What we know heading into baseball, softball playoffs
As the sun is trying to come out and the rains are trying to slow down, the final week of the regular season of high school softball and baseball is here.
It has been an eventful 2016 season with a lot of memorable team and individual performances.
Wednesday was the last day that teams could play section games, as the softball playoff pairings were released on Thursday and the baseball brackets are coming out today.
With Mother Nature once again playing a role, it蘑菇视频 still undetermined how many Greene County teams will be in the postseason.
So with some uncertainty in the playoffs, let蘑菇视频 talk about what we know as it relates to the postseason picture in the county.
The Lady Pioneers
will be a factor
Perhaps one of the most interesting stories this spring is the play of the West Greene softball team. After its 12-0 victory over Avella on Monday, the Lady Pioneers are 18-1 overall and a perfect 10-0 in Section 1-A play.
West Greene claimed its third overall and its first section title since 1983 last week. The 18 wins are its highest total since the 1983 campaign.
The Lady Pioneers have qualified for the playoffs 10 of the last 12 years and can make an argument for being the No. 1 seed in Class A this year.
Bailey Bennington, West Greene蘑菇视频 lone senior, ended her regular-season career in grand fashion by throwing a no-hitter against Avella and recording her 500th career strikeout in the third inning.
More than likely Bennington will back up ace pitcher Madison Renner in the playoffs, but both will be key contributors to a very potent Lady Pioneers鈥� offense.
The Section 2-AA
softball shuffle
Section 2-AA softball season has been crazy this year with a lot of upsets and surprises. But as the regular season is coming to an end, the picture is getting a little clearer.
After McGuffey defeated Waynesburg Central, 18-7, on Monday, the Lady Highlanders clinched the section crown with Bentworth grabbing second place.
The Lady Raiders qualified for the postseason last week and has reached the playoffs in 15 of the last 19 seasons.
Waynesburg蘑菇视频 loss on Monday opened up a possible playoff spot for Carmichaels. The Lady Mikes needed to beat the Lady Raiders Wednesday to gain entrance into the WPIAL蘑菇视频 second season. They did just that, although it took awhile. Carmichaels won 5-4 in nine innings.
Carmichaels has made the playoffs in 17 of the last 19 years and the last time the Lady Mikes were left out of the postseason picture was in 2006.
Waynesburg and Carmichaels were supposed to meet on Tuesday, but due to the rains the contest got postponed to Wednesday.
Just three out
of Section 1-A
With West Greene, Chartiers-Houston and Jefferson-Morgan taking the three top spots in Section 1-A, Mapletown could have made it a fourth playoff team in the section.
The Lady Maples fell in their section finale to J-M on Tuesday, 7-1, at California University of Pa.蘑菇视频 Lilley Field. If Mapletown would have won, it would have tied with J-M for third place and been playoff-bound for the first time since 2008.
The Lady Rockets, who are the defending Class A champion, have made the playoffs in 10 of the last 19 seasons and in six of the last seven years.
Mighty Mikes only one Carmichaels is the lone county baseball team that qualified for the postseason and will look to make an impact in the playoffs after a third-place finish out of Section 1-A behind California and Bentworth.
After a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season, the Mikes rattled off wins in four of their last five section games to make it in the playoffs. Carmichaels ended the section with big wins over Bentworth, 7-5, and Jefferson-Morgan, 12-2.
This is the 18th time the Mikes have been in the postseason over the last 19 years. The last time Carmichaels missed the playoffs was in 2000.
Over that time frame, Carmichaels has made it to six title games and won three championships. Since 2001, the Mikes have made it to at least the quarterfinal round 13 times.
The Mikes lost to the eventual Class A champion Greensburg Central Catholic, 10-0, in the quarterfinals last year.