Westmoreland high school baseball playoff preview capsule for May 27, 2025
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Monday, May 26, 2025 | 4:09 PM
Belle Vernon’s Alonzo Wade slides safely into home as Beaver catcher Tyler Kisling applies the tag in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals.
WPIAL Class 4A
Third-place game
Belle Vernon (16-7) vs. Central Valley (12-11)
1 p.m. Tuesday at Ross Memorial Park, Washington & Jefferson
What’s at stake: The winner advances to the PIAA playoffs, and the loser’s season ends.
Players to watch: Lucas Judy, Belle Vernon; Jackson Christopher, Central Valley
Extra bases: A matchup of teams that lost in the WPIAL semifinals will determine the third-place team from the district and the final state qualifier from Class 4A. Belle Vernon, seeded fifth, lost to top-seeded Indiana, 11-2, in the semis after back-to-back playoff shutouts against Derry (7-0) and Beaver (5-0). Ace pitcher Parker Lind is 9-1 with a 0.64 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings. Judy leads the team with a .444 batting average, 28 hits and 24 RBIs. Cole Matusik has a team-high 25 runs. … Central Valley defeated Greensburg Salem (6-2) and West Mifflin (3-2) in the playoffs before falling to third-seeded Elizabeth Forward, 4-1, in the semis. Central Valley, the No. 7 seed, had never made the semis in its current iteration. The school is a merger of Center and Monaca. Blake Heater delivered the winning RBI in the 11th inning to edge West Mifflin. Coach Tim Bruzdewicz was ejected from that game after arguing a balk.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Belle Vernon
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