What to watch for in WPIAL sports on May 11, 2021: Baseball, softball showdowns at crunch time

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 | 12:14 AM

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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.