What to watch for in WPIAL sports on April 23, 2025: Section series continue with critical matchups

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | 12:22 AM

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The mercury throughout the district has risen to the point where the last thing on anybody’s mind is a snowball.

However, the North Allegheny baseball team might be feeling like it is caught in a snowball rolling down following a heartbreaking loss to Section 1-6A rival Seneca Valley.

The loss was the Tigers’ third straight and has dropped their overall record to 8-5 and their lead over the Raiders in the section to only one game.

After Wednesday evening, that lead with either be back to two games and the losing skid will be history for NA, or their hold on first place will be gone and the snowball will be rolling faster.

North Allegheny (6-1) had a 1-0 lead over Seneca Valley (5-2) in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday when an error led to four unearned runs and the Tigers lost, 4-1.

Now NA will host the Raiders in the second game at 7 p.m. in a contest heard here on Trib HSSN.

The third and final game of the section series will be back at Seneca Valley at 4 p.m. Friday.

The other three Class 6A baseball section series will also continue with the middle game Wednesday.

In Section 1, Butler (4-3) will try to make it two straight when it hosts Central Catholic (2-8).

In Section 2-6A, first-place Canon-McMillan (7-3) heads east to battle Hempfield (3-4) as the Big Macs try to make it two in a row against the Spartans following a convincing win Tuesday, 9-1.

Woodland Hills (0-6) heads south to face Mt. Lebanon (4-3) at 4:15 p.m.

Midweek clean up

Two key WPIAL baseball section series between teams ranked in the Trib HSSN Top 5 will conclude Wednesday.

One top-ranked team will have a broom in hand while another tries to avoid being swept.

In Class 5A, No. 1 Pine-Richland held serve at home Tuesday by rolling past No. 2 Shaler, 9-1.

Now, the Titans will try to earn a split of the section series and return to the top of Section 3-5A alone when they host the Rams at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Matulevic Field in Shaler.

In Section 2-2A, No. 4 Neshannock blanked top-ranked Shenango on Tuesday, 11-0.

The Wildcats try to get back in the win column and earn a split when they host the Lancers.

Top four square off

With just over two weeks remaining in the regular season, there are races going on for first place and lest we forget, for playoff berths.

In Section 3-4A softball, the four teams that still control their own destiny square off Wednesday.

Hampton is alone in first place and has built a two-game lead over the rest of the pack as it visits Western Beaver.

The Golden Beavers are 3-2 and in a three-way tie for second place.

The teams they are deadlocked with also square off Wednesday as Blackhawk hosts Beaver.

Both teams are 3-2 in the section.

Doubles finals set

The WPIAL boys tennis doubles championship finals are set for Wednesday at Bethel Park at 1 p.m.

The defending champions in Class 3A are one victory away from repeating as senior Zidaan Hassan and junior Logan Memije of Gateway reached the finals and will face the No. 2 seeds of sophomore Luca Ritivoi and senior Mark Summers of Mt. Lebanon.

Both duos needed three sets in the semifinals to advance to the championship match.

In the 3A consolation match, the No. 4 seed of seniors Ari Pluko and Shawn Khurana of Upper St. Clair will battle the No. 3 seed of senior Mason Friday and freshman Frank Siegel of Fox Chapel.

In the 2A bracket, the top seed of juniors Jonah Jasek and Steven Duing of South Park will face the No. 3 team of senior Landon Harclerode and junior Tyler Quinn of Valley.

The 2A consolation match pits No. 5 seed seniors Will Meagher and Matthew Henry of Quaker Valley against the No. 7 duo of seniors Gabe Nettleton and Michael Dubetsky of Indiana.