A-K Valley lookahead: April 2-7

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, April 1, 2018 | 6:51 PM

MONDAY

After four days of rainouts, will baseball and softball season resume? The weather conditions appear favorable, and the Burrell and St. Joseph softball teams are on tap for a nonsection game at Bon Air Elementary. St. Joseph won its opener, 14-12, over Apollo-Ridge after scoring eight runs in the sixth inning. Serena Edgar had three hits and three RBIs. Burrell is coming off a 9-2 loss to Albert Gallatin. Kelly Nitowski tripled for the Bucs in the defeat.

• Valley baseball has played four games thanks to an early-season trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Vikings (2-2) will see if they can replicate their success back home when they travel to face nonsection foe Riverside. The Panthers (0-1) are two-time defending WPIAL champions but are coming off a season-opening loss to Knoch.

TUESDAY

Highlands baseball will look to get things started the right way in a Section 1-4A opener at Freeport. The host Yellowjackets qualified for the playoffs last season but are replacing one of the WPIAL's top hitters in James Flemm.

• Fox Chapel pitcher Alex Miles struck out 14 batters in his season debut last week, a loss to Gateway. The Foxes (0-1) will host Plum in a nonsection contest. Kent State recruit Ryan Kircher leads Plum (2-0), which opened the season in Florida.

• The Section 1-3A softball race went down to the wire last season, with Deer Lakes claiming the title over South Allegheny by virtue of a win in the teams' second meeting. The Lancers will host the Gladiators in their section opener. Seniors Katelynn Blair and Dani Huffman lead Deer Lakes, and junior Sydney Kirkwood is the top player for South Allegheny.

WEDNESDAY

One of the top boys volleyball rivalries resumes as No. 2 Deer Lakes travels to No. 3 Derry. The section foes both qualified for the PIAA Class AA playoffs last season, Deer Lakes as the WPIAL runner-up and Derry as the third-place team. The Lancers (3-0, 1-0) are off to a strong start, having swept Armstrong, Plum and Summit Academy.

• Freeport boys lacrosse picked up a pair of come-from-behind victories over the weekend in West Virginia, and the Yellowjackets (3-0) will open section play by hosting rival Knoch. Sean Fennel had a pair of five-goal games against Morgantown and Fairmont (W.Va.), including the overtime winner against Morgantown.

• After their Section 3-A opener was rained out, Leechburg and Riverview softball will try again Wednesday afternoon at Riverside Park. The visiting Blue Devils (1-0) pounded Springdale, 15-0, in their season opener last week. Riverview is coming off a playoff appearance last season and returns eight starters.

THURSDAY

Highlands looks to put a dent in defending Section 1-4A baseball champion Knoch when it hosts the Knights. Knoch beat Highlands on a walk-off single last season. Pitcher Jake Herrit and catcher Dylan Swarmer lead the Knights (1-0).

• Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic dealt Apollo-Ridge its only two Section 2-2A softball losses last season. Apollo-Ridge (0-1) dropped a back-and-forth season opener against St. Joseph but still put up a dozen runs. Defending section champion North Catholic was hit hard by graduation.

• In a nonsection softball game between 2017 playoff teams, St. Joseph hosts Riverview. Serena Edgar and Anna Swierczewski lead the Spartans against Alyssa Cappa, Alivia Acierno and the Raiders.

• St. Joseph baseball dropped its season opener to Riverview, but the Spartans will look for a better result in a nonsection game at Jeannette. The Jayhawks are the defending WPIAL Class A champion.

FRIDAY

Freeport baseball gets a big nonsection test with a game at Class 2A No. 1 Serra Catholic. The Eagles, a PIAA tournament qualifier last season, return sophomore Mark Black, a St. John's commit, plus senior stars Ben and Zack Bowen, Nate Piontka and Ben Visnesky.

• Riverview softball caps off a week of games against 2017 playoff teams by hosting Apollo-Ridge at Riverside Park.

SATURDAY

The Derry boys volleyball tournament will feature some of the top teams from around the WPIAL, and local teams Deer Lakes and Fox Chapel will compete.