WPIAL softball playoffs
Class 5A
First round
8-Armstrong (11-8) vs. 9-Fox Chapel (14-5)
3 p.m. Tuesday at Plum
Winner plays: Winner of 1-Shaler (17-1)/17-Moon (10-10) on Thursday in quarterfinals (site and time TBD)
Players to Watch: Jillian Haigh, Fox Chapel; Lily Gutherie, Armstrong
Extra bases: Fox Chapel split its Section 1 series with Plum and finished tied with the Mustangs for second place in the section behind champion and No. 1 seed Shaler. The Foxes average 8.3 runs and won six of seven games to close out the regular season. The only loss came to Class 4A power Hampton. Freshman pitcher Lexi Stabile burst onto the scene with several top performances but has been battling through recent injury. Haigh, a junior who also plays at shortstop, has come on with experience and provided stability in the pitching circle. Juniors Heidi Stiger (center field) and Ella Eisner (third base) and senior Summer Burkhart (right field) have helped provide pop in a potent Foxes lineup. Fox Chapel upset No. 5 Franklin Regional in last year’s Class 5A first round before falling to No. 4 North Hills in the quarterfinals. … Armstrong finished a close second to Penn-Trafford in the Section 2 race and handed the Warriors, the No. 3 playoff seed, their only section loss. Penn-Trafford won the rematch 8-7. The River Hawks score at 9.2 runs a game and surrender 4.1. Sophomore Josie Porter leads the lineup with a .429 average and owns 18 RBIs and 12 extra-base hits. Gutherie is batting .418 with 15 RBIs. Sophomore Sydney Krukar and senior Natalie Ziegler also have driven in 18 runs apiece. Armstrong won WPIAL titles in 2022 and 2024. The Riverhawks lost to No. 6 Thomas Jefferson, 1-0, in last year’s Class 5A first round.
Class 5A
First round
7-Trinity (17-3) vs. 10-Plum (13-5)
5 p.m. Tuesday at Gateway
Winner plays: Winner of 2-Thomas Jefferson (15-3)/15-South Fayette (10-8) on Thursday in quarterfinals (site and time TBD)
Players to Watch: Liana Yusko, Plum; Ally Krenzelak, Trinity
Extra bases: Plum enters this year’s WPIAL tournament hoping to put a halt to a six-game losing streak in first-round games. The Mustangs finished tied for second place with Fox Chapel behind Shaler in Section 1, and they split their season series. Plum’s offense has been potent. The Mustangs have power with numerous home runs and are averaging 9.8 runs. Yusko, a catcher, has fronted the lineup from the top of the order. She had three home runs in a 17-2 win over North Hills on April 20. Riley Stephans and fellow seniors Jaiden Gentile and Makenzie Marotta also provide pop in an experienced lineup. Stephans surpassed 300 career strikeouts in the latter half of the regular season. … Trinity finished third in a competitive Section 4 race behind Thomas Jefferson and No. 5 Baldwin. The Hillers have won eight games in a row since a 3-2 loss to Thomas Jefferson on April 13. That run included a 4-0 win at Baldwin. Trinity played in the 7-10 matchup last year as the No. 10 seed and topped No. 7 South Fayette, 7-0, before falling to Shaler in the quarterfinals. The Hillers won their only WPIAL title in 2023. Krenzelak, a senior, returned to lead Trinity after earning All-State honors last year in the outfield. Junior pitcher Maddie Ray also is one to watch.
Class 5A
First round
5-Baldwin (16-4) vs. 12-Kiski Area (14-5)
3 p.m. Tuesday at Norwin
Winner plays: Winner of 4-West Allegheny (12-3)/13-Latrobe (10-8) on Thursday in quarterfinals (site and time TBD)
Players to Watch: Kyla Hutcherson, Kiski Area; Reese Temme, Baldwin
Extra bases: Kiski Area returns to the WPIAL playoffs after missing the postseason the past three seasons. The Cavaliers earned a WPIAL berth with a third-place finish in Section 2 behind Penn-Trafford and Armstrong. Kiski Area split its season series with Armstrong, winning the second game 5-2 on April 13. The Cavaliers are scoring 7.7 runs a game with Hutcherson, a sophomore first baseman, leading the way with a .404 average, 15 RBIs and nine extra-base hits (four home runs). Senior Alyssa Perona owns a team-leading 23 RBIs and 11 extra-base hits (five home runs). … Baldwin finished runner-up in Section 4 at 10-2, one game behind section champion and No. 2 seed Thomas Jefferson. The Highlanders are scoring 7.7 runs a game. Baldwin won four in a row to close the regular season. Three of the four came against playoff qualifiers Montour, Norwin and West Mifflin. Temme, a senior outfielder, leads the way for Baldwin at the plate with a .554 average (41 of 74) with 34 RBIs, six doubles, two triples and six home runs. Sister Cam Temme, a sophomore pitcher/outfielder, also has six doubles and six home runs. The Highlanders have a rich history of winning with a WPIAL-best 10 championships. But the program is seeking its first WPIAL title since 2001.