MSA Sports Baseball & Softball Playoff Recaps for Thursday, May 22nd

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, May 23, 2014 | 12:33 AM

The threat of storms postponed eleven baseball and softball third round games on Wednesday, making for a very busy Thursday on the postseason diamonds. Five baseball and eight softball contests to determine the participants in Championship Week helped make for some one-sided and thrilling performances on Semifinals Thursday around the WPIAL.

A special thanks to Don Rebel, Sam Hall, Mark Schaas, Jason Tennant, Bob Gregg, Greg Kuntz, Josh Rowntree and Bob Barrickman for their help with these recaps.

BASEBALL:

WPIAL CLASS AAAA Semifinals:

Seneca Valley Raiders 5 – Pine-Richland Rams 4 
The fairy tale story for the Raiders is one step away from a happy ending as the 16th seed will advance to the WPIAL Quad-A championship game for a fourth straight year with the win at Kelly Automotive Park on Thursday night. The Raiders got a complete game five hitter from Connor Coward and timely hitting to advance. The Virginia Tech recruit has only pitched 13 innings all season because of back trouble, he was helped by two double plays turned behind him in the first four innings. All of the Raiders runs came with two outs. Seneca Valley plated three runs in the third. Matt Rafferty singled home Alex Hajduk and Vince Augustine doubled home two with a shot to the right center field gap, the junior entered the game as one of the leading hitters in the WPIAL with a .474 average. Pine Richland answered in the fourth, their runs also came with two outs. Bennett Zynn singled to lead off the inning, but Dane Berezo hit into his second double play of the night, the Virginia Commonwealth recruit ended up 0 for 3. Jaime Switalski reached on a throwing error, then Nick Roth hit a blast to dead center field and over the head of John Harper, the ball rolled all the way to the 425 sign, allowing Roth to round the bases without a throw. The Raiders came back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, and again after two outs. Johnnie Brittner delivered a two run single with the bases loaded to give Seneca Valley some breathing room. The Raiders had a chance for insurance in the fifth when Matt Wagner tripled to the gap but was stranded there. Pine Richland had a rally going in the seventh, Roth was hit by the first pitch of the inning, he moved to second on a bad pickoff attempt, advanced to third on Joey Professori’s single and scored on a wild pitch. Matt Kaminicky brought home the fourth run on a two out sac fly to center and Coward got Sam Gessinger to ground out on a hard hit ball to Dan Lopresti at first. The senior first baseman made two great defensive plays, starting a reverse double play in the first and made a diving stop and flip to Coward covering to end the game. Seneca Valley was at one point 3-9 on the season, the Raiders needed a win to get into the post-season in their final section game. Coach Eric Semega gave all the credit to his team for just getting into the playoffs and seeing what could happen. Coward was the winning pitcher, he struck out two and walked one. Both Coward and Semega said the curveball was not working as well, Semega said he let Coward call his own pitches the last two innings. The senior righty said he worked hard with rehab for the opportunity to come back and help the team. The Raiders enter into the title tilt with a 9-11 record, Seneca Valley won back to back titles in 2011-12 and fell to North Allegheny in last year’s championship game. The win also guarantees Seneca Valley at least two more games, the Raiders earned a spot in the PIAA tournament with the win. Brittner had two hits and drove in two runs, Rafferty also had a pair of hits. Pine Richland falls to 17-6 with the loss, the Rams will play in the consolation final against section rival Moon next week for a chance to advance to the PIAA field. Switalski was the losing pitcher, allowing five runs on nine hits, he fanned seven and walked one.

Baldwin Highlanders 10 – Moon Tigers 2 
The Baldwin Highlanders will play for their first ever WPIAL baseball championship thanks to a convincing 10-2 win over the Moon Tigers in a AAAA semi-final at Frank Marko field Thursday afternoon. The Highlanders got a very solid start from senior right-handed pitcher Alex Pantuso who picked up the victory with a complete game seven-hitter, Pantuso got key outs in big spots and despite allowing four walks along with the seven hits was able to strand ten Tigers by making the right pitch at the right time to get the win. Pantuso improves to 5-1 on the year. The Highlanders got three runs in the bottom of the first inning Nick Bernick started the rally with a with a lead-off double and would eventually come around to score on Chris Eisel’s rbi single. Jordan Gitzen and Zach Murray worked a pair of bases loaded walks off of Moon starter Nick Rozzo to cap the rally. Moon would get to within a single run by scoring single runs in the second and third innings. In the Moon half of the second Brian Shaffer started the inning with the first of his two hits eventually scoring from third on Rocco Maue’s two-out rbi single, on the play Colton Hower also tried to score from second but was thrown out at the plate by Baldwin left-fielder Chris Eisel. The Tigers would cut it to 3-2 in the third when a Brian Casper ground out chased home Trevor Rasbach who was running for catcher Mason Prickett who had started the inning with a single. The score remained 3-2 until the fourth when Morgan Schmitt pushed the lead back to three runs with a one-out two-run blast over the left field fence for a 5-2 lead for the Highlanders. Baldwin tacked on another pair of runs in the fifth when pinch hitter Tony Martinez came off the bench and came through with a huge two-out t-run single to give Pantuso and Baldwin  a 7-2 lead. Baldwin put the game away with four straight hits after one out in the sixth, Pantuso got in on the act offensively in the inning picking up an rbi single and a run scored and the big blow was a Dylan Finocchi two run base hit. Moon falls to 15-4 on the year and they will play in the consolation game to attempt to represent the district in the state playoffs. Baldwin improves to 16-2 meanwhile and advances in search of the championship against the winner of the Seneca Valley versus Pine-Richland game played on Thursday night. The AAAA championship will be played at Consol Energy field in Washington next week at a date and time to be determined. That game can be heard right here on the MSA Sports Network.

WPIAL CLASS AAA Semifinals:

Blackhawk Cougars 15 – West Mifflin Titans 0 
Blackhawk senior pitcher Brendan McKay extended his scoreless innings streak to 69 on Thursday but perhaps the bigger story were the four home runs hit by the Cougars in a 15-0 win over West Mifflin in a AAA WPIAL semifinal game that ended in the bottom of the fourth inning due to the 15-run rule.  Centerfielder Cody Bain hit a 3-run homer in the first inning in the game played at North Allegheny while third baseman Dante Perente hit a grand slam in the second.  First baseman Chase Migliore and McKay hit back-to back-back round trippers in the third to aid the number one seed Cougars.  Blackhawk scored eight runs and sent 12 men to the plate in the second frame.  McKay, now 7-0, had seven strikeouts to push his season total to 101 and allowed only one baserunner due to an error in his four innings of work.  The Louisville recruit is now less than four innings of scoreless pitching away from becoming the second leading all-time high school pitcher in the country in that department.  The 14-2 Cougars will play in their sixth title game in school history on Wednesday against either West Allegheny or Hampton.  Zsach Salmon took the loss for the Titans and was followed by four pitchers.  West Mifflin is now 14-5 and must win a consolation game on Wednesday to qualify for the PIAA playoffs.

WPIAL CLASS AA Semifinals:

Seton-LaSalle Rebels 3 – Deer Lakes Lancers 2 in 8 Innings 
The cardiac kids did it again as this Rebels team is playing with a cause. Seton-LaSalle scored a run in the 7th to tie it, then won it in the 8th inning, the teams second straight extra inning walk off victory as they beat Deer Lakes 3-2 Thursday at Fox Chapel High School. The Lancers struck early when Matt Olesnevich walked, went to second on a ground out and scored on an RBI single by Todd Coleman. The Rebels tied the game in the 4th inning when with two outs of senior starter Dom Chiera, Nico Popa doubled to left and scored on a single to right by Carson Rebel. Deer Lakes regained the lead in the 5th when Seton-LaSalle starter Dave Boehme, who was uncharacteristically wild, hit Coleman and Zach Hudecek with pitches with nobody out. Jimmy Feil then laid down a perfect bunt on the third base side for a single, then Coleman scored when Boehme fielded the bunt and threw it away. The senior right hander then did what he did the entire game and that was pitch out of trouble with no further damage. Rebels fans were flashing back to the First Round of the playoff last year when the Lancers eliminated them 2-1 as the scored stayed that way until the bottom of the 7th. Pinch hitter Dom Del Greco walked as Mat Reinmund pinch ran for him. Matt Wilkie then laid down a nice bunt out in front of home plate that Lancers catcher Olesnevich handled but his throw to first deflected off the glove of second baseman Jimmy Feil covering at first and down the right field line putting Rebels at second and third with no outs. Danzel McKinley-Lewis hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Reinmund, but Chiera did a nice job leaving the potential winning run at third base as the game headed to extra innings tied 2-2. After Boehme, who allowed five hits and seven walks to go with three hit batters, fell behind 3-0 to Chiera in the top of the 8th, Seton-LaSalle head coach Sean Trainor brought in Nico Popa, who walked Chiera. However a sac bunt, a strike out and a ground out ended the Lancers threat. Popa was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the inning and moved to second on a sac bunt by Rebel. Senior Kevin Curran played hero with a base hit to left field that scored Popa with the title game bound winning run. Popa picked up the win in relief while Chiera was the tough-luck loser, giving up two earned runs on six hits with four walks and four strike outs in 8 1/3 innings of work. Deer Lakes falls to 15-5 and for the second straight year, will head to the Consolation game where they will face they team that beat them in the 2013 Semifinals, the Quaker Valley Quakers. Meanwhile, the improbably run for Seton-LaSalle continues as they improve to 15-5 and will face #3-seed Steel Valley in the WPIAL Class AA Championship Game at CONSOL Energy Field in Washington.    

Steel Valley Ironmen 1 – Quaker Valley Quakers 0 
It was a classic pitchers duel through 5 1/2 scoreless inning before one of the duelers took a bat and matters into his own hands. Ironmen junior Brandon Donovan was lights out on the mound and scored the games only run after a lead off single in the bottom of the 6th inning as Steel Valley edged Quaker Valley 1-0 Thursday afternoon at Fox Chapel High School. Donovan and Quaker junior Tyler Garbee were locked in a quick moving scoreless battle through five innings. Pick offs were the theme of the game early. What few base runners there were between both teams were getting gunned out by Donovan of Steel Valley and Quaker Valley catcher Ben Utterback. Two of the first three Ironmen base runners were picked off first by Utterback while the Quakers managed only two base runners in the first six innings of the game, and both were erased by Donovan pick offs. The only run of the game came in the bottom of the sixth when Donovan chopped one to third baseman Peyton Russiniello, who throw ended up getting past first baseman Matt Delie as Donovan hustled to second on a single and E-5. Derek Morrison wasted little time lining a base hit into left center field that scored Donovan with the only run. The Quakers did get a two-out hit from Delie in the 7th, but Utterback could not check his swing on a two strike pitch as Donovan struck out the side. Donovan allowed only two hits with no walks and ten strike outs for Steel Valley as they improve to 17-2 and will play for the schools first ever baseball title against Seton-LaSalle next week. Quaker Valley sees their 14-game winning streak end as the Quakers fall to 17-3. They will play for a second straight trip to the state playoffs in the consolation game against Deer Lakes. 

SOFTBALL:

WPIAL CLASS AAAA Semifinals:

Canon-McMillan Big Macs 7 – Latrobe Wildcats 6 
Canon-McMillan scored four times after two out in the sixth, rallying to down Greater Latrobe, 7-6. With the win, the defending champion Big Macs claim a third-straight berth in the finals and a trip to the PIAA tournament to defend their 2013 title.  The Wildcats will have a PIAA qualifier game against Section 1 co-champion Penn-Trafford.  The teams split their two-game season series. The Big Macs looked like they would roll over the Wildcats, leading 2-0 four batters into the bottom of the first inning.  Brittany Crawford drove a 3-1 inside fastball well over the centerfield fence to open the scoring.  Abby McCartney singled to left and moved to second when the ball slid past the outfielder.  Olivia LoRusso doubled, driving in McCartney, making it 2-0.  Georgiana Zeremenko walked, but Meredith Carr slammed the door, not only on that threat, but also for the following four innings, holding CM to just one more hit through five innings. Meanwhile, Latrobe (15-5) tied the game in the second, took a three-run edge in the third, and re-established that cushion in the fifth, and they did half of the damage with two-out hits.  Ashley Perillo singled to open the Wildcats second.  One out later, Madeline Stein walked.  After a sacrifice moved the runners up, Carr singled up the middle, driving in both and tying the game.  After one out in the third, Lexie Zoppetti and Shelby Noel singled back-to-back.  Perillo doubled home Zoppetti.  Jenna Adams singled, driving in a pair, giving Latrobe a 5-2 lead. Canon-McMillan (18-3) tallied an unearned run in the third when LoRusso scored on a groundball error, getting the Big Macs to within two. Noel walked with one out in the Latrobe fifth and Perillo singled to left, but Noel was thrown out trying to go first-to-third.  Perillo took second on the play and scored on Adams’ two-out single.  The Wildcats left the bases loaded in the sixth, failing to add to the 6-3 advantage and it would cost them. Winning pitcher Tara Fowler led off the sixth with a hit.  Taylor Bruno hit into a force play, then was sacrificed to second.  Linda Rush doubled in Bruno, move to third on Crawford’s single and scored on McCartney’s single, pulling the Big Macs to within 6-5.  A wild pitch moved both runners up and LoRusso singled home the tying and go-ahead runs as Canon-McMillan put up four straight two-out hits in the inning. The Wildcats didn’t go without a fight.  Perillo singled to open the seventh. After a flyout to right, Stein laced a shot heading up the middle just to the third-base side of Fowler’s head.  The CM pitcher got the glove up, the ball stuck in it, and Perillo was doubled off first to end the game. Fowler got the win but struggled with control at times, and appeared frustrated at the plate.  The righthander allowed all six runs, 10 hits, walked four and hit a batter.  Crawford, McCartney and LoRusso had two hits apiece, LoRusso finished with three rbi and Crawford added two outstanding plays in left. Carr took the loss, charged with six earned runs on nine hits.  She walked three and struck out four, all looking.  Perillo had four hits, including a double, and scored three times.  Adams had two hits and drove in three.

Shaler Titans 4 – Penn-Trafford Warriors 1 
No. 2 Shaler (16-3) used a combination of timely hitting, solid defense and youthful pitching to run away with a 4-1 win over No. 3 Penn-Trafford (15-4) in a WPIAL Class AAAA Semifinal on Thursday afternoon at Fox Chapel High School. The Titans, who will make their sixth appearance in the WPIAL Championships in the past ten seasons, were propelled by Sophomore Pitcher Brianna Dobson. Dobson, an all-section selection in 2013 as a Freshman, was terrific in the circle, scattering nine hits in a complete game, four strikeout and two walk effort. Shaler jumped on the board early, as Jacey Schott would leadoff the first inning with a single and score three batters later on an RBI groundout by Dobson. But Penn-Trafford would respond in the following inning, as Hannah Dobernic would smash a solo home run over the right field fence, tying the game at 1-1 after two innings. However, Shaler would take the lead for good in the third inning, as Haley Dengler would draw a leadoff walk and later score on an RBI single by Lauren Miller. The Titans would get some much needed insurance runs in the fifth inning, as Amanda Sartori would triple in Miller and then score on an RBI double by Lynsey Lokatos, capping the Shaler lead at 4-1. Penn-Trafford, who were able to bang out nine hits in the ballgame also stranded nine runners on base, including five in scoring position. Most notably, the Warriors would leave the bases loaded in the fifth inning, as Dobson would get Cassie Szymd to ground out to end the threat. Shaler was paced by Sartori, who finished 2 for 3 with a double and a triple, as well as an RBI and a run scored. The Titans advance to their first WPIAL Championship since 2010 and will meet two-time defending Champion Canon-McMillan next Thursday at California University of Pennsylvania. Penn-Trafford received a strong effort from Dobernic, who finished 2 for 3 with the home run, a double. Szymd and Megan Marasti each had a pair of hits for the Warriors, who will play Latrobe in the WPIAL AAAA Consolation game next Tuesday at a site and time to be determined. Frankie Ponziani and Nicole Smith both pitched for Penn-Trafford, who were making their first appearance in the Semifinals since 2006.

WPIAL CLASS AAA Semifinals:

Thomas Jefferson Jaguars 4 – Greensburg-Salem Golden Lions 3 
After rallying for three runs in the top of the seventh, #13 Thomas Jefferson held on in the bottom of the frame, defeating top-seeded Greensburg Salem, 4-3, clinching a PIAA playoff berth and earning a spot in the WPIAL Finals.  The Jaguars are the first team to score more than one run against the Lady Lions since mid-April, the other loss this year for the defending champions.  TJ will take on Mars, an 7-6 hold-on winner against Elizabeth-Forward.  Greensburg Salem plays E-F in next week’s PIAA qualifier game. Against GS starter Melissa Wagner, through the first six innings, Thomas Jefferson had just one batter to the plate beyond the minimum, aided partly by a pop-out-bunt doubleplay in the fifth.  That one extra batter, though, had the Jaguars in front halfway through the game.  With one out in the second, Emily Scheidter doubled and moved to third on a groundout.  The next pitch went to the backstop, and Scheidter scored to make it 1-0. Quiet Lions bats awaked in the fourth.  Kellie Hutchinson doubled to the fence in leftcenter on the first pitch.  Wagner followed with a double down the left field line, tying the game. Back-to-back hits by Caitlin Stoner and Maggie Kallock made it 2-0 Greensburg.  When Sydney Warren walked, the Lions had reloaded the bases still with nobody out.  Winning pitcher Lacie Lautner delivered two strikeouts and got a flyout to end the threat, leaving the sacks full. Kyla Prickett led off the TJ seventh, driving an 0-1 fastball over the fence, tying the game.  Janelle Allison then singled and was sacrificed to second.  Wagner threw wildly on the bunt play, allowing Allison to reach third and Bayli Moon second.  Allison kept on running and Wagner second error on the play gave Thomas Jefferson (14-6) the lead for good.  Scheidter singled and Moon scored on a wild pitch, giving the Jags a 4-2 lead. Claire Oberdorf singled to open the Lions’ seventh.  Karly Mellinger grounded to third but the throw to force Oberdorf was low for an error.  Hutchinson singled to load the bases for Greensburg Salem (15-2) with nobody out.  Wagner lofted a flyball to center, scoring Oberdorf, but the throw came to the middle of the infield, holding Mellinger at second.  A foul out and a ground out ended the threat and the game. Lautner got the win, allowing just two earned runs on eight hits and one walk while strking out four, all looking.  Scheidter is 4-for-5 in two playoff games this year at Cal U’s Lilley Field.  Wagner took the loss despite allowing just four hits and one walk, fanning five.  Hutchinson had three hits in the game for GS.  The Lions stranded nine runners in the game, 7 in the last four innings. Thomas Jefferson survived four errors.

Mars Fighting Planets 7 – Elizabeth Forward Warriors 6 
No. 11 Mars (12-4) nearly coughed up a seven-run lead, but held on to take down No. 7 Elizabeth Forward 7-6 in a WPIAL AAA Semifinal contest at Fox Chapel High School on Thursday evening. The Planets, who will be making their first appearance in the WPIAL Championships since 2006, jumped all over the Warriors (14-7) in the second inning. Mars would bang out six hits and plate five runs, all with two outs. After Shelby Huber, Jeanna Sybert and Suzanne Papik would rattle off singles to load the bases, Blake Kitt would connect on a two-RBI base hit, plating Huber and Sybert. Two batters later, Kasey Jones would drive another two-RBI single, scoring Papik and Kitt. Freshman Catcher Marina Manuppelli would bring home Erin Hershman in the next at bat, giving Mars a 5-0 lead after two innings. The Planets would extend their lead to 7-0 on a pair of RBI groundouts in the fourth inning by Hershman and Jones. But, up 7-0, the Mars pitching and defense would begin to make blunders, allowing Elizabeth Forward to get back into the game. A sacrifice fly by Kelsey Benedek in the fourth inning would give the Warriors their first run and, an inning later, Freshman Jessica Cartia would double in McKenna Kern, cutting the Mars lead to 7-2. Sophomore Pitcher Niki Schlegel would then surrender four runs on six hits in the sixth inning. Ashley Baker would single and then score on a base hit and error, making it a four-run game. After singling and reaching second on an error, Benedek would make a baserunning error that would loom large. After hesitating to run on a single by Lauren Cain, Benedek would break for home plate and be thrown out by Center Fielder Hershman, a Robert Morris recruit, for the first out of the inning. The mistake would be particularly costly because of what happened next. Courtney Hrabosky would single and Jen Keefer would drive home Cain on an RBI knock. Caitlyn Arico would pick up an RBI on a groundout which scored Hrabosky. Kern would draw the Warriors to within one with an RBI single, plating Keefer. In the sixth, Mars would commit three errors, but the costliest error was the one on the basepaths. After the Kern single, Schlegel would retire the next four batters, finishing off a resilient Elizabeth Forward group. Schlegel scattered 13 hits over seven innings, striking out three batters and walking one. Five of her six allowed runs were earned. Jones finished 1 for 3 with three RBI and Kitt went 2 for 3 with two RBI and two runs scored for Mars, who will meet No. 13 Thomas Jefferson in the WPIAL AAA Championship on Thursday at California University of Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Forward saw a rare poor outing by Freshman Pitcher Lauren Mathews, who lasted only three innings, surrendering seven runs on eight hits, while striking out one batter and walking two. Offensively, five different Warriors picked up an RBI, with Baker going 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Elizabeth Forward will take on No. 1 Greensburg Salem on Tuesday at a site and time to be determined in the AAA Consolation Game.

WPIAL CLASS AA Semifinals:

Beaver Bobcats 2 – Keystone Oaks Golden Eagles 1 
The top-seeded Beaver Bobcats and the #4-seeded Keystone Oaks boasted 2 of the best pitchers in Class AA as Beaver’s Cadey Farkasovsky faced KO’s Lauren McMillan, and this game lived up to the billing of an old-fashioned pitchers’ duel as Farkasovsky retired the 1st 8 Golden Eagles she faced.  McMillan allowed only one base-runner in each of the first 3 innings.  The Bobcats broke through first as in the bottom of the 4th, Ashley Kondracki singled with 1 out.  A ground-out moved her to 2nd, and she scored on Jayda Justice’s RBI single.  KO had a chance to tie the game in the top of the 5th when Mariah Callas walked.  2 batters later, Laura Poliziani’s base hit moved her up to 2nd.  Callas was lifted for a pinch-runner, Mollie Alward.  Julia Canello laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners.  On the play, however, Alward rounded 3rd.  A very alert Ashley Kondracki fired to her sister, Jennifer, at 3rd, to pick off Alward and end the inning.  The Golden Eagles redeemed themselves, however, and tied the game one inning later as with 2 outs, Eryn Caragein and Candace Drzik hit back-to-back singles.  McMillan reached on an error by 2B Justice.  On the play, KO Coach Mark Kaminski sent Caragein home, and she beat the throw home to tie the game 1.  From that point, solid pitching and defense by both sides kept the game deadlocked and forced bonus softball.  Beaver threatened in the bottom of the 8th, but Haley Champ was stranded at 3rd.  However, one inning later, the Bobcats had another shot to win as with 2 outs, Tayven Rousseau tripled to right, beating the tag at 3rd.  On the play, McMillan was walking back to the mound and was still outside the pitcher’s circle, keeping the play alive.  Rousseau seized the opportunity to run home and score the winning run.  That alert play gave the Beaver Bobcats the right to face the Deer Lakes Lancers in the Class AA Championship Game Thursday, May 29th at CalU.  Beaver’s perfect season continues at15-0.  KO will face Section 1 rival Seton-LaSalle in the Consolation Game for the 3-spot in the PIAA State Playoffs.  The Golden Eagles are now 13-5.

Deer Lakes Lancers 10 – Seton-LaSalle Rebels 1 
The Seton-LaSalle Rebels wasted no time getting on the board against the unbeaten Deer Lakes Lancers.  Dani Dadig led off the game with a triple, and Taylor Mercurio doubled off DL starter Tiffany Edward’s to drive in Dadig for the early 1-0 lead.  SL starter Lauren Zola made that lead stand up for a while as she allowed only 1 base-runner through the first 2 2/3 innings.  The Lancers would break through in the top of the 3rd as with 2 outs, Rachel Tanilli walked and stole 2nd.  She scored on Maureen Hutchinson’s RBI single.  Katie Gozzard’s double drove in Hutchinson for what would prove to be the game-winning run.  DL added to its lead in the 5th when Stephanie Drapelo led off with a single and a sacrifice moved her to 2nd.  Hutchinson’s 2nd RBI single drove in Drapelo, and Hutchinson scored on Gozzard’s second RBI double of the game.  Gozzard scored to make the score 5-1 on Siera Sarver’s double.  Edward’s would settle down, allowing only 4 base-runners in innings 2 through 5.  The floodgates opened further for the Lancers offensively in the 7th as Sarver singled with 1 out.  Edward’s walked, and Maria Taliani’s single drove in Sarver.  Brittany Dengler’s base hit drove in both Edwars and Taliani to make it 8-1, Deer Lakes.  Dengler and Sarah Brimm also scored insurance runs in the 7th to make the lead insurmountable as Edwards and her defense slammed the door as they retired the Rebels in order in both the 6th and 7th innings.  The 10-1 win insured the 2012 AA Champions their third trip to the finals in as many years, and they continued to run the table as they have an 18-0 record.  They would await the winner between Beaver and Keystone Oaks in the Class AA Finals.  Seton-LaSalle is now 12-3, and they will play in the AA Consolation game for the right to be the 3rd WPIAL team in the PIAA State Playoffs.

WPIAL CLASS A Semifinals:

Neshannock Lancers 11 – Burgettstown Blue Devils 0
After pitching a perfect game in the Quarterfinals, Lancers pitcher Madison Schaffer followed up with a two-hit shutout Thursday in a 5-inning Semifinals victory over the Blue Devils at North Allegheny High School. The game was actually scoreless through two innings before the Neshannock offense erupted for five runs in the third inning and six more in the fourth. The Lancers were led on offense by Madison Altmyer and Cassidy Burrell who had three hits apiece. Defending champion Neshannock returns to the title game on Thursday at California University of Pennsylvania with a 15-2 record where they will battle Class A Section 4 rival South Side Beaver. Burgettstown, which falls to 16-5, will face Jefferson-Morgan Tuesday in the Class A Consolation game. 

South Side Beaver Rams 5 – Jefferson-Morgan Rockets 3 
The South Side Rams scored all of their runs in the bottom of the first inning and that was all they would need to advance to the Championship Game with a 5-3 win over Jefferson-Morgan.  The Rockets actually jumped out in front first when Morgan Simkovic, for the second game in a row, blasted a first inning 2-run homerun.  Jefferson-Morgan’s excitement was short-lived though, as in the bottom of the first, Capri Sollinger led off with a walk and moved to third on a Cheyenne Seik single.  After a strikeout, Connor McGaffic and McKenna Smith struck back-to-back singles, each driving in a run to tie the game at 2.  Toni Yacoviello, who had a grand slam Tuesday against Carmichaels, smashed a 3-run bomb to straightaway centerfield and the Rams went up 5-2.  It certainly looked like a high-scoring game was in the making after Jefferson-Morgan caught some 2-out lightning in the top of the second as after back-to-back strikeouts, Autumn Tedrow singled and moved to third on a Morgan Gamble double.  Both would try to score on a single by Reagan Rush, but after Tedrow scored, Gamble was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.  Little did anyone know, that would be the last time either team would score.  There were plenty of base runners, as the Rockets stranded 2 in the third, got another thrown out at the plate in the fourth, and stranded a runner at second base in the fifth.  South Side stranded a runner at third in the second, stranded one in the third, and stranded runners at the corners in the fourth inning.  Both teams blew huge opportunities late. The Rams had the bases loaded with one out in the fifth inning before Rocket pitcher Maddie Ludrosky recorded back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam.  The Rockets followed that up in the top of the sixth with a great chance to tie the game as Tedrow bunted Camryn Dugan to third and Madison Dupont to second to put both of the tying runs in scoring position with one out.  Rams pitcher, Smith was able to record a strikeout and a flyout to end the threat.  South Side would strand one more at third in the sixth.  The only time a team went down in order was in the top of the seventh as Smith retired Kirsten Stoneking, Simkovic, and Ludrosky in order to end the game.  Smith got the win, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits and striking out 6 while Ludrosky  took the loss, giving up 5 runs on 9 hits and striking out 8.  South Side will face Neshannock on Thursday in the WPIAL Championship Game and Jefferson-Morgan will face Burgettstown Tuesday in the 3rd Place consolation game with a state playoff berth on the line.