Class 3A
First round
9-Yough (12-7) vs. 8-Avonworth (9-8)
5 p.m. Thursday at Gateway
Winner plays: 1-South Park (17-1) on Monday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)
Players to watch: Jaidyn Vay, Yough; Anna Fowler, Avonworth
Extra bases: Yough, a perennial playoff contender, finished third in Section 1 behind Mt. Pleasant and Burrell. The Cougars had a six-game winning streak early in the season. They have four one-run losses. Kylee Fisher was hitting .500 with 18 runs scored. Brooke Kowalski has a team-best 22 RBIs. … Avonworth finished third in Section 2 behind Mohawk and Ellwood City. Fowler is batting .489 with six home runs with 16 RBIs and 17 runs. Lexie Savatt (.435) and Reese Long are other key hitters for the Antelopes. Pitcher Ali Linhart has 77 strikeouts.
Class A
First round
9-Bishop Canevin (5-9) vs. 8-Jeannette (10-3)
3 p.m. Thursday at Plum
Winner plays: 1-Union (16-2) on Monday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)
Players to watch: Grace Stein, Jeannette; Lia Pilarski, Bishop Canevin
Extra bases: Jeannette is trying to get get two playoff wins in the same year for the first time and hopes to do it in Stein’s final season. Stein is 11-3 with a 1.15 ERA and 181 strikeouts. She is batting .533 with 27 RBIs. The Pitt-Greensburg commit recently topped 700 career K’s. Jeannette was the No. 9 seed last year but lost to Union in the quarterfinals. … Bishop Canevin was a section opponent of Jeannette’s a couple of years ago. The Crusaders haven’t been to the playoffs since 2022. They finished fourth in Section 1, which was won by No. 1 Union. Bishop Canevin surrenders 10.2 runs per game and hasn’t won since mid-April.
10-Monessen (7-10) vs. No. 7 Sewickley Academy (9-3)
5 p.m. Thursday at Montour
Winner plays: 2-Carmichaels (15-4) on Monday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD)
Players to watch: Joey Hurst, Monessen; Sanaa Grant, Sewickley Academy
Extra bases: Monessen lost in the first round last year 15-0 to Sewickley Academy in four innings. The Greyhounds have allowed 161 runs, the most in Section 3. … Sewickley Academy tied South Side for second place in Section 1, which was won by Union. The Panthers average 8.7 runs and have allowed only 39 for the season. They have won four in a row and have six shutouts. Grant was hitting .591.