WPIAL baseball first round game recaps from Thursday, May 15th 2025:

Connellsville 2 Penn-Trafford 1 (5A) - WATCH BROADCAST

In a game that spanned two days because of poor weather, 11th seeded Connellsville pulled a 2-1 upset of No. 6 Penn-Trafford in a WPIAL 5A first round match up at Norwin High School. What turned out to be the game-winning runs were scored in the top of the first inning as Noah Zawislan came through with a two-out, two-run single for the Falcons. The hit scored Matthew Firestone and Chase Sankovich who each drew walks in the frame. The Warriors (14-7) responded with a run in the bottom of the second inning as Jason Malamisuro singled in Jonny Lovre to cut the lead to 2-1. The contest was halted after two innings due to storms and resumed on Thursday. The score remained the same until P-T loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning but Connellsville's Ethan Porreca induced a force out at home on a ground ball for the second out and got a strike out to end it. The Falcons (14-5) advance to play No. 3 Shaler on Monday.

Bethel Park 11 Franklin Regional 1 (5A)

Bethel Park exploded for seven runs in the fifth inning and then ended the game with two runs in the sixth inning in an 11-1 triumph over Franklin Regional in a WPIAL 5A first round contest at Canon-McMillan. Luke Williams drove in a run for the Panthers while Liam Bernadowski and Chase Lemke each doubled. Joey Levis had a monster day for the Black Hawks finishing 3-for-4, with a double, and five RBIs. Bethel Park (17-4) will play No. 5 Thomas Jefferson on Monday.

Quaker Valley 4 Ligonier Valley 2 (3A)

Ligonier Valley couldn't capitalize on an early lead, losing to Quaker Valley 4-2 in the first round of the WPIAL 3A postseason at Fox Chapel. An RBI single by Austin Harr put the Rams ahead 1-0 after one inning. The score remained that way until the Quakers tallied two runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth inning. Ligonier Valley added a single run in the seventh but Owen Smith, who represented the tying run, struck out to end the game. Harr finished with two hits, including a double, an RBI and a run scored for the Rams (10-8). Nolan Wagoner collected three hits for Quaker Valley (13-6) which will face No. 2 Avonworth (18-3) on Tuesday.

Burrell 10 Charleroi 9 (3A) - LISTEN BROADCAST

A pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning proved the difference, as Burrell edged Charleroi 10-9 in the Class 3A first round matchup at Gateway High School. With the No. 8 Buccaneers trailing entering the frame, Ryan Bates provided the game-tying RBI single, and Ryan Wass followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Brayden Mell for the decisive run. The back-and-forth affair saw the No. 9 Cougars take the lead in the top of the first with two runs, but the Bucs responded with five unanswered runs, including four in the first inning. However, Charleroi scored seven times in a span of three innings to take the 9-7 lead. A Cougars’ error in the fifth allowed Bates to score, pulling Burrell within a run and setting the stage for the dramatic rally in the next frame. In the win, the Bucs produced 10 hits, including two apiece by Trey Coury and Ryan Wass. Additionally, Coury drew a walk and scored three times, Wass had three RBIs, Bates had a single and drew two walks, scoring twice, and Parker Logut had a pair of runs batted in. Lazer Glasser went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a pair of runs scored for the Cougars (10-7), while Brock Henderson and Jackson Keranko each had two hits. With the triumph, the Bucs (13-8) advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face top-seeded Riverside on Tuesday at North Allegheny at 7 p.m.

South Park 4 Mount Pleasant 2 (3A) - LISTEN BROADCAST

Mount Pleasant Area could not solve South Park pitcher Cooper Hochendoner, as the No. 5 Eagles edged the No. 12 Vikings 4-2 in the Class 3A first round at Gateway High School. Hochendoner tossed a three-hit complete game, racking up 16 strikeouts in the victory. Additionally, he registered an immaculate inning. The Vikings struck for a couple of runs in the top of the first, however, as Sonny Marne delivered a two-run single that scored Dane Firmstone, who reached on an error to open the inning, and Cole Chatfield, who also singled. The Eagles scored a run in the third inning, and then took the lead with a three-run fourth stanza. In that frame, Andrew Mittleider provided a two-run single. Hochendoner made the lead stand, as he permitted only an infield single to Jacob Kitz in the seventh. Kitz suffered the loss on the mound for the Vikings, going the distance while allowing seven hits, with one walk and six strikeouts. While the Vikings conclude the season with a record of 12-7, the Eagles (13-6) move on to the quarterfinals to play Waynesburg Central.

Greensburg Central Catholic 14 Sewickley Academy 0

Anthony Grippo went 2-for-3 with a grand slam and six RBIs as Greensburg Central Catholic hammered Sewickley Academy 14-0 in a WPIAL 1A first round game at Plum. The Centurions exploded for 10 runs in the bottom of the first inning and went on to the five-inning triumph. Tyler Samide added three hits at the plate while not allowing a hit on the mound. Greensburg Central Catholic (16-2) will face No. 4 Bishop Canevin in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at West Mifflin at 4 p.m.