Montour claims 4th WPISL championship

By: Michael Love
Monday, October 23, 2023 | 2:39 PM

The Plum slow-pitch softball team pulled off the upset of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Softball League tournament.

The No. 8 Mustangs took down No. 1 seed and four-time league champion North Allegheny, 3-1, on Saturday in the quarterfinals.

Plum then toppled No. 4 Bethel Park in the semifinals.

But No. 3 Montour put a stop to the Mustangs’ drive to the title. The Spartans defeated Plum in the championship game Sunday at Mt. Lebanon’s Middle Field for their fourth WPISL crown.

The title game was a meeting of previous three-time winners. Plum or Montour captured the league title every year from 2013-18.

Montour, which finished the regular season tied for third place with Bethel Park at 9-3, upended No. 2 West Allegheny in the other semifinal matchup.

Plum set itself up for the upset of North Allegheny with a dominant 19-4 victory over Seneca Valley in the first round.

Montour earned a bye to the quarterfinals and started its run with a 19-4 win over No. 6 Hempfield.

Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Softball League

Playoff Results

First Round

Plum 19, Seneca Valley 4

Mt. Lebanon 19, Baldwin 4

Shaler 10, North Hills 2

Hempfield 12, Mt. Pleasant 7

Quarterfinals

No. 8 Plum 3, No. 1 North Allegheny 1

No. 4 Bethel Park 7, No. 5 Mt. Lebanon 5

No. 2 West Allegheny 17, No. 7 Shaler 9

No. 3 Montour 19, No. 6 Hempfield 4

Semifinals

Montour def. West Allegheny

Plum def. Bethel Park

Championship

Montour def. Plum

Final Regular Season Standings

North Allegheny, 12-2

West Allegheny, 12-2

Bethel Park, 11-3

Montour, 11-3

Hempfield, 8-6

Mt. Lebanon, 8-6

Plum, 7-7

Shaler, 7-7

Mt. Pleasant, 2-12

North Hills, 2-12

Baldwin, 1-13

WPISL Champions (2006-23)

2023 – Montour

2022 – Shaler

2021 – Bethel Park

2020 – North Allegheny

2019 – North Hills

2018 – Plum

2017 – Plum

2016 – Montour

2015 – Plum

2014 – Montour

2013 – Montour

2012 – Fort Cherry

2011 – North Allegheny

2010 – Bethel Park

2009 – West Allegheny

2008 – North Allegheny

2007 – Fox Chapel

2006 – North Allegheny

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Baldwin, Bethel Park, Hempfield, Montour, Mt. lebanon, Mt. Pleasant, North Allegheny, North Hills, Plum, Seneca Valley, Shaler, West Allegheny