What to watch for in WPIAL sports on May 14, 2025: Returning WPIAL finalists ready for a rematch in Class 5A baseball

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 | 11:33 PM

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Four years ago, the top two seeds in the WPIAL Class 5A baseball bracket avoided a lot of difficult obstacles to meet in what became one of the most memorable district title games.

The matchup pitted No. 1 Franklin Regional against No. 2 Bethel Park.

The teams entered the showdown with a combined record of 36-4.

The pitching matchup was Brian Pirone for the Panthers and Eric Chalus for the Black Hawks.

A scoreless tie was broken in the bottom of the fourth inning when Timmy Quinn for Franklin Regional doubled and later scored on an error.

It remained 1-0 until the top of the seventh inning when Bethel Park tied it on a Zach Sackett pinch-hit single that plated David Kessler.

But the Black Hawks’ joy didn’t last long.

In the bottom of the seventh, Luke Treloar led off with a single and with two outs, scored the golden run on a double by Andrew Muraco to win it for the Panthers, 2-1.

It was the third district crown for Franklin Regional and first in 20 years.

Now those teams are set for the rematch Wednesday in a WPIAL Class 5A first-round game at the Boyce-Mayview Complex in Upper St. Clair at 7 p.m. with audio on Trib HSSN.

No. 4 Bethel Park captured the Section 2-5A title this spring with an overall record of 16-4.

The Black Hawks have won eight straight games since falling to Peters Township on April 16.

No. 13 Franklin Regional finished in fourth place in Section 1-5A with an overall record of 10-8.

The Panthers are going in reverse heading into the postseason, having lost their last five games.

Elsewhere in Class 5A, here are the seven other openers:

• Top-seeded Pine-Richland (17-3) looks to avoid a stunner when it plays Trinity (10-9) at Plum at 6:30 p.m.

• No. 8 Fox Chapel (15-5) battles No. 9 Latrobe (14-6) at Gateway at 7 p.m.

• No. 5 Thomas Jefferson (14-4) is challenged by No. 12 Upper St. Clair (14-7) at West Mifflin at 7 p.m.

• No. 2 Plum (18-2) goes up against No. 15 Mars (8-10) at Fox Chapel at 3 p.m.

• No. 7 Peters Township (13-7) faces No. 10 Baldwin (9-7) at Boyce-Mayview in USC at 4:30 p.m. with audio on Trib HSSN

• No. 3 Shaler (13-6) plays No. 14 Montour (12-7) at North Allegheny at 7 p.m. with audio on Trib HSSN.

• No. 6 and defending champion Penn-Trafford (14-6) squares off against No. 11 Connellsville (13-5) at Norwin at 4 p.m.

Diamond anniversary

Ten years ago, the Knoch baseball team celebrated its first and thus far only WPIAL baseball championship.

The Knights shut down West Allegheny to win the 2015 district Class 3A title game, 5-1.

No. 8 Knoch prepares to battle No. 9 Ambridge in a Class 4A first-round playoff game Wednesday at North Allegheny at 4 p.m.

The Knights have been steady this spring, winning and losing no more than three games in a row to finish the regular season at 10-10, tying Greensburg Salem for second place behind Indians in Section 3-4A.

The Bridgers won three straight section games in mid-April and were tied for the top spot in Section 1-4A before the team lost its final five games of the regular season to end up in fourth place with an overall record of 8-10.

The winner advances to the quarterfinals to face top-seeded Indiana.

Here are the other three first-round games in Class 4A:

• No. 5 Belle Vernon (14-6) will face No. 12 Derry (6-7) at Norwin at 2 p.m. with the winner moving on to play No. 4 Beaver in the quarterfinals.

• No. 7 Central Valley (10-10) goes up against No. 10 Greensburg Salem (8-6) at Seneca Valley at 6 p.m. with the winner taking on No. 2 West Mifflin in the second round.

• No. 6 Blackhawk (10-7) will take on No. 11 Ringgold (10-10) at West Mifflin at 4:30 p.m. with the winner playing No. 3 Elizabeth Forward in the quarters.

6A softball finally begins

It is the smallest bracket in the WPIAL spring sports postseason.

The action finally begins Wednesday in the Class 6A softball playoffs with two quarterfinals.

The games will run back to back at Fox Chapel.

In the first game, third-place North Allegheny takes on sixth-place Norwin at 2 p.m.

The Tigers have won five straight games and are 13-7 overall.

The Knights won two of their last three games after dropping four in a row and enter the game with a record of 9-11.

In their two regular season meetings, North Allegheny beat Norwin both times, winning at 8-2 home and 3-2 on the road.

Defending champion Seneca Valley awaits the winner in the 6A final four.

In the second game, the teams that tied for fourth place collide when Pine-Richland faces Canon-McMillan at 4 p.m. with audio on Trib HSSN.

The Rams split their final eight games of the regular season to end up 13-7 overall.

The Big Macs won four of their last five games to complete the season with a 12-8 record.

Canon-McMillan won both games against Pine-Richland, winning 7-6 at home and picking up an 8-4 victory on the road.

The winner will take on top-seeded Hempfield in the semifinals.

Clash of section champions

All four section champions in WPIAL Class 5A softball won in the opening round to advance to the quarterfinals.

Two of them will go head to head for a spot in the 5A final four.

West Allegheny captured the Section 3-5A title by finishing two games ahead of Chartiers Valley and South Fayette, ending up with a 14-4 record.

Thomas Jefferson earned the Section 4-5A crown by edging Trinity and Baldwin in the standings by one game and was 13-6 overall.

On Wednesday, the No. 3 Indians take on the No. 6 Jaguars at West Mifflin at 7 p.m. with audio on Trib HSSN.

West Allegheny won three straight WPIAL 5A titles between 2017-2019.

Thomas Jefferson is the defending PIAA champion and needs a victory to qualify for the 2025 state playoffs.

Here are the other three 5A second-round softball contests:

• Top-seeded Penn-Trafford (18-2), fresh off a 5-3 victory against Moon in the first round, will take on No. 9 Chartiers Valley (12-6), a 2-1 opening-round winner over Plum. The game will be at the same site of their first-round victories, West Mifflin at 5 p.m.

• No. 4 North Hills (16-4), fresh off a 4-3 triumph over Baldwin in the first round, goes up against No. 12 Fox Chapel (13-6), a 4-0 shutout winner over Franklin Regional, at North Allegheny at 3 p.m. The Indians defeated the Foxes twice this season, 10-2 and 6-2.

• No. 2 Shaler (15-4), a big winner over Connellsville in the playoff opener, 8-0, is set to battle No. 10 Trinity (12-9), which defeated South Fayette in the first round, 7-0. The game is at West Mifflin at 3 p.m. with audio on Trib HSSN. These teams met in the 2023 5A semifinals with the Hillers upending the Titans in nine innings, 5-1.

The same, but different

Six of the eight teams that were in the WPIAL Class 4A softball quarterfinals a year ago are back in the second round this spring.

However, there are no rematches from the 2024 quarterfinals.

The two teams that had to earn their way to the second round with first-round victories are No. 4 West Mifflin (14-6) going up against No. 5 Blackhawk (12-5) at North Allegheny at 7 p.m.

The Titans outslugged North Catholic in the first round, 9-6, while the Cougars crushed Western Beaver, 14-4.

Elsewhere in 4A quarterfinals Wednesday:

• Top seed and defending champion Elizabeth Forward (14-3) will play No. 8 Derry (11-6) at Norwin at 3 p.m. The Trojans ousted Greensburg Salem 2-1 in the first round.

• No. 2 Hampton (14-4), fresh off a bye, will go up against No. 7 Indiana (10-10) at Norwin at 5 p.m. The Little Indians edged Uniontown in their playoff opener, 3-2.

• No. 3 Knoch (17-3) had a bye, now it will battle No. 6 Beaver (14-5) in the second round at North Allegheny at 5 p.m. The Bobcats rolled past Belle Vernon in the opening round, 8-1.

Day 3 of lax playoffs

The district lacrosse playoffs continue to move steadily along this week with quarterfinals in boys Class 3A and girls 2A set for Wednesday.

The boys 3A lacrosse playoffs finally begin with two-time defending champion Mt. Lebanon (12-4) sitting at the top of the bracket as the No. 1 seed.

Lebo will host No. 8 Central Catholic (9-9) at 7:30 p.m.

The Blue Devils rolled past the Vikings in an early season section match, 17-2.

The other three 3A boys second-round matches are:

• No. 4 North Allegheny (9-8) welcomes No. 5 Pine-Richland (10-7) at 7 p.m. with audio on Trib HSSN. The Tigers beat the Rams in late March, 11-6.

• No. 7 Canon-McMillan (10-5) visits No. 2 Shady Side Academy (10-7) at 7 p.m. It is the first meeting of the year between the Big Macs and the Bulldogs.

• No. 6 Fox Chapel (10-4) travels to No. 3 Upper St. Clair (10-6) at 7:30 p.m. with audio on Trib HSSN. The Foxes edged the Panthers in a nonsection match last month, 9-8.

In girls 2A, the top four teams in the brackets all received a first-round bye and begin the postseason Wednesday.

Top-seeded Mars (16-1) begins its drive toward more gold when it hosts No. 8 Oakland Catholic (9-3) at 7 p.m.

The Eagles edged Franklin Regional in the opening round, 11-9.

This is the first meeting of the season between the Fightin’ Planets and the Eagles.

Here are the other three quarterfinals in girls 2A:

• No. 4 Blackhawk (12-2) is home to face No. 5 Hampton (11-7) at 7 p.m. While the Cougars had a bye, the Talbots cruised to a first-round win over Trinity, 12-1.

• No. 2 Seton LaSalle will battle No. 7 Quaker Valley (9-4) at Mt. Lebanon at 6 p.m. The Rebels enjoyed a first-round bye while the Quakers were eliminating Indiana, 12-3.

• No. 3 Chartiers Valley (13-3) goes up against No. 6 South Fayette (13-6) at Upper St. Clair at 6 p.m. CV had a bye and SF defeated Sewickley Academy in their opener, 21-4. In the regular season meeting between these teams, the Colts galloped past the Lions, 16-5.