What to watch for in WPIAL sports for June 9, 2025: Spots in PIAA finals up for grabs

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, June 8, 2025 | 8:27 PM

Six years ago, the West Allegheny and Penn-Trafford softball programs celebrated championships: The Indians won a third straight WPIAL Class 5A crown, and the Warriors captured their first PIAA title.

Now the two tradition-rich teams square off to see who will play for a 2025 state championship Friday at Penn State. West Allegheny (18-5) battles Penn-Trafford (22-3) on Monday at 4 p.m. at Pleasant Valley Elementary School in McMurray. The Indians were the No. 3 team out of the WPIAL this spring after losing to Shaler in the semifinals and shutting out North Hills in the consolation game. The Warriors were the district runner-up following a heartbreaking 11-inning loss to the Titans in the WPIAL championship game, 2-1.

P-T has bounced back nicely in the state playoffs. The Warriors first won at District 6 champion Central Mountain in the opening round, 3-2. Then, in the quarterfinals, Kylie Anthony was 4 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs as Penn-Trafford edged District 3 winner Red Land, 6-5.

The Indians rolled past host Solanco in the first round, 10-4, as Savannah Benish smashed two home runs and drove in four. West A knocked off Twin Valley in the quarterfinals, 5-2.

Penn-Trafford is 1-1 in PIAA semifinal games, beating Donegal in the 2019 final four, 5-4, and then losing to Armstrong in the 2022 semifinals, 3-2. West Allegheny is also 1-1 in state semifinals, losing to Cedar Cliff in 2017, 6-5, and beating Thomas Jefferson a year later in 2018, 7-5.

These two teams played each other one other time in the PIAA playoffs: The Warriors ousted the Indians in the 2019 quarterfinals, 6-2.

In the other PIAA 5A semifinals game, Greencastle-Antrim (21-3) from District 3 will take on District 1 runner-up West Chester East (18-8) at Hershey at 4 p.m.

WPIAL 2A rematch

Twelve days ago, these teams played for district softball gold. Now they square off for a berth in the state championship game.

Defending state champion Neshannock (24-0) again meets Chartiers-Houston (22-2) at noon at North Allegheny. In the title game two weeks ago, the Lancers defeated the Buccaneers, 7-1. Senior catcher Gabby Quinn was 2 for 3 with two runs scored and three RBIs to lead the offense for Neshannock.

The Lancers scored the first seven runs in the first five innings before the Bucs finally plated a run in the sixth inning. Since then, Neshannock broke the all-time WPIAL softball win streak record with a 49th consecutive victory Monday over Sharpsville, 10-0. Senior Addy Frye homered and picked up the win on a 3-hitter.

Win No. 50 in a row came Thursday over Chestnut Ridge, 5-3, thanks to three hits from Jaidon Nogay.

Chartiers-Houston needed a dramatic comeback win in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs as Ella Richey hit a seventh-inning grand slam to lift the Bucs past Cranberry, 5-2. On Thursday, Meadow Ferri pitched a two-hit shutout and drove home the only run as Chartiers-Houston ousted District 10 winner Seneca, 1-0.

This will be the 60th all-time state playoff game for Chartiers-Houston. The Bucs are 6-4 in the PIAA semifinals all-time, including last season when they lost to Carmichaels in Class A, 5-4.

Neshannock is 4-2 all-time in state semifinals games. The only loss the Lancers have suffered in the last four seasons came in the 2023 PIAA final four to Everett, 9-6. The other PIAA semifinals game in 2A pits District 4 champion South Williamsport (17-5) against District 11 champ Williams Valley (23-2) at Central Columbia Elementary School at 4 p.m.

Sparty strong

The recipe in the state playoffs for the WPIAL 6A softball champions has been the same through two rounds: jump out on top, then nervously hold on to win and advance.

On Monday in the PIAA 6A semifinals, Hempfield (23-1) looks for a similar result when it faces District 11 runner-up Nazareth (21-6) at the Norlo Park Softball Complex in Fayetteville at 4 p.m.

Junior Laurel Howard has played a big part in both wins. She was 2 for 3 with an RBI on Monday as the Spartans broke a scoreless tie by scoring twice in the sixth inning, then holding on for a 2-1 win over State College. Howard was 2 for 3 again Thursday with a pair of doubles as Hempfield jumped out to a 4-0 lead then held on to beat Chambersburg, 4-3.

The Blue Eagles have wins over North Penn and Cumberland Valley to reach the final four. Hempfield is 5-5 in state semifinals games, and Nazareth is 0-2. One of those Blue Streaks losses came against the Spartans in 2018, 2-0.

In the other 6A softball semifinals game, Central Dauphin (19-3) from District 3 takes on Perkiomen Valley (21-4) from District 1 at Ephrata Middle School at 4 p.m.

Solidarity

The Union softball team had never played in a PIAA playoff game before 2018. Since then, the Scotties have been a regular in the state softball postseason.

WPIAL champion Union (21-2) will try to reach the PIAA finals for a second time when it squares off against District 10 winner Cambridge Springs (17-2) at Slippery Rock University at 4 p.m. The Scotties have relied on senior pitcher Mia Pruehs, who threw a no-hitter in the first round win over Purchase Line, then allowed two hits in a quarterfinals whitewash of DuBois Central Catholic, 8-0.

The Devils outscored West Greene and Berlin-Brothersvalley in two state playoff wins, 13-2. In Union’s only other state semifinals game, they outscored Claysburg-Kimmel in the 2023 final four, 10-8.

Cambridge Springs is 0-3 all-time in state semifinals games.

In the other Class A final four contest, District 4 champ Northeast Bradford (14-7) will battle District 6 champion Claysburg-Kimmel (27-0) at Central Mountain at 4 p.m.

Oh, by the way

There are no more WPIAL teams in 4A and 3A softball, but the games go on in those two brackets.

In Class 4A: District 10 champion Fort LeBoeuf (19-3) squares off against District 3 winner Kennard-Dale (24-2) at Philipsburg-Osceola at 4 p.m. District 2 winner Valley View (22-2) will take on District 11 champion Northwestern Lehigh (22-3) at Wilkes University at 2 p.m.

In Class 3A: District 6 champ Bald Eagle (21-3) faces undefeated District 3 winner Susquenita (23-0) at Central Columbia Elementary School at 4 p.m. District 2 champion Mid-Valley (22-3) battles District 11 champ Pine Grove (25-2) at Hazleton at 4 p.m.

Instant classic rematch

When these two teams met in the WPIAL Class 3A baseball semifinals, it was a pitching-rich marathon classic that lasted 12 innings before a run was finally posted. Now the rematch is set for the PIAA semis Monday.

WPIAL champion Riverside (19-2) again squares off against WPIAL No. 3 South Park (17-7) at Seneca Valley at 2 p.m. with a spot in a championship game at stake. In the first meeting, the Eagles managed only two hits in 12 innings against Panthers pitching. Of course Zach Hare did what he now does on a regular basis: throw a no-hitter for seven innings with 10 strikeouts. Hunter Garvin relieved and allowed only two hits in five innings to pick up the win. He also had 10 strikeouts.

The great pitching has continued for Riverside in the state playoffs. Christian Lucarelli allowed three hits in shutting out Huntingdon, 9-0, and Hare tossed another no-no to increase his hitless run to 31 1/3 innings in a quarterfinals victory over Mohawk, 6-0.

Cooper Hochendoner picked up the win in the opener, plus chipped in an RBI as the Eagles beat Forest Hills, 5-3. In the quarterfinals, A.C. Miller finished off a four-run seventh inning with a two-run double as South Park edged Quaker Valley, 6-5.

In their history of state semifinals games, Riverside is 5-2, and South Park is 1-0, with the lone win coming in 2017.

In the other 3A semifinal baseball game, District 4 winner Mount Carmel (19-4) will face District 3 champ Berks Catholic (18-6) at Wenger Field in Fredericksburg at 2 p.m.

WPIAL eliminators

The District 3 Class 5A champions have made it a habit of knocking off WPIAL teams in these state playoffs. They have done it twice already, now can they make it 3 for 3?

Lampeter-Strasburg (21-5) squares off against WPIAL 5A champion Shaler (19-6) at Mount Aloysius College at 3 p.m. In the opening round, the Pioneers bounced Peters Township, 2-1, and then outslugged Pine-Richland, 9-6. The Titans leaned on ace Colby Weber in the first round, as he allowed one hit with five strikeouts in a 4-0 shutout of Conestoga Valley.

In the quarterfinals, Shaler scored three unearned runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back in beating Bethel Park, 6-3. Shaler is 3-1 in state semifinals games but 0-1 in the PIAA playoffs against Lampeter-Strasburg. The Pioneers ousted the Titans in the 2019 first round, 5-1.

In the other 5A semifinal game, District 1 runner-up Upper Dublin (16-5) meets the No. 3 team out of District 3, Elizabethtown (16-9), at Muhlensberg at 11 a.m.

Little Indians with big arms

Indiana has played five postseason games this spring totaling 46 innings. They are 5-0 with three extra-inning wins and have allowed only four total runs. However now the Little Indians face a team that is also used to zeros, as in zero losses. WPIAL 4A champion Indiana (24-1) is set to battle undefeated District 3 champ East Pennsboro (23-0) at Bald Eagle at 4 p.m. The perfect Panthers squeaked by Archbishop Wood in the first round of the state playoffs, 3-2, before rolling past WPIAL runner-up Elizabeth Forward in the quarterfinals, 14-4.

The Little Indians have yet to give up a run in two state playoff wins. Indiana needed 12 innings to knock off Bellefonte in the first round, 1-0, before finding some offense late in a whitewash of Central Valley, 8-0. Texas Tech commit Greg Minnick was the winning pitcher in both game last week, coming in relief bothtimes.

In the 4A state semifinals last year, Indiana knocked off Fleetwood, 10-3. East Pennsboro is 0-2 all-time in PIAA final four games, losing to Dallas in 2017 and Beaver in 2019.

In the other 4A semifinals game, District 1 winner Pope John Paul II (20-4) will take on District 4 champ Montoursville (19-4) at North Schuylkill at 4 p.m.

Cardiac dawgs

Veteran Freedom coach Dan O’Leary better be keeping an eye on his blood pressure. The Bulldogs are making a habit out of dramatic victories, and in the state playoffs, they have added comeback dramatic wins.

In the first round, the WPIAL Class 2A champions spotted Bishop McCort three runs in the first inning, then came back to win 5-3.

In the quarterfinals, freedom trailed in the seventh inning, 6-3, before rallying for three runs to tie the score, then scored in the eighth inning to knock out Redbank Valley in a battle of the Bulldogs, 7-6.

Now Freedom (17-7) faces a big test in District 10 champion Mercyhurst Prep (24-1) at Slippery Rock University at 2 p.m. The Lakers have close wins over Riverview (5-3) and Tussey Mountain (3-2) on their state playoff resume this spring.

This is only the third season Freedom has reached the PIAA playoffs, and with these wins, they are 2-2 all-time. This is the third time Mercyhurst Prep has reached the state semifinals. They are 0-2 with losses to Lewistown in 2002 and Serra Catholic in 2011.

In the other 2A final four game, District 6 champ Mount Union (20-4) goes up against District 1 winner Faith Christian (20-2) at Hershey at 3 p.m.

Clash of non-champions

While most of the PIAA semifinals games set for Monday are battles between district champions, that will not be the case in the “western final” in Class A.

District 9 runner-up Clarion (16-6) will try to eliminate a third WPIAL team when it faces the No. 3 team out of District 7, Eden Christian Academy (18-5) at Slippery Rock University at 4:30 p.m.

After losing to DuBois Central Catholic in the D-9 finals, the Bobcats have eliminated WPIAL champion Serra Catholic in the first round, 3-2, and Greensburg Central Catholic in the quarterfinals, 15-5.

The Warriors first blanked DuBois Central Catholic behind the pitching and hitting of Noah Emswiler, 4-0. Eden Christian then throttled District 6 champ Homer-Center in the quarterfinals, 16-6. The Warriors are 2-0 in state semifinals games all-time, beating Southern Fulton in 2021, 8-3, and defeating Saegertown last spring, 7-5.

The Bobcats are also 2-0 in the PIAA semis, with wins over Greensburg Central Catholic in 2017 and Southern Fulton in 2023.

In the other Class A semifinal matchup, District 5 champion Southern Fulton (23-1) goes up against District 11 champ Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary (12-11) at Spring Grove Intermediate School at 3 p.m.

Son of “Oh by the way”

The only baseball classification that does not have a WPIAL team is 6A after the lone rep from District 7, Seneca Valley, lost in the quarterfinals to Cedar Cliff, 12-7.

Here are the two 6A semifinals set for Monday: District 3 runner-up Cedar Cliff (19-6) battles District 11 runner-up Bethlehem Liberty (22-6) at WengerField in Fredericksburg at 4:30 p.m. The No. 4 team from District 1, Neshaminy (16-7), will take on District 1 champion North Penn (21-5) at Villanova Ballpark at 3 p.m.

Tags: Chartiers-Houston, Eden Christian, Freedom, Hempfield, Indiana, Neshannock, Penn-Trafford, Riverside, Seneca Valley, Shaler, South Park, Union, West Allegheny