Westmoreland County PIAA softball playoff capsules: Games for Monday, June 3, 2024

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Sunday, June 2, 2024 | 6:37 PM

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PIAA softball playoffs

Class 5A

First round

Penn-Trafford (15-6) at Central Mountain (14-5)

4:30 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of Latrobe (11-12)/Armstrong (18-3) Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Ella Mains, Penn-Trafford; Cora Myers, Central Mountain

Extra bases: Penn-Trafford hits the road for the state tournament after falling to WPIAL champion Armstrong in the semifinals 8-6 on a walk-off home run by Emma Paul. The Warriors also lost in the semis in 2019, then rallied to win their only PIAA championship. A 4-1 win over Latrobe sealed third place for the Warriors. Cam Ponko and Mains had two hits each, and freshman Allyson Paulone pitched a four-hitter. Ponko is hitting .500 with six homers and 25 RBIs, and Mack Keenan has a .417 average with six homers and 27 RBIs. … Cental Mountain won the District 6 championship with a wild, 13-11 win over DuBois. Junior catcher Katelyn Bowman went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs, blasting a pair of two-run homers. Also for the Wildcats, who had 17 hits, Madison Hardy went 4 for 5 with three runs, and Madisyn Wian had two hits. Two pitchers saw action: Adalynn McKeague and freshman lefty Camdyn Weaver. McKeague pitched four innings, left in favor of Weaver, then returned to earn the save. Myers has nine homers and 25 RBIs. Central Mountain has won three straight district titles.

Latrobe (11-12) at Armstrong (18-3)

4 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of Penn-Trafford (15-6)/Central Mountain (14-5) Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Mya McHugh, Latrobe; Madison Baker, Armstrong

Extra bases: It’s the third meeting this season between these Section 2 opponents. … Latrobe finished fourth in the WPIAL and clinched its first PIAA playoff berth since 2018 by reaching the semifinals. The Wildcats lost the third-place game to Penn-Trafford, 4-1, as Kayla Williams and McHugh doubled. The Wildcats managed just four hits. They upset No. 3 seed West Allegheny to reach the semis before falling to upset-minded Thomas Jefferson. Coach Bob Kovalcin guided Latrobe to the state finals in 2007 and ‘08. … Armstrong won its second WPIAL championship in three years with a 9-3 victory over No. 10 Thomas Jefferson. Baker, the winning pitcher, and Abigail Bauer homered for the River Hawks, the PIAA runners-up in 2021 and ‘22. During the regular season, Armstrong swept Latrobe, 6-1 and 8-2. Emma Paul hit a two-run, walk-off homer to lift the River Hawks over Penn-Trafford in the WPIAL semis. The River Hawks average 9.4 runs a game.

Class 3A

First round

Ligonier Valley (16-6) at Forest Hills (18-2)

4 p.m. Monday

Winner plays: Winner of Mohawk (19-5)/Harbor Creek (18-5) Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)

Players to watch: Sydnee Foust, Ligonier Valley; Forest Hills

Extra bases: In 2021, Ligonier Valley lost to Shenango in the WPIAL 2A semifinals, then rallied to reach the PIAA championship before falling to District 4’s Lion Mountain. The Rams are looking to pen a similar chapter to this season after losing to South Park, 3-0, in the WPIAL semis. Ace Cheyenne Piper has been brilliant late in the season, tossing three no-hitters in her previous five games. She has allowed nine hits while striking out 49 in four playoff games. The Westminster commit no-hit 4A Indiana in the final game of the regular season. In the win over Avonworth in the WPIAL third-place game, Piper also went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs, and Abigail Springer also had three hits, including a double. Marlee Miller added a two-base hit in the 4-0 win. Coach Mark Zimmerman is in his 25th season guiding the Rams, who joined the WPIAL in 2020. … Forest Hills clipped Juniata, 2-1, in the District 6 championship at Central Cambria. Junior pitcher Avery Smiach tossed a three-hitter and struck out 10 as the Rangers edged out Juniata pitcher Elizabeth Gaisior, a Fordham commit who has more than 1,000 career strikeouts. The go-ahead run crossed in the fourth inning on a groundout by Payton Pcola. Mylee Gdula is a returning all-state player. The Rangers have won 13 straight games. Forest Hills does not have a PIAA championship.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Armstrong, Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Penn-Trafford