Westmoreland PIAA baseball capsules for June 7, 2021

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, June 6, 2021 | 4:36 PM

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PIAA baseball playoffs

Monday’s games

Class 6A

7-2 Hempfield (15-8) vs. 10-1 McDowell (14-6)

1 p.m. at Mercyhurst University

Coaches: Tim Buzzard, Hempfield; Mark Soboleski, McDowell

Winner plays: Winner of 3-1 Wilson (22-2)/1-5 Spring-Ford (18-3) game, Thursday at a site and time to be determined in the quarterfinals

Players to watch: Phil Fox, sr. P, Hempfield; Dan Snyder, jr. P/RF, McDowell

Extra bases: Hempfield played in its first WPIAL championship game and lost to North Allegheny, 4-0. The Spartans had trouble solving NA pitcher Kyle Demi, who was throwing 92-94 mph in the early innings. Hempfield is making its third PIAA playoffs appearance in the last eight seasons. The Spartans have advanced to the quarterfinals once. The Spartans need Phil Fox, Christian Zilli, Jayson Jacobs, Ryan Firmstone and Brandon Coughlin to have big games. … Erie McDowell was the only District 10 team in Class 6A. The Trojans defeated District 6 champion Mifflin County, 5-3, in a sub-regional game to qualify for the PIAA tournament. Junior Dan Snyder, a power pitcher, struggled in the game. He walked six, struck out six and had a wild pitch. He also doubled in a five-run fourth inning as McDowell rallied for a win. Senior center fielder Jackson Hower is hitting .500 with seven doubles and 12 RBIs. Senior shortstop Sam Crowley is hitting .452 with 21 RBIs.

Class 5A

7-1 Franklin Regional (19-1) vs. 7-4 West Allegheny (17-5)

6:30 p.m. at Latrobe

Coaches: Bob Saddler, Franklin Regional; Bryan Cornell, West Allegheny

Winner plays: Winner of 6-1 Central Mountain (16-5)/7-3 Peters Township (11-11) game Thursday at a site and time to be determined in the quarterfinals

Players to watch: Louis Kegerreis, sr., SS, Franklin Regional; Adam Crawford, jr., SS/P, West Allegheny

Extra bases: Franklin Regional got a walk-off single by Andrew Muraco to defeat Bethel Park, 2-1, in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game. Pitcher Brian Pirone, a Seton Hill commit, allowed three hits and an unearned run to the Black Hawks. It was the Panthers’ third WPIAL title, first under Saddler. Kegerreis had two hits in the finals and Timmy Quinn doubled. … West Allegheny dropped a 2-1 decision to Peters Township in the third-place game. It came after the Indians dropped a 1-0 decision to Bethel Park in the semifinals. Adam Crawford had four hits, including a double, to help West Allegheny to a 14-1 victory against Hampton. Devin Zirwas was 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs for the Indians. Cole Egan tossed a no-hitter this season.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Hempfield