What to watch for in WPIAL sports on May 11, 2021: Baseball, softball showdowns at crunch time
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Tuesday, May 11, 2021 | 12:14 AM
No more rain. No more wet fields. No more excuses. For those teams healthy enough to play, there are only a few days left to get section games in before the softball brackets are released Thursday.
Here are some of the bigger softball matchups around the WPIAL on Tuesday.
• North Allegheny is at Butler with Seneca Valley as an interested spectator. If Butler wins, the Raiders tie NA for fourth place in Section 2-6A and clinch a playoff berth. Both North Allegheny and Butler have already clinched.
• North Hills visits Shaler with the winner claiming the Section 3-5A title outright.
• Carlynton travels to Fort Cherry for a doubleheader starting at 3:30 p.m. The host Rangers are 5-4 in Section 1-2A while the Cougars are 4-6. One win clinches a playoff berth for Fort Cherry while a sweep for Carlynton eliminates the Rangers and lifts the Cougars into the postseason.
• Seton LaSalle hosts Serra Catholic in a fight for fourth place in Section 2-2A. The Eagles are 4-4 while the Rebels are 4-5.
• Neshannock visits Mohawk in Section 4-2A. The Lancers clinch with a road victory, which would also eliminate the Warriors. A Mohawk win doesn’t clinch a playoff berth for anybody but puts Neshannock in a bad spot with tiebreakers.
Baseball gems
There are plenty of big games around the district baseball diamond as well Tuesday.
• After winning at home Monday, Fox Chapel looks for a sweep and at least a share of the Section 2-5A crown when it visits Plum. A Mustangs home win give them the section crown outright.
• Thomas Jefferson can clinch a playoff berth in Section 4-5A with a win at Connellsville. The Falcons have already clinched a playoff spot.
• Burrell and Indiana are deadlocked for fourth place in Section 1-4A. The teams play at Indiana on Tuesday, where the winner will clinch. The loser can clinch with a win when the teams meet at Burrell on Wednesday.
• Beaver visits Central Valley while Quaker Valley hosts Ambridge in Section 2-4A. The Bobcats can clinch with a road win while the Quakers control their own destiny and can clinch with two wins over Ambridge on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Warriors need a win at home and two Quaker Valley losses.
• Yough hosts Southmoreland in a doubleheader that the visiting Scotties need a sweep to clinch.
Playoff spot up for grabs
We are down to the last few days of the 2021 WPIAL lacrosse regular season.
On Tuesday, a playoff berth is at stake in Section 1-AAA when Latrobe hosts Penn-Trafford.
Latrobe is in sixth place in the section with a 2-5 record. Top six teams qualify for the postseason.
Penn-Trafford is a game behind with a 1-6 record, but a Warriors win moves them into a tie and gives PT the tiebreaker edge over the Wildcats.
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• WPIAL approves new section alignments for spring sports in 2025, ’26 seasons