California built a 6-1 lead, saw that vanish late, then plate three runs in the top of the seventh to knock off #1 Union in the 1A baseball semifinals. Ricky Lawson and Aidan Lowden singled, Chase Chicchito doubled both home, then scored on Kris Weston’s double to make a winner of Dom Martini who worked the final 2.1 innings in relief. With two on, one out in the Union seventh, Martini snared a line drive and turned a game-ending double-play to put the Trojans back in the finals for the first time since beating Union to win the 2019 championship.
Burgettstown was not as fortunate as the Blue Devils fell to #1 Serra Catholic in the 2A semifinals. Burgettstown stranded the bases loaded in the second and left two more on in the third before the defending-champion Eagles plated four runs in the third and six more in the fourth to trigger the run-rule. The Blue Devils now must beat #3 New Brighton in the WPIAL third-place game next week to reach the state tournament.
Chartiers-Houston and Waynesburg lost softball semifinals and will play in WPIAL third-place games, knowing that their state playoff berths are already clinched. Carmichaels held off Frazier late to reach the WPIAL 1A finals. #3 Trinity plays unbeaten #2 Shaler Wednesday in the 5A semifinals. We’ll have that game on-air and online for you. Click for WPIAL Softball WPIAL Baseball
Tuesday, May 23
Baseball semifinals (winner to finals, May 30-31, losers to PIAA qualifiers, May 30-31)
BB 2A #1 Serra Catholic 10, #4 Burgettstown 0, 5 inn.
BB 1A #4 California 9, #1 Union 6
Softball semifinals (winners to finals, May 31-June 1, losers to PIAA qualifiers, May 30-31)
SB 1A #1 Union 13, #4 Chartiers-Houston 5
SB 1A #2 Carmichaels 3, #3 Frazier 1
SB 3A #2 Southmoreland 7, #3 Waynesburg 0
Wednesday, May 24–Softball semifinals (winners to finals, May 31-June 1, losers to PIAA qualifiers, May 30-31)
SB 5A #3 Trinity vs. #2 Shaler, 5:50 pm at Gateway WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here!
Dates/times to be determined:
BB 1A Championship #4 California vs. #6 Bishop Canevin at Wild Things Park
BB 2A PIAA Qualifier #4 Burgettstown vs. #3 New Brighton at W&J
SB 1A WPIAL Third-Place #4 Chartiers-Houston vs. #3 Frazier (both have clinched PIAA berths)
SB 1A Championship #2 Carmichaels vs. #1 Union at PennWest University Lilly Field
SB 3A #3 Waynesburg vs. #4 Burrell (both have clinched PIAA berths)