Softball
2014 WPIAL SOFTBALL PREVIEW
March 24, 2014
With a new season upon us and WPIAL section play scheduled to start for some on Monday, March 24th, MSA Sports takes a look at some of the softball players and the teams to watch for this 2014 campaign. Will anybody knock Canon-McMillan off their district and state perch in Quad A? Will Greensburg-Salem, Riverside and Neshannock be able to repeat as WPIAL champs this spring after winning district gold a year ago? Those are some of the questions that will be answered over the next six weeks. MSA Sports will have weekly rankings every Tuesday during the regular season, plus broadcasts and updated standings daily leading up to our exclusive coverage of the WPIAL Softball Playoffs only here on the MSA Sports Network.2014-2015 WPIAL Springs Sports Alignment
The WPIAL Board of Control has approved the final seasonal alignment starting next season as the district spring sports sectional alignment has been approved. The new alignment kicks into affect next spring for WPIAL Baseball, Softball, Boys Volley, Boys Tennis, Boys Track & Field and Girls Track & Field. Click on the respective link below to see the new set up for each section and classification starting in the Spring of 2015. WPIAL Baseball: http://www.wpial.org/stuff/14-15/bse/14-15%20bse%20align%20o2.pdfThis Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/23/2014
March 23, 2014
With winter sports and a busy week of state championships behind us, the spotlight shines on the change of seasons and spring sports as we wind down the month of March this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the debut of WPIAL softball, boys volleyball, girls lacrosse and college baseball featuring Slippery Rock University, plus the final edition of the WPIAL Roundball Report ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 24th: No Broadcasts Tuesday, March 25th: WPIAL Boys High School Volleyball - Shaler vs North Allegheny at 7:00pm on the North Allegheny Sports Network at MSAsports.net2013 WPIAL SOFTBALL REVIEW
March 20, 2014
In 2013, hitting and offense was the theme during the regular season was good old fashioned pitching seemed to be the difference in tasting playoff success. In the end, a pair of first time champions were crowned, a defending champ made it two in a row in the district and went on to win state gold and one of the top programs captured a sixth WPIAL crown. Here is a look back at the final standings and results from the 2013 WPIAL and PIAA softball playoffs on the brink of the start of the 2014 campaign. FINAL 2013 WPIAL STANDINGS:MSA Sports Countdown of Top 25 WPIAL Stories of 2013 – #25 to #1
January 3, 2014
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2013. Here is our entire countdown fr0m #25 through #1. #25 - Playoff Drought Ends In a year when the Pittsburgh Pirates ended a long Major League Baseball playoff drought, a long WPIAL football playoff drought also came to an end when in Week 9, the Avella Eagles clinched a WPIAL playoffs berth with a 55-14 thrashing of Bentworth to clinch fourth place in the Class A Tri-County South Conference.2013 WPIAL Team Champions on Parade
January 1, 2014
What better way to celebrate championships and the start of a new year then with a parade. It has been another great year in high school sports. All of us here at the MSA Sports Network and Management Science Associates thank our sponsors and fans for their support during 2013. As we get ready for another great scholastic year in 2014, we look back at all the WPIAL team champions on parade from this past year. Football: Class AAAA - Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings Class AAA - West Allegheny Indians Class AA - South Fayette Lions Class A - Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans PIAA Class AA - South Fayette Lions PIAA Class A - Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic TrojansMSA Sports Countdown of Top 25 WPIAL Stories of 2013 – 12/31/13
December 31, 2013
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2013. We continue our countdown with the five stories that ended up #10 through #6. #10 - Sto-Rox Cuts Spring Sports School district budget cuts led to Sto-Rox High School dropping its baseball and softball programs in late June. While the district is looking for a co-op with another school district for both programs, returning baseball and softball players can either move to another district, attend a private school or just not play this upcoming spring.MSA Sports Countdown of Top 25 WPIAL Stories of 2013 – 12/30/13
December 30, 2013
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holidays here at MSA Sports. It's time to look back at another high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2013. We continue our countdown with the five stories that ended up #15 through #11. #15 - Perfect Champions It was a rare Perfect Saturday at Heinz Field on November 23rd as all four WPIAL football champions crowned did so with no losses. Pittsburgh Central Catholic, West Allegheny, South Fayette and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic were all 13-0 as they were presented with the golden football on a snowy day on the North Shore, but both the Lions and Trojans were not satisfied with just a district title, they wanted to stake their claim to state gold as well.2012-2013 WPIAL Champions on Parade
July 16, 2013
We celebrated America's Birthday earlier this month with various parades and fireworks. You'll forgive us if we celebrate the 2012-2013 school year with just a parade and no pyrotechnics. It was been another great high school sports year in District 7 of the PIAA. All of us here at the MSA Sports Network and Management Science Associates thank our sponsors and fans for their support during the school year. As we get ready for another great scholastic campaign in 2013-2014, we look back at all the WPIAL team champions on parade from this past school year.Football:Class AAAA - North Allegheny TigersClass AAA - West Allegheny IndianaClass AA - Aliquippa QuipsClass A - Clairton BearsBudget Concerns Lead to Sto-Rox Diamond Cuts
July 1, 2013
School district budget cuts have led to Sto-Rox High School dropping its baseball and softball programs for the upcoming school year. While the district is looking for a co-op with another school district for both programs, returning baseball and softball players can either move to another district, attend a private school or just not play next spring.Officials said there was talk about eliminating the entire athletic department before a proposal to just drop the two spring sports was passed on an 8-1 vote by the school board. Also part of the district wide cuts were eight teaching jobs and the school librarian.
Williams Valley Walks All Over Neshannock as Lancers Lose in PIAA ‘A’ Title Game
June 14, 2013
If you would have asked the over one thousand fans in attendance today at Nittany Lion Softball Park, not even the most rabid Williams Valley fan would have predicted the outcome. The Vikings were patient at the plate, drawing eleven walks, six coming with the bases loaded as the District 11 champions handed the WPIAL Champion Neshannock Lancers a 13-0 defeat in six innings at Beard Field. The victory in the Class A Softball championship was the first for Williams Valley in any team sport on the state level.The win may be a prelude of things to come for the Vikings. Coach Lee Reiser has only two seniors on the roster, none were in the starting lineup with two juniors, five sophomores and two freshman taking the field.Scholastic Notebook – 01/14/2013
Riverside Perfect No More After PIAA AA Title Game Loss To Brandywine Heights
One run was all it took to claim a state championship. The Brandywine Heights Bullets got that run and won their first PIAA Class AA softball title 1-0 over the Riverside Panthers at Beard Field on Friday morning. Senior Megan Olson pitched a dandy, keeping the Panthers hitters off balance all day. The loss spoils the undefeated season for Riverside, who had won 22 straight games and had only allowed seven runs all season.PIAA Softball Championship Previews
June 13, 2013
Last year, only Neshannock from District 7 returned home from State College with a PIAA softball championship. Now the Lancers are back in the finals, except this time the 2012 Double-A state champs are playing in the 2013 Single-A finals. The Lancers are not alone from the WPIAL in Happy Valley on Friday, as they are joined by 2013 WPIAL Quad-A champion Canon-McMIllan and 2013 WPIAL Double-A champion Riverside, who want to double their gold in-take before ending the season. Here are recaps from all three championship contests to be played at Beard Field in Nittany Lions Softball Park on the campus of Penn State University.All three games can be heard here on the MSA Sports Network.PIAA Softball Semifinals Recap from Tuesday
June 11, 2013
After Monday turned into a washout for all eight remaining high school softball teams, Tuesday saw the wait was worth it for three of the four WPIAL squads in the state Semifinals. 2013 WPIAL champions Canon-McMillan, Riverside and Neshannock all were victorious Tuesday and will move on to play for state gold on Friday. However Tuesday was the end of the line for Class AAA Ambridge. Here are recaps from all the Western Semifinals softball games from Tuesday afternoon.A special thanks to Bob Gregg, Todd Brown and Don Rebel for their help on these recaps.2013 PIAA SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
The 24-hour push back from Monday to Tuesday due to rain did not dampen the spirits of three WPIAL softball teams. 2013 WPIAL champions Canon-McMillan in Class AAAA, Riverside in Class AA and Neshannock in Class A were Round Three winners and are now headed to Happy Valley to play for a state softball crown. Fellow District 7 mate Ambridge lost in their bid to make it to State College. Here are ALL the final scores through the Semifinals, plus a look at all four championship games set for Friday at Penn State University in the 2013 PIAA Softball Playoffs with the Class AAAA, Class AA and Class A softball state title games ALL here on the MSA Sports Network .2013 PIAA CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/09/2013
June 9, 2013
The state baseball and softball playoffs wind down, putting an end to the 2012-2013 high school sports season this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have coverage of the Semifinals and Championship Finals of both the PIAA Baseball and Softball state playoffs, plus away and home Frontier League pro baseball action for the Washington Wild Things and plenty of news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, June 10th:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netPIAA High School Baseball Playoffs: Class AA Semifinals - Quaker Valley vs Beaver at 12:00pm on MSAsports.net Tuesday, June 11th:This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 06/03/2013
June 3, 2013
The district baseball and softball playoffs are in the books, so now the attentions swings to the state playoffs as we kick into June this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have expanded coverage of the First Round of the PIAA Baseball and Softball state playoffs with more action later in the week in the Quarterfinals along with PIAA Boys Volleyball Semifinals match action, plus more Frontier League pro baseball with the Washington Wild Things and plenty of news from the world of auto racing with Rappin on Racin ALL here ONLY at MSAsports.netMonday, June 3rd:TALK SHOW - Rappin on Racin at 6:00pm on MSAsports.netScholastic Notebook – 05/31/2013
May 31, 2013
The South Park baseball and Riverside softball teams did something unusual this week – win a WPIAL title with a perfect record.On Monday, both begin a quest to do something even more rare– win a PIAA title with a perfect record.Since the PIAA started softball and baseball championships in the 1970s, no WPIAL baseball team has won a PIAA title with an undefeated record. Elizabeth Forward came the closest, making the PIAA Semifinals in 2011.While no WPIAL baseball team has won a PIAA title with an undefeated record, three WPIAL softball teams have won PIAA titles with perfect records, but it has been 14 years since it happened.
