Baseball teams fighting for playoff berths in Thursday’s 3 things to watch in high school sports

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, May 3, 2018 | 12:12 AM

At one point last month, Seneca Valley baseball won five straight games and was near the top of Section 1-6A. Four straight section losses though will keep the Raiders out of the playoffs. Strange thing though, now they can make sure another section rival will share in the lack of playoff misery.

Seneca Valley faces Butler Thursday at Kelly Automotive Park in Butler. The Golden Tornado, along with Central Catholic, Pine-Richland and North Allegheny have clinched a playoff spot.

But while Butler is in and Seneca Valley is out, one very interested bystander is Shaler. If Butler wins, Shaler ties North Allegheny for fourth place and both teams make it because they split in head-to-head this spring. However if Seneca Valley wins, there is a three-way tie for fourth place with North Allegheny, Shaler and Seneca Valley. NA wins that tiebreaker 3-1 based on sweeping Seneca Valley, and the Tigers would be playoff bound while the Titans and Raiders are home listening to the postseason only on TribLive HSSN.

Other key baseball games on Thursday:

Montour is at Moon. Both teams have clinched in Section 2-5A, but Trinity needs Moon to win.

Deer Lakes visits Indiana where the Lancers need a win to pull into fourth place, moving ahead of Yough by a half-game in Section 1-4A.

Keystone Oaks will host Belle Vernon in Section 3-4A, where a loss would eliminate the Golden Eagles from the playoff chase.

Beth-Center travels to Bentworth for a Section 1-2A game in which a win moves the Bulldogs to within a game of third place behind California and Chartiers-Houston.

Carlynton is at Bishop Canevin in Section 3-2A, where the Crusaders can clinch a playoff spot with a home victory.

Daughter brings the broom to Baldwin

Peters Township visits Baldwin Thursday evening in the latest district softball edition of All in the Family.

The Highlanders (9-1) can clinch the Section 1-6A championship outright with a home win. Baldwin athletic director Vince Sortino is in his third year of his second stint as head softball coach. Baldwin tied Canon-McMillan for the section crown in each of his first two seasons.

The Indians (6-4) can clinch a playoff spot with a road win. Nicole Davis is in her second year at the helm at Peters Township. She also happens to be Vince's daughter.

Father doesn't always know best. Peters Township handed Baldwin its only section loss in the first meeting, a 5-4 Tribe triumph last month.

Boys singles tennis tournament

A week after Fox Chapel and Sewickley Academy won team titles, the 2018 WPIAL boys singles tennis championships begin on Thursday afternoon.

The Class AAA first round, quarterfinals and semifinals will take place at North Allegheny starting at noon. The first three rounds of the Class AA tournament also start at noon at Shady Side Academy.

Peters Township sophomore Connor Bruce is the top seed in the Class AAA bracket. Bruce became the first freshman to win the WPIAL Class AAA boys singles tennis title in a dozen years last spring.

Last year in Class AA, senior Luke Ross of Sewickley Academy won district gold. This year, another Panthers tennis player is the top seed in Arjan Bedi.

The championships and consolations take place on Friday.

Don Rebel is a TribLive High School Sports Network broadcaster and staff writer. Reach him at drebel@tribweb.com.

Tags: Baldwin, Belle Vernon, Bentworth, Beth-Center, Bishop Canevin, Butler, Carlynton, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Indiana, Keystone Oaks, Montour, Moon, Peters Township, Seneca Valley, Sewickley Academy