What to watch for on Trib HSSN for Monday, May 9, 2022: Baseball, softball, tennis on tap

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, May 8, 2022 | 8:42 PM

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Welcome to the final week of the WPIAL baseball and softball regular season.

With weather not an issue, several district baseball teams hope to join the long list of schools that have qualified for the 2022 WPIAL baseball playoffs with a victory Monday.

*Kiski Area can clinch a playoff berth with a win at Franklin Regional. If the Cavaliers are victorious, all six teams in Section 1-5A will qualify for the postseason.

*Quaker Valley can clinch a Section 2-4A berth with a home win over Ambridge. If the Bridgers beat the Quakers, the two will meet for a playoff berth Tuesday at Ambridge.

*Blackhawk can clinch a Section 2-4A spot with a win over New Castle on Monday. The Red Hurricane is barely alive. The defending Class 4A champs need a sweep of the Cougars on Monday and Tuesday.

*Elizabeth Forward can earn a postseason berth out of Section 3-4A with a win at home over Belle Vernon. Both Belle Vernon and Ringgold need to win Monday to stay alive. The Rams visit West Mifflin.

*Charleroi can make it five out of six teams from Section 4-3A into the postseason if they win at Yough.

*Jeannette earns a postseason berth out of Section 3-2A with a win at Northgate.

*Chartiers-Houston will clinch a Section 4-2A spot with a win at home against Carlynton. Brentwood needs two Chartiers-Houston losses Monday and Tuesday and two wins over Seton La Salle to reach the postseason.

Softball on the bubble

There are several WPIAL softball teams starting this final week on the bubble between clinched and eliminated.

Here are the Monday games with playoff ramifications:

*Norwin needs two tier help to clinch in Section 2-6A. First, on Monday, the Knights need to beat Butler and have North Allegheny lose to Hempfield. Then, the Knights must beat North Allegheny on Tuesday.

*New Castle can put itself in a position to clinch with some help out of Section 3-4A with a win over visiting Hopewell.

*Rochester can clinch a Section 1-A playoff berth with one victory when it faces Cornell in a doubleheader.

Final four serves

The WPIAL boys team tennis playoffs move into the semifinals round in Class 3A and 2A on Monday.

In Class 3A, it’s a rematch of the 2021 championship match when top-seed Franklin Regional battles defending champion Shady Side Academy at Norwin High School.

Last spring, the Bulldogs edged the Panthers, 3-2, to win the school’s seventh district tennis crown.

The other semifinal match has No. 2-seed Mt. Lebanon facing No. 6-seed Fox Chapel at North Allegheny High School.

In 2A, top-seed and defending champion Quaker Valley takes on Central Valley. The Quakers have yet to lose a set in their first two wins.

The match will be played at the Sewickley Academy Nichols Courts.

Northern neighbors North Catholic and Mars will battle in the other final four match at Pine-Richland High School.

All four matches are set for 3 p.m.

The top two teams in 3A qualify for the PIAA team playoffs. Class 2A will send the top three teams.

The consolation and championship matches are set for Wednesday at Washington & Jefferson.

Tags: Ambridge, Belle Vernon, Blackhawk, Butler, Carlynton, Charleroi, Chartiers-Houston, Cornell, Elizabeth Forward, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Hempfield, Hopewell, Jeannette, Kiski Area, Mars, Mt. lebanon, New Castle, North Allegheny, North Catholic, Northgate, Norwin, Quaker Valley, Rochester, Shady Side Academy, Yough