What to watch for in WPIAL sports on June 9, 2022: 21 baseball, softball teams alive in state title hunt

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 | 9:40 PM

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Welcome to Quarterfinals Thursday in the PIAA baseball and softball playoffs.

WPIAL teams hit the midway point of the state diamond postseason with 12 softball and nine baseball teams still playing on the Path to Penn State.

In the opening round Monday, district softball teams were a combined 12-7 with all six WPIAL champions advancing to Round 2.

District baseball teams did not enjoy that kind of success, going a combined 9-10 with only two of the six WPIAL title winners moving on to the quarterfinals.

The baseball struggles buck a recent successful trend of WPIAL teams in the opening round of the PIAA postseason.

In 2018, WPIAL baseball teams were a combined 11-6 in the first round. In 2019, they were 11-8, and last season, district teams were a combined 12-7.

The softball success by district teams Monday should come as no surprise.

In the four previous PIAA softball first rounds, WPIAL teams are a combined 49-26, including an impressive 14-5 combined record in the 2018 opening round.

Traveling in pairs

WPIAL softball teams must have decided to pair up this spring and find a playoff pal to advance with.

Two district teams won and moved on in each of the six classifications.

However, the only head-to-head matchup of district schools Thursday will be in Class 4A when state reigning champion Beaver (20-0) takes on Burrell (14-2) at 3 p.m. at Mars.

These two section champions did not meet in the regular season or the WPIAL playoffs.

Both have dominant pitchers leading the way.

Payton List struck out 11 and had a pair of doubles in the Bobcats’ 3-2 first-round win over Fleetwood.

Katie Armstrong struck out 17 batters in the Buccaneers’ win over District 10 champion Villa Maria Academy in the opener on Monday.

Beaver has won 41 games in a row.

The other 10 games involving WPIAL teams are:

• Seneca Valley (14-6) vs. Quakertown (21-4) in 6A at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg at 2 p.m.

• North Allegheny (14-10) vs. Pennsbury (23-2) in 6A at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg at noon

• Central Mountain (21-2) vs. Armstrong (21-4) in 5A at St. Francis University in Loretto 2 p.m.

• Penn-Trafford (19-3) vs. Southern Lehigh (19-6) in 5A at Chambersburg HS at 3:30 p.m.

• Karns City (15-3) vs. Avonworth (18-5) in 3A at Mars HS at 1 p.m.

• Deer Lakes (14-5) vs. Bald Eagle (17-4) in 3A at St. Francis University in Loretto at 4:30 p.m.

• Neshannock (23-0) vs. Johnsonburg (11-6) in 2A at Heindl Field in DuBois at 3 p.m.

• Laurel (18-4) vs. Everett (22-0) in 2A at Norwin HS at 4 p.m.

• Saegertown (15-4) vs. Union (21-3) in Class A at Slippery Rock University at 1 p.m.

• DuBois Central Catholic (20-3) vs. West Greene (15-4) in Class A at Slippery Rock University at 3 p.m.

Only four quarters

With the combined 0-6 record of the WPIAL baseball teams in both Class 3A and A on Monday, district attention now focuses on the other four classifications.

Thursday features three head-to-head contests between WPIAL foes, including two between section rivals.

There was no WPIAL championship hangover for West Mifflin.

The first-time 4A champions began their pursuit of more gold Monday with some good old fashioned home cooking.

Playing on their home turf, sophomore Zane Griffaton was the head chef serving a tasty Titans treat.

He allowed one run on four hits as the winning pitcher and helped his own cause with a two-run homer in a 6-1 victory over Somerset.

Laurel Highlands’ trip north to Erie turned into a day at the beach for the Mustangs.

Frank Kula’s two-run single led Laurel Highlands to a stunning, 4-3 win over District 10 power Cathedral Prep.

The Mustangs celebrated their first PIAA baseball victory by watching the sunset over Lake Eire.

West Mifflin swept the season series from Laurel Highlands in late March, 7-4 and 5-1.

Their third meeting is at 4 p.m. at Latrobe.

Both the Riverside and Neshannock programs have enjoyed great success on the diamond thanks to the legendary efforts of coach Dan Oliastro at Riverside and longtime Neshannock skipper Mike Kirkwood.

Kirkwood has since passed the head coaching reigns of to John Quahliero, but the wins keep coming for both schools.

In the regular season, Riverside finished tied for first place with Shenango, one game ahead of Neshannock and Laurel in Section 2-2A.

The Panthers swept the two regular season meetings back in early April, 5-2 and 4-0. But it was the Lancers who went the farthest in the district playoffs, reaching the WPIAL 2A title game before falling to Serra Catholic.

With a state semifinals berth at stake, the two meet at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Seneca Valley.

The other battle of district teams is a rematch of a WPIAL Class 5A semifinal as reigning WPIAL champion West Allegheny battles defending PIAA champion Bethel Park.

When the two met in the district final four, Indians senior Anthony Pass scattered five hits and struck out seven in a 3-0 shutout of the Black Hawks.

Anthony Ranieri had two hits and an RBI for West A.

The game will be played at 2 p.m. at the Washington & Jefferson College Sports Complex in Washington.

The other three games involving WPIAL teams are:

• Upper St. Clair (13-10 vs. Warwick (20-2) in 6A at Mt. Aloysius College in Cresson at noon

• Montour (18-6) vs. East Pennsboro (18-4) in 4A at Mt. Aloysius College in Cresson at 3 p.m.

• Burgettstown (15-5) vs. Redbank Valley (14-6) in 2A at Slippery Rock University at 2:30 p.m.