Westmoreland softball playoff preview capsules: Games for May 14, 2025

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 | 2:57 PM

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WPIAL softball playoffs

Class 6A

Quarterfinals

6-Norwin (9-11) vs. 3-North Allegheny (12-7)

2 p.m. Wednesday at Fox Chapel

Winner plays: 2-Seneca Valley (15-3) in semifinals

Players to watch: Diem Wardzinski, Norwin; Sammy Plotsko, North Allegheny

Extra bases: Norwin made an unforeseen run to the finals last year as a No. 5 seed and gave Seneca Valley a game in a 4-3 loss. The Knights had several key players to replace but have some solid offensive players in Wardzinski, Izzy Deering, Rachel Minteer and Makenna Black. Norwin has only scored 98 runs and has allowed 87. … North Allegheny took third in the nine-team 6A section and won 7 of 8 heading into its last regular-season game. Plotsko, a crafty ace, brings plenty of experience to the pitching circle and is backed by a strong defense. The Tigers swept Norwin in two games 8-2 and 3-2.

Class 5A

Quarterfinals

1-Penn-Trafford (18-2) vs. 9-Chartiers Valley (12-6)

5 p.m. Wednesday at West Mifflin

Winner plays: Winner of 12-Fox Chapel (13-6)/4-North Hills (16-4) in semifinals

Players to watch: Rilie Moors, Penn-Trafford; Lily Duffill, Chartiers Valley

Extra bases: Penn-Trafford posted its 18th win in 19 games with a 5-3 victory over Moon in the first round. The Warriors trailed 1-0 early before scoring four runs in the second inning to pull ahead to stay. Moors went 3 for 4, Lorryn Sepe knocked in two runs and Cam Ponko and Mackenzie Cox each had one RBI. Allyson Paulone allowed five hits and struck out four. … Chartiers Valley made the WPIAL 4A semifinals last year before falling to Elizabeth Forward, 7-2. The Colts also qualified for the PIAA playoffs before bumping up to 5A. In the first round Monday, Duffill paced the offense with a home run and two RBIs in a 2-1 win over Plum. Taylor Walsh allowed three hits and struck out six in the victory. Danielle Pici added an RBI double for the Colts, who finished in a tie for second in Section 3 behind West Allegheny and South Fayette. Moon was fourth.

Class 4A

Quarterfinals

8-Derry (11-6) vs. 1-Elizabeth Forward (14-3)

3 p.m. Wednesday at Norwin

Winner plays: Winner of 5-Blackhawk (12-5)/4-West Mifflin (14-6) in semifinals

Players to watch: Haylee Myers, Derry; Julia Resnik, Elizabeth Forward

Extra bases: Derry is in the quarterfinals for just the second time in program history. The Trojans, who played in 3A last year, squeezed past Greensburg Salem, 2-1, in the first round Monday at Norwin. Bailey Legge hit a walk-off single with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh for the Trojans, whose first playoff win came in 2021 against South Park at Norwin. In this year’s win, Legge, Francesca DePalma and Callie Krause each had two hits, DePalma with a triple to start the winning charge. Myers pitched a complete game with 11 strikeouts and no walks. She allowed six hits. … Perennial contender Elizabeth Forward saw a 10-game winning streak end with an 8-5 loss to Neshannock to close out the regular season. Elizabeth Forward is the defending WPIAL champion and also won a title in 2019. It was the PIAA runner-up last year and finished 23-2. The Warriors’ 178 runs are second-most in 4A behind Knoch (202). They have 47 doubles and 18 home runs. Four girls have 20 or more RBIs in Berlin Holibaugh (28), Addy Nigut (25), Resnik (23) and Alivia Grimm (23). Resnik is hitting .558 with four homers and 31 runs. Nigut bats .509.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: North Allegheny, Norwin