Latrobe earns top seed in District 31 American Legion playoffs

By: Paul Schofield
Monday, July 4, 2022 | 11:16 AM

American Legion and Junior Legion baseball playoffs in Westmoreland County get underway Tuesday with seven games.

The District 31 Legion best-of-three playoff series will be held at No. 1 seed Latrobe (14-1-1), No. 2 Bushy Run (13-2-1), No. 3 Young Township (11-5) and No. 4 Unity (7-7-2).

Latrobe, the regular season champion, will host Mt. Pleasant (4-11-1) at Legion Keener Field. All weekday games will begin at 5:30 p.m. Game 2 will be held Wednesday on the Game 1 visitors’ home fields.

The Jethawks are coming off a tough 2-1 loss to rival Unity in the annual Fourth of July game at Legion Keener. Unity snapped a four-game losing streak prior to Sunday’s win.

“We’re in good shape as a league,” Region 7 Director and Latrobe coach Jason Bush said. “Winning a playoff series isn’t easy. Anything can happen. I expect a lot of close battles.”

Bushy Run comes into the playoffs riding a nine-game winning streak. It rallied to defeat Yough, 6-3, in nine innings to conclude the regular season. It will host Murrysville (5-11), which defeated Unity, 7-3, to conclude its regular season.

Bushy Run coach Scott Peyman said he’s eager to see his young players continue to grow and improve. Bushy Run tied Latrobe earlier this season.

Young Township, which is coming off a 1-0 win against Unity, will face Hempfield East (5-10-1). Hempfield East concluded the regular season Saturday by splitting a doubleheader with Yough.

Unity (7-7-2) will host Yough (7-9). The Bulldogs defeated the Cougars in both meetings.

Last year, four teams from District 31 made region tournaments. Latrobe, Young Township and Yough played in the Region 7 tournament in Sidman, while Bushy Run was invited to the Region 6 tournament in Uniontown.

The region tournaments are scheduled to begin July 15.

The Westmoreland Junior Legion playoffs also begin Tuesday with a double-elimination tournament.

Unbeaten Connellsville drew a first-round bye.

The first-round matchups are: Murrysville at Ligonier Valley, Ligonier Valley High School, 6 p.m.; Hempfield East at Plum, Boro Field, 6 p.m.; and Monroeville at Penn Township, Penn Township Recreation, 7 p.m.

Action continues Wednesday with Connellsville hosting the Murrysville/Ligonier winner. The other winner’s bracket game will include Tuesday’s winners. There will be one loser’s bracket game Wednesday.

District 31 American Legion

Firs round

Best-of-3

Game 1

Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.

8-Mt. Pleasant (4-11-1) vs. 1-Latrobe (14-1-1), Legion-Keener, Latrobe

6-Hempfield East (5-10-1) at 3-Young Township (11-5), West Lebanon

7-Murrysville (5-11) at 2-Bushy Run (13-2-1), Penn-Trafford High School

5-Yough (7-9) at 4-Unity (7-7-2), Whitney Field

Game 2

Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.

1-Latrobe at 8-Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Pleasant High School

4-Unity at 5-Yough, Sutersville

3-Young Township at 6-Hempfield East, Pitt-Greensburg

2-Bushy Run at 7-Murrysville, Haymaker Park

Game 3 (if necessary)

Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

8-Mt. Pleasant at 1-Latrobe, Legion-Keener, Latrobe

6-Hempfield East at 3-Young Township, West Lebanon

7-Murrysville at 2-Bushy Run, Penn-Trafford High School

5-Yough at 4-Unity, Whitney Field

Westmoreland Junior playoffs

Double elimination

Tuesday

Connellsville, bye

Murrysville at Ligonier Valley, Ligonier Valley High School, 6 p.m.

Hempfield East at Plum, Boro Field, 6 p.m.

Monroeville at Penn Township, Penn Township Recreation, 7 p.m.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.