CLASS 3A BASEBALL
Top overall seed Riverside (13-2, 9-1 Section 1) will look to collect yet another WPIAL title behind winningest coach in WPIAL history, Dan Oliastro, with its opening round game Tuesday at Seneca Valley HS. The Panthers await the winner of #16 Shady Side Academy and #17 McGuffey who play Monday.
The top seeded Panthers are led by a trio of outstanding pitchers, Zach Hare (5-0, 1.41 ERA, 61 strikeouts), Christian Lucarelli (4-1, 1.41, 54 strikeouts) and Hunter Garvin, and an offense that averaged over nine runs per game. Hare is also hitting .423 to go along with team highs of four home runs and 24 RBIs.
#2 Avonworth (17-3, 9-1) features catcher Mason Metz, a Seton Hill recruit, who is batting .433 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs. The Antelopes have 17 homeruns as a team and feature junior starters Carson Franc (4-0, 0.80 ERA) and Cooper Scharding (4-0, 3.16)
Oliastro now has over 720 regular season victories to go along with six WPIAL titles and five PIAA titles. After becoming the first WPIAL team to finish as unbeaten PIAA champs in 2023, Riverside fell to Avonworth, 4-3 in 14 innings, in last year’s WPIAL Class 3A championship
#3 Ellwood City faces a surprising 14-seeded Seton LaSalle on Tuesday at North Allegheny HS at 7:00 p.m.
Seton LaSalle won WPIAL Class 2A titles each of the past two years but has moved up a classification and features a new head coach. The Rebels feature Josh Burkholder, a West Virginia recruit and one of the state’s top sophomores, who is a standout shortstop-pitcher.
For Ellwood City, the Wolverines average 9.2 runs per game, led by Jordan Keller who finished the regular season with 3 homeruns, 14 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Cam Mills has a team-best 16 RBIs. Aaron Lake finished the regular season unbeaten on the mound, 6-0, 0.62 ERA with 34 strikeouts to his credit. The junior pitcher pitched a three-hitter and shut out Riverside 4-0 early in the season, besting Duke-recruit Lucarelli.
Ellwood City has won nine of its last 11 games after falling to Riverside at Slippery Rock University in April.
With victories on Tuesday, Ellwood City and Riverside would each advance and next play Monday, May 19th. Each would need three victories to meet in the Class 3A Championship Game, something that last took place in 2012 with Ellwood City beating Riverside 9-7 in the Class-2A Championship game.
The WPIAL Class 3A Championship Game will take place May 27-28 at EQT Park
CLASS 3A SOFTBALL
3-seed Ellwood City (10-8, 7-3 Section 2) will await the victor of the #6 McGuffey and #11 Ligonier Valley opening round match-up on Tuesday.
“Looking ahead to a potential opponent, whether it is McGuffey or Ligonier Valley, , we have to be ready to play and bring our best. It is Playoffs, either team will be ready,” says head coach Gary Rozanski.
As one of four teams to earn a playoff berth from Section 2, Ellwood City can find themselves pitted against section rival and 2-seed Mohawk (13-4, 9-1) with quarterfinal victory. The Wolverines were swept by the Warriors in the regular season. Ellwood City swept the two games versus #4 seeded Avonworth Antelopes.
Ellwood City reached the WPIAL quarterfinals last year.
“We are keeping our approach the same, we are looking to improve in each practice – focusing on the mental part of the game, small details and back to basic fundamentals,” adds Rozanski.
Sophomore shortstop Lena Lucarelli is batting .500 (26 of 52) with two doubles, three triples, two home runs and 13 RBIs. Amber McQuistion pounded two doubles, collected two walks, and knocked in two runs in a senior night victory over Quaker Valley last week. McQuistion also tossed six innings in the pitching circle, striking out eight and walking four batters.
“As a whole the team has improved from the first day to this point in the season. Everyone has done their job, whether it is in practice, stepping up as a pinch hitter and/or runner., and making plays in games,” says Rozanski.
Top overall seed South Park (18-0, 10-0) will look to extract revenge as the Eagles lost to Mohawk 9-2 in the 2024 Class 3A Final.
CLASS 2A SOFTBALL
The Riverside Lady Panthers earned an 11-seed in the Class-2A playoffs and open up against #6 Waynesburg Central on Tuesday at North Allegheny at 5:00 p.m.
With a victory Riverside would advance to pay the winner of #3 Laurel and #14 Northgate. The Panthers dropped both regular season games versus the Spartans.
In a rollercoaster regular season, Riverside picked up 22-1 and a pair of 20-0 blowout victories but were also on the wrong end of 17-0 and 15-0 mercy rule defeats at the hands of top overall seed Neshannock.
Neshannock (17-0, 12-0) is position to win its third straight WPIAL Class 2A title. Neshannock shutout Bentworth 3-0 in last years championship.
The Class 2A and 3A Championships Games May 28-29 at Lilley Field (PennWest University, California
Josh Burkholder officially transferred to / back to…West Mifflin…at the beginning of the season so he is not with Seton LaSalle anymore or during the season!
Little side note from ECS!