Westmoreland WPIAL softball playoff capsules for May 24, 2021

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, May 23, 2021 | 4:15 PM

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WPIAL softball playoff previews

Monday’s games

Class 4A

Quarterfinals

7-Yough (11-5) vs. 2-Beaver (14-0)

3 p.m. at Peterswood Park, McMurray

Coaches: Dutch Harvey, Yough; Amy Haggart, Beaver

Winner plays: Winner of 3-West Mifflin (15-4)/6-Burrell (8-6) on Wednesday in semifinals (time, site to TBD)

Players to watch: Savannah Manns, Sr., OF, Yough; Payton List, Jr., P, Beaver

Extra bases: Section 3 champion Beaver had a first-round bye. Led by List, a Virginia Tech commit, the Bobcats have 12 shutouts and have produced eight or more runs in 10 games. List is 10-0 with a 0.30 ERA and 151 strikeouts against 22 walks. She has given up three earned runs in 71 innings. She also bats .455 and leads the team with four homers. Senior Anna Blum (.439, 3 HRs, 22 runs), senior Emilee Hohenshel (.422, 17 RBIs) and sophomore Kayla Cornell (.419, 20 RBIs) are other offensive threats. The Bobcats’ last loss came in the 2019 3A quarterfinals, 5-4 against South Park. … Yough opened with a 3-2 win over Freeport in eight innings, taking advantage of a throwing error to walk off into the quarters. Junior pitcher Emma Augustine struck out 10 and gave up four hits. Manns went 3 for 4 with an RBI, and McKenzie Pritts had two hits, including a double. The Cougars, in the quarterfinals for the sixth straight season — 2020 aside — made the semifinals in 2018 and lost to Elizabeth Forward, 7-2, at Seton Hill.

Class 2A

Quarterfinals

1-Ligonier Valley (17-1) vs. 9-Neshannock (10-5)

4 p.m. at Mars

Coaches: Mark Zimmerman, Ligonier Valley; Jacalyn Lash, Neshannock

Winner plays: Winner of 4-OLSH (14-2)/5-Shenango (14-4) on Wednesday in semifinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Eden Krause, Sr., C, Ligonier Valley; Gabby Perod, Fr., C, Neshannock

Extra bases: Ligonier Valley cruised in its WPIAL playoff debut, blanking California, 12-0, in five innings. Remarkable junior ace Maddie Griffin struck out 14 and did not allow a hit for the 10th time this season. She is one of the top strikeout pitchers in the state with 225 Ks. Griffin also had two hits, including a double. Krouse went 2 for 3 with a double, and Haley Boyd went 2 for 3 with a triple. Both drove in four runs. Ruby Wallace contributed three hits and two RBIs. The Rams were a regular in the District 6 playoffs before the school joined the WPIAL in 2020. They spent 50 years in that district. … The third-place team from Section 4, Neshannock takes a three-game winning streak into the quarterfinals. The Lancers got past No. 8 Charleroi, 6-4, in the first round as winning pitcher Abigail Measel struck out 10. Perod was 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs, and Jadyn Malizia and Kaylee Smith each had two hits. Malizia homered and Smith had three RBIs. The Lancers lost in the quarters in ‘19 to Freedom, 7-2.

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

Tags: Beaver, Yough