A-K Valley WPIAL playoff baseball/softball capsules: Games for Wednesday, May 18, 2022

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 | 7:31 PM

Purchase Photo Options

BASEBALL

Class 4A

First Round

8-Highlands (13-6) vs. 9-Quaker Valley (8-9)

7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Plum

The Golden Rams finished in a three-way tie for second in Section 1 at 6-4, and they won seven of eight to close out the regular season. Highlands is in the playoffs for the third season in a row. … The Quakers, the third-place team from Section 2, closed the regular season with three wins in a row after a five-game losing skid.

Class 4A

First Round

6-Knoch (11-7) vs. 11-Uniontown (9-7)

4 p.m. Wednesday at Norwin

The Knights finished in a three-way tie for second in Section 1 (6-4) with Highlands and Indiana. Knoch won three of four to close the regular season and secured a playoff spot with a sweep of Indiana on April 25-26. … Uniontown, tied for third with Elizabeth Forward in Section 3, hopes to stop a three-game losing skid at the end of the regular season.

SOFTBALL

Class 4A

First Round

7-Highlands (10-5) vs. 10-West Mifflin (11-9)

3 p.m. Wednesday at Norwin

The Golden Rams were the only team to defeat No. 3 Burrell in the regular season. Highlands was a WPIAL finalist and state semifinalist last season. … The Titans defeated Baldwin, 5-4, on May 11 to snap a five-game losing skid. West Mifflin made the WPIAL semifinals last year.

Class 4A

First Round

8-Freeport (9-6) vs. 9-Central Valley (8-7)

5 p.m. Wednesday at Mars

Freeport, the third-place team from Section 1, swept playoff-qualifier Knoch and lost a pair of 1-0 games to No. 3 Burrell. Sophomore Sydney Selker is a leader both in the circle and at the plate. … Central Valley lost to Knoch, 4-1, in last year’s first round. The Warriors went 5-2 down the stretch in Section 3 to finish third in the standings.

Class 4A

First Round

5-Montour (12-4) vs. 12-Knoch (9-9)

3 p.m. Wednesday at North Allegheny

Montour seeks its fifth overall WPIAL title and first since 2012 (Class 3A). The Spartans finished second to Beaver in Section 3 (9-3). … Knoch swept McKeesport and Greensburg-Salem; edged No. 7 Highlands, 3-2; and suffered two low-scoring setbacks (1-0, 2-0) to No. 3 Burrell in section play.

Class 2A

First Round

2-Frazier (15-0) vs. Apollo-Ridge (7-6)

5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Penn-Trafford

Frazier gave up just nine runs and pitched 11 shutouts over 15 games. The Commodores won their first WPIAL title in 2017. … Apollo-Ridge, the No. 4 team in Section 2, defeated No. 7 Seton-LaSalle, 7-6, on April 22. Junior starting pitcher April Earnest (illness) will not play in Wednesday’s game.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.