WPIAL softball playoffs roundup for May 20, 2019: South Park wins on walk-off
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Monday, May 20, 2019 | 10:18 PM
West Allegheny starting pitcher Angela Costa throws against Plum during quarterfinal Monday, May 20, 2019 at Hampton Community Park.
Plum starting pitcher Abbey Froehlich throws against West Allegheny during quarterfinal Monday, May 20, 2019 at Hampton Community Park.
Plum’s Francesca Beighley makes a play on a ball hit by West Allegheny’s Alyssa Goldstohm during quarterfinal Monday, May 20, 2019 at Hampton Community Park.
Plum’s Chloe Fabio makes a play on a ball hit by West Allegheny’s Hannah Schook during quarterfinal Monday, May 20, 2019 at Hampton Community Park.
Julie Shinavski’s walk-off single scored Chelsea Carozza in the bottom of the seventh inning as No. 3 South Park defeated No. 5 Beaver, 5-4, in a WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinal softball game Monday evening at Montour.
Shinavski was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and also earned the win in the circle.
Emilee Hohenshel had two RBIs for Beaver (13-5).
South Park (14-4) will play No. 1 Avonworth (18-2) in the semifinals Wednesday at a time and site to be determined.
Avonworth 3, Southmoreland 2 (9 inn.) — Meghan Fissore’s bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth inning led No. 1 Avonworth (18-2) to a Class 3A quarterfinal win at North Allegheny.
Emily Eutsey and Courtney Myers knocked in runs for No. 9 Southmoreland (10-7).
Ellwood City 11, South Allegheny 10 (9 inn.) — Natalia Greco doubled in the winning run in the top of the ninth inning as No. 10 Ellwood City (13-6) upset No. 2 South Allegheny (16-3) in a WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinal game at Gateway. Greco was 3 for 6 with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs, Ariana Garroway homered and Angie Nardone was 4 for 5 with a double and four RBIs for Ellwood City, which will play No. 6 Keystone Oaks (12-4) in the semifinals.
Madison Kirkwood and Mikala Swearingen (home run) each were 4 for 4 for South Allegheny.
Class 5A
Connellsville 3, Trinity 2 — Mia Burd hit a two-run double, and Maddy Kineer also had an RBI as part of a three-run second inning to lift No. 4 Connellsville (15-6) to a WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal win at Peters Township. Sadie Miller, Kineer and Burd, the winning pitcher, all had two hits.
The Falcons will play No. 1 Penn-Trafford (18-1) in the semifinals Wednesday.
Franklin Regional 3, Hampton 0 — Angalee Beall threw a four-hit shutout to lead No. 6 Franklin Regional (13-7) to a WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal win over no. 3 Hampton (16-4) at Fox Chapel. Olivia Yurinko and Sarah Cowell each doubled in runs for the Panthers, who will play No. 10 West Allegheny (10-7) in the semifinals Wednesday.
West Allegheny 5, Plum 4 — The two-time defending WPIAL Class 5A champion is on to the semifinals after upsetting the second-seeded Mustangs at Hampton Community Park.
West Allegheny (10-7), which plays No. 6 Franklin Regional on Wednesday, scored a pair of runs in the first and third innings and led 5-1 after four.
Plum (15-4), which had won nine of 10 to end the regular-season, mounted a rally with three runs in the bottom of the fourth but was not able to break through with the tying tally. The Mustangs also had runners on base in each of the final three frames.
Kaley Joseph doubled twice and drove in a pair of runs, Megan Pollinger tallied two RBIs, and Angela Costa knocked in the other West Allegheny run and picked up the pitching victory.
Jillian Durst doubled twice for Plum, and MacKenzie Lake also had two hits, a double and a single.
Class 4A
Elizabeth Forward 5, Indiana 1 — Kailey Larcinese threw a two-hitter, and Taylor Ludwick was 2 for 3 with a double, home run and three RBIs as No. 2 Elizabeth Forward (15-3) scored a WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal win at Gateway. Jordan Pinneri and Brianna Sersevic each had two hits and an RBI for the Warriors, who will play No. 3 Knoch (17-1) in the semifinals.
Mt. Pleasant 9, Ringgold 1 — Top-seeded Mt. Pleasant (16-0) kept its record perfect and cruised into the WPIAL semifinals for the fourth straight time with a Class 4A quarterfinal win over the ninth-seeded Rams (8-9) at Seton Hill.
The Vikings led 6-0 after two innings.
Sydney Kanuch went 3 for 4 with a pair of triples, while Hannah Gnibus and Mary Smithnosky each doubled off the fence to power the Vikings. Kanuch and Lexis Shawley each drove in two runs, and ace pitcher Carolyn Alincic struck out 10, walked one and allowed four hits in the complete-game victory.
Thomas Jefferson 1, Yough 0 — Bella Bucy threw a three-hitter with nine strikeouts to help No. 4 Thomas Jefferson (15-3) beat No. 5 Yough (13-6) in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals at Peters Township. Kierra Waywood allowed one hit and had nine strikeouts for Yough.
Class 2A
Chartiers-Houston 5, Mohawk 3 — At North Allegheny, Ella Brookman doubled in two runs, and Kaci Alderson also had an RBI as No. 1 Chartiers-Houston (17-3) scored a WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinal win. Brookman earned the victory in the circle.
Trinity Voss and Alyssa Young homered in the top of the seventh inning for No. 9 Mohawk (12-7).
Frazier 10, Vincentian Academy 0 (6 inn.) — Logan Hartman threw a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts as No. 5 Frazier (16-3) topped No. 4 Vincentian Academy (15-2) in a Class 2A quarterfinal at Peters Township.
Rylee Evans had two hits, including a double, for the Commodores, who will play No. 1 Chartiers-Houston in the semifinals Wednesday.
Elizabeth Arnold allowed six hits and struck out seven in the loss.
Freedom 7, Neshannock 2 — No. 10 Freedom scored five runs in the top of the sixth inning to secure a Class 2A quarterfinal win over No. 2 Neshannock (16-4) at Sewickley Academy. Trisha Speicher hit a two-run home run, and Selena Bittenbender smacked a three-run homer for Freedom (16-5), which will play Laurel in the semifinals.
Laurel 12, Carmichaels 4 — Kayla Ruperto threw a seven-hitter with 15 strikeouts to help No. 3 Laurel (18-2) win a Class 2A quarterfinal game at Montour. Mackenzie Latess and Maddie Boyd each had three RBIs for the Spartans.
Class A
West Greene 6, Bishop Canevin 2 — Kaitlyn Rizor was 2 for 3 with a triple and two RBIs, and winning pitcher Jade Renner knocked in a run as No. 1 West Greene (17-4) won a Class A quarterfinal game at Trinity. The Pioneers will play Jefferson-Morgan in the semifinals.
Jefferson-Morgan 3, Sewickley Academy 1 — Cait Dugan threw a one-hitter with six strikeouts to lead No. 5 Jefferson-Morgan (11-6) to a Class A quarterfinal win at Trinity.
Union 11, Springdale 1 (6 inn.) — The third-seeded Scotties racked up five extra-base hits in a WPIAL Class A quarterfinal victory at Sewickley Academy.
Skylar Fisher went 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs for Union (11-5), which also got doubles from Halaena Blakley, Marleah D’Augostine and Kate McCurdy and a triple by Julia Williams.
McCurdy drove in a pair of runs for the Scotties.
Natalie Woitas hit a fourth-inning home run for Springdale (13-4).
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