What to watch for in WPIAL sports on May 22, 2021: Storied programs meet in 6A baseball

By: Tribune-Review
Friday, May 21, 2021 | 11:07 PM

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Central Catholic faces Hempfield, Mt. Lebanon meets Butler, and Norwin battles Seneca Valley in three of the four Class 6A quarterfinals baseball games slated for Saturday afternoon.

They’re six schools with great baseball traditions that have only missed the playoffs a handful of times in the last decade and a half.

The six have combined for six district championships since 2006.

Yet despite all six teams making the playoffs on a regular basis, Saturday’s three matchups have only been duplicated one other time in the last 15 years.

Norwin blanked Seneca Valley, 4-0, in the 2006 WPIAL semifinals to advance to the Class AAAA championship game. There the Knights lost to Mt. Lebanon, 12-3.

The fourth 6A quarterfinal Saturday pits top-seed North Allegheny against Upper St. Clair.

All four games can be seen or heard on Trib HSSN.

Three in 3

Of the four sections in WPIAL Class 3A baseball, Section 3 enjoyed the most success in the opening round.

Derry, Deer Lakes and Valley were all victorious in the opening round and have advanced to the 3A quarterfinals Saturday.

Both Sections 1 and 2 had the top two finishers in the regular season win and advance to Round 2 while only section champion McGuffey is still alive from Section 4.

Section champs McGuffey and Derry will meet in one of the quarterfinals.

The other three are Deer Lakes against top-seed Hopewell and Valley against Avonworth in a doubleheader at North Allegheny while 2012 district champion Ellwood City faces 2013 WPIAL winner South Park.

All four games can been seen or heard on Trib HSSN.

Let’s try this again

The Class 5A baseball field was scheduled for an off day Saturday, but a light standard in left field at North Allegheny had other ideas.

A quarterfinal matchup between No. 1 Franklin Regional and No. 8 Mars was suspended Friday night with the score tied 5-5 in the fifth inning when the lights went out. The game will resume at 3 p.m. at Fox Chapel.

The winner gets No. 13 Peters Township in the semifinals.