central Catholic
No. 6 – 2018 Class 2A: Laurel over Frazier
No. 7 – 2018 Class A: West Greene over Monessen
No. 8 – 2018 Class 4A: Belle Vernon over Elizabeth Forward
No. 9 – 2012 Class A: Chartiers-Houston over Carmichaels
No. 10 – 2015 Class A: Jefferson-Morgan over Chartiers-Houston
More High School Softball
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• Westmoreland County softball notebook: Southmoreland captures elusive section title
• Close games sharpen Greensburg Central Catholic softball for battles ahead
• Trib HSSN softball player of the week for May 1, 2023
