A-K Valley WPIAL baseball playoff capsules for May 19, 2026

By: Bill Hartlep
Monday, May 18, 2026 | 5:36 PM

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WPIAL baseball playoffs

Class 3A

Quarterfinals

4-Freeport (18-1) vs. 5-South Park (15-5)

6 p.m. Tuesday at Plum

Winner plays: Winner of 1-Avonworth (16-5)/9-Charleroi (12-8) on Thursday in semifinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Luke Whitfield, Freeport; Cooper Hochendoner, South Park

Extra bases: Freeport got a wide range of contributions in its 5-2 win over No. 13 Quaker Valley in the first round. Whitfield homered, Greg Blyston threw a complete game with 15 strikeouts, Owen Westendorf knocked in two runs, Gavin Tola had two doubles and Danny King knocked in a run. Blystone and Westendorf have been strong all season on the mound, both with sub-2.00 ERAs. … Senior pitcher Hochendoner threw a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts as South Park recorded a 3-0 win over No. 12 Keystone Oaks in the first round. The Slippery Rock recruit was one walk away from a perfect game. Ryan Spitnagler hit a two-run homer in the win. Fellow pitcher Robert Lenzi (0.64 ERA) gives the Eagles depth on the mound. South Park, which took second in Section 2 at 8-2, is looking for its third WPIAL championship.

3-Ellwood City (16-3) vs. 11-Burrell (11-9)

6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pullman Park, Butler

Winner plays: Winner of 15-South Allegheny (10-9)/7-Riverside (11-7) on Thursday in semifinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Aaron Lake, Ellwood City; Brayden Mell, Burrell

Extra bases: Ellwood City, the co-Section 1 champion, shut out Ligonier Valley, 3-0, in the first round. Aaron Lake tossed a three-hitter with six strikeouts. Jake Biskup, Geordan Bokor and Matt Kelly each had two hits and an RBI for the Wolverines, who are looking for their sixth WPIAL title and first since 2012. … Burrell advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 victory over No. 6 Mohawk. Brayden Mell threw a two-hit shutout with three strikeouts. Rayden Shirey hit a two-run single for the game’s only runs. The Bucs are looking for their first WPIAL title since 1974.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Burrell, Ellwood City, Freeport, South Park