What to watch for in WPIAL sports for April 8, 2024: Week opens with baseball, softball section showdowns

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, April 7, 2024 | 4:54 PM

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“All that is now, all that is gone, all that’s to come and everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.”

An ode to Pink Floyd as our region prepares for the “Dark Side of the Moon” on Monday afternoon.

The rare solar eclipse set for Western Pennsylvania between 2 and 4:30 p.m. has forced postponements or game delays for district baseball and softball teams.

The risk of eye damage in trying to view the eclipse without special eyewear has forced schools to either push back start times or reschedule.

One baseball section series flip-flopped days to avoid a Monday afternoon game.

Connellsville (0-1, 2-4) was scheduled to host Upper St. Clair (0-2, 2-5) Monday afternoon and visit the Panthers on Tuesday night in a Section 2-5A clash.

Now it will be USC home to the Falcons on Monday evening at 7 p.m. while the two teams clash in Fayette County Tuesday afternoon.

Watch the Monday game on Trib HSSN.

The switch of games set up another rare occurrence as the Falcons’ and Panthers’ softball teams are also scheduled for a game at 7 p.m. Monday at the same Boyce-Mayview complex in Upper St. Clair.

It will be the Section 4-5A opener for both teams. Connellsville is 4-2 this season while Upper St. Clair is 2-3.

That game can also be seen on Trib HSSN.

Primetime games

Once the historic solar eclipse comes and goes, there are some other events slated for primetime Monday that are worth noting.

In WPIAL softball, the two top teams in Section 2-3A collide as Ellwood City hosts Mohawk.

The Wolverines are a perfect 5-0 this season while the Warriors are 4-1 with their lone loss coming last week to Laurel.

This is the section opener for both teams.

In a Section 2-2A softball opener, Serra Catholic visits Brentwood with both teams having split their first two nonsection games. Game time is set for 6 p.m.

There are six other baseball games under the lights in the WPIAL Monday.

Butler visits North Allegheny in Section 1-6A at 7 p.m. with audio on HSSN.

In Class 5A, Penn-Trafford is at Plum at 7:30 p.m. in Section 1, and Trinity hosts Peters Township at 6:30 p.m. in Section 2.

Two games in Section 2-4A begin at 7 p.m. when Ringgold visits Latrobe and Belle Vernon is home to Uniontown in a game you can watch on Trib HSSN.

Frazier faces Washington in Section 1-2A at Wild Things Park at 7 p.m.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Brentwood, Butler, Connellsville, Ellwood City, Frazier, Latrobe, Mohawk, North Allegheny, Penn-Trafford, Peters Township, Plum, Ringgold, Serra Catholic, Trinity, Uniontown, Upper St. Clair, Washington