Softball
Scholastic Notebook – 05/23/3014
May 23, 2014
The perfect championships don’t happen often in WPIAL softball. But for the Deer Lakes Lancers, they’ve been in the perfect storm before. Deer Lakes is 18-0 and will play Beaver (15-0) for the Class AA championship Thursday at California University of Pennsylvania. It is only the third time in 17 years that a softball title game will match two undefeated teams. But it’s the second year in a row for Deer Lakes. In 2013, Deer Lakes and Riverside both took undefeated records into the title game before Riverside came away with a 5-1 victory. The only other time in the past 17 years that two undefeated teams met in a final was 1998 when Carmichaels beat Sto-Rox for the Class AA crown.MSA Sports Baseball & Softball Playoff Recaps for Monday, May 19th
May 20, 2014
After being pushed back from the postseason spotlight last week because of Mother Nature, it was a busy day of both First Round and Quarterfinals contests in the WPIAL softball playoffs. Plus a leftover Class AAA baseball Quarterfinals game and a pair of Class A Semifinals contests made for plenty of diamond doings on Monday. Here are summaries of all the action, most of which was heard here on The Network. A special thanks to Don Rebel, Josh Rowntree, Bobby Fox, Randy Gore, Dennis Fischer, Bob Gregg, Lou Rood, Pete Blais, Sean Meyers, Mike Azadian, Jason Tennant, Greg Kuntz and Adam Gusky for their help on these recaps. BASEBALL: WPIAL CLASS AAA Quarterfinals:Scholastic Notebook – 05/19/2014
May 19, 2014
Seneca Valley has been the surprise team of the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs. The Raiders are the No. 16 seed, but find themselves in the semifinals. One more win and Seneca Valley will make history, but not because of their seeding. Seneca Valley plays Pine-Richland in a semifinal game Wednesday at a site and time to be determined. A win will put Seneca Valley into the championship game for the fourth year in a row. It has been at least 50 years since a team made it to a title game four consecutive years. In fact, it is likely that no team has ever made it to a championship four years in a row. So far in the playoffs, Seneca Valley has knocked off No. 1 seed Hempfield, 10-5, and also No. 9 seed Shaler, 3-0. Smith Does it AllThis Week on the MSA Sports Network – 05/11/2014
May 11, 2014
Let the games begin! The 2014 WPIAL spring sports playoffs kick into full gear this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2014 WPIAL Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse and Boys Volleyball postseasons with First Round and/or Quarterfinals action along with the 2014 WPIAL Boys and Girls Individual Track & Field Championships, plus we another edition of Rappin on Racin and The WPIAL Baseball Show...playoff edition ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, May 12th: TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net
FINAL 2014 WPIAL Softball Standings
Here are the FINAL WPIAL softball standings...including the final WPIAL PLAYOFF clinchings. The standings will be updated daily through the 2014 regular season. You can follow the high school softball season with schedules, scores, weekly rankings every Tuesday and game broadcasts, including another year of the MSA Sports Hometown Softball Program here on the MSA Sports Network. The top three teams in each section qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. The 2014 WPIAL Softball Playoffs ONLY on the MSA Sports Network will be sponsored by Carlow University. Teams in capital letters are part of the MSA Sports Hometown Softball Program.Scholastic Notebook – 05/09/2014
May 9, 2014
With every zero that he puts on the scoreboard, Blackhawk senior pitcher Brendan McKay continues to climb the national list for the longest scoreless streak? That naturally brings up two questions: Is McKay anywhere near the national record and does he have a chance to break it before he graduates? The answers are yes and yes. McKay beat Montour, 3-0, earlier this week to stretch his scoreless streak to 58 innings, dating back to last season. That is the fourth-longest streak in U.S. high school history, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the governing body of high school sports in the country.
Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for Chartiers-Houston on 5/7/14
It took over 48 hours, but Chartiers-Houston (10-6, 8-4) was finally able to take down Fort Cherry by a 15-0 score in a three inning mercy rule win on Wednesday at Allison Park Elementary School Field. The game, which was started on Monday and finished on Wednesday due to lightning and heavy rain, saw the Bucs draw 15 walks and have 4 batters hit by pitches. Kassie Kesneck picked up the win for Chartiers-Houston, going three innings, while surrendering only two hits, striking out three and walking just one batter. Kesneck was also one of four players to record multiple runs batted in at the plate.
Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for South Side on 5/7/14
May 8, 2014
It was senior day in Hookstown as the South Side Rams took on the Neshannock Lancers on Wednesday. With a win the Rams would have a share of the section title. With a loss it would be third place for South Side. Their dreams of sharing a section championship were not to be realized as they dropped a 10-3 decision to the Lancers.MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball Playoff Rankings 2014
It's district postseason time again, so MSA Sports is always ready to lend a helping hand in seeding the brackets. it's not a true ranking because in general, the WPIAL avoids teams from the same section playing each other. Here is our two cents, which is worth just that as 56 teams get ready to settle it on the field starting next week. In Quad-A (assuming Peters Twp does not come way back to clinch) has 12 teams, thus four first round bye's. Triple-A has 17 teams and will have one Preliminary Round game. Double-A has 15 teams and the top-seed will enjoy an opening round bye while Single-A is much like Quad-A with only 12 teams and four round one bye's.
Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for Baldwin on 5/6/14
May 7, 2014
The Baldwin Highlanders clinched a playoff spot with a 4-0 win on Tuesday afternoon over AAAA, Section 4 opponent, Mt. Lebanon. The Highlanders came into the day in a 3-way tie for second place in the section. However, with the win, they remain in second place and have a guaranteed playoff spot with a section record of 10-4.
MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 05/05/2014
May 5, 2014
Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including NEW #1 teams in Class AAAA and Class A. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL Class AAAA: 1) Shaler Titans (11-2) (Last Week #2) 2) Penn-Trafford Warriors (12-2) (Last Week #3) 3) Norwin Knights (11-2) (Last Week #4)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 05/04/2014
May 4, 2014
Ready or not, we have reached the final week of the high school baseball, softball, volleyball and lacrosse regular season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We close out section play with plenty of WPIAL baseball and WPIAL softball along with WPIAL boys volleyball and WPIAL lacrosse, plus we another edition of Rappin on Racin and The WPIAL Baseball Show along with the WPIAL Softball Playoff Pairings Show on Thursday and the WPIAL Baseball Playoff Pairings Show on Friday ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, May 5th: TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netHometown Softball Broadcast Recap for New Castle on 5/2/14
May 2, 2014
In maybe the best comeback of the season, the New Castle Red Hurricanes rallied from a 6-0 fourth inning deficit to defeat the Hopewell Vikings and move ever so closer to a fourth straight berth in the WPIAL Softball Playoffs. The Red Hurricanes posted three runs in the bottom of the fourth and then sent twelve hitters to the plate, scoring eight runs on the way to the win. New Castle is now 7-3 overall and 6-3 in Section 1-AAA, having won six straight section games.Scholastic Notebook – 05/02/2014
There are multi-sport athletes in the WPIAL who compete in more highly-visible sports than North Hills’ Noah Bostick. But as far as the number of sports and excelling in them, Bostick has few peers. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say Bostick is most one of the best all-around athletes in the WPIAL. He is a young man for all seasons – and then some. You don’t see many three-sport athletes these days at large schools. But Bostick is more than a three-sport athlete. He actually competes in four sports, and does well in all of them.
MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/29/2014
April 29, 2014
Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings...including NEW #1 teams in Class AAAA and Class A. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL Class AAAA: 1) Canon-McMillan Big Macs (13-2) (Last Week #2) 2) Shaler Titans (9-2) (Last Week #7) 3) Penn-Trafford Warriors (12-2) (Last Week #8)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 04/27/2014
April 27, 2014
As the temperature settles into the 60's and the sun shares times with the clouds and rain, we inch closer to the end of the regular season in spring sports as April turns to May this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have plenty of 'Stretch Run' section play in WPIAL baseball and WPIAL softball along with WPIAL boys volleyball and WPIAL lacrosse, plus we another edition of Rappin on Racin and The WPIAL Baseball Show ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, April 28th: TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.net
Hometown Softball Program Salute – SOUTH SIDE BEAVER RAMS
April 25, 2014
South Side returns eight starters from last year’s playoff team. The Lady Rams are currently sitting in third place (7-2, 8-2), with five section games left. Two of them versus the co-leaders Shenango and Neshannock (May 1, 2). The Lady Rams are looking to get back to the post season for the sixth straight season. With only two weeks left, South Side will be looking to Senior Sarah Androlia and Sophomore Slugger Connor McGaffic to keep the Lady Rams on pace for the playoff berth. This year’s version of the Lady Rams are young, with only three seniors on the roster, Androlia, Amber Marburger and Cassidy Smith. Theresa Waxler is relying on the underclassman to step up the rest of the way. Even though they are young, they have playoff experience.Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for Elizabeth Forward on 4/24/14
The Elizabeth Forward Warriors suffered a 6-4 defeat in a Class AAA Section 3 matchup versus the Yough Cougars Thursday afternoon at William Penn Field thanks to a late 7th inning 3 run rally put together by the Cougars.Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap for Elizabeth Forward on 4/21/14
April 23, 2014
Elizabeth Forward (9-3, 6-1) started early, rattling off seven first inning runs and running away with an 11-1 mercy rule win over South Park (2-8, 1-7) on Monday afternoon at William Penn Elementary Field. The Warriors had their first six batters reach base and score, as the Eagles would be plagued by a pair of errors in the opening frame. Freshman Jessica Cartia's two-RBI double, Freshman Maddie Porter's two-RBI single and McKenna Kern's RBI single highlighted the bottom half of the first, which saw eleven Elizabeth Forward batters.
MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 04/22/2014
April 22, 2014
Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net Here are this weeks rankings. Log on every day for updated standings and game broadcasts on your exclusive home for the 2014 WPIAL Softball Playoffs sponsored by Carlow University, the MSA Sports Network at MSAsports.net WPIAL Class AAAA: 1) Seneca Valley Raiders (6-0) (Last Week #1) 2) Canon-McMillan Big Macs (9-2) (Last Week #2) 3) North Allegheny Tigers (9-2) (Last Week #5)
