Decade’s best WPIAL finals: Softball No. 4
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Tuesday, June 2, 2020 | 9:48 PM
Vincentian’s Bridget Melvin slides safely across home plate for the winning run as Chartiers-Houston catcher Colby Miller watches during the 11th inning of the WPIAL Class A championship game at Lilly Field on June 3, 2010.
From classification expansion to field renovations forcing a change in the venue for the district championships, there was a lot going on with the WPIAL softball championships this past decade.
From Lilly Field at Cal (Pa.) to Seton Hill to a mishmash of title games played here and there or anywhere there was turf in a battle against Mother Nature, there have been plenty of memorable moments at the WPIAL softball finals.
Wash, rinse and repeat was the theme in district softball these past 10 years as nine schools were able to successfully defend their WPIAL championships this past decade, including a three-peat by West Allegheny, a four-peat by West Greene and one for the thumb with five straight championships for Hempfield.
So, while the third decade of the 21st century got off to a slow start with the 2020 season wiped away, here is a look back at the last 10 years with a countdown of the Top 10 WPIAL softball championship games.
No. 4 – End of a dynasty
Since its inception in 1999, WPIAL Class A softball had been dominated by three schools in the first dozen years.
Sto-Rox won five straight WPIAL Class A softball championships from 2000-04.
Chartiers-Houston won four titles, including three straight district crowns from 2005-07.
Then it was Vincentian Academy’s turn. The Royals began the decade and capped off their three-peat with an 11-inning thriller over Chartiers-Houston in the 2010 WPIAL Class A finals.
It was the third and final WPIAL softball championship for the tiny North Hills school that closed its doors for good this spring.
Click the final score below for the recap of the Royals victory over the Buccaneers.
Vincentian Academy 5, Chartiers-Houston 4 in 11 innings
Decade’s best WPIAL softball finals:
No. 5 – 2012 Class AA: Deer Lakes over Greensburg Central Catholic
No. 6 – 2018 Class 2A: Laurel over Frazier
No. 7 – 2018 Class A: West Greene over Monessen
No. 8 – 2018 Class 4A: Belle Vernon over Elizabeth Forward
No. 9 – 2012 Class A: Chartiers-Houston over Carmichaels
No. 10 – 2015 Class A: Jefferson-Morgan over Chartiers-Houston
Tags: Chartiers-Houston, Vincentian Academy
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