WPIAL baseball semifinal game recaps from Wednesday, May 20th 2026:

Butler 9 Norwin 3 (6A)

Norwin got on the scoreboard early but Butler's offense erupted in the bottom of the first inning as the No. 4 seed Knights fell to the top-seeded Golden Tornado 9-3 in a WPIAL 6A semifinal contest at North Hills. Caden Sivrich homered in the top of the first but it was a short-lived lead for Norwin as Butler answered by tallying five runs in the bottom of the first highlighted by home runs from Boden Lenyk and Nolan Stefaniak. The Golden Tornado added a run in the third and three more in the fourth to build a 9-1 advantage. Sivrich finished 2-for-4 with the home run, double, two RBIs and two runs scored for the Knights (13-9). Derek Berger and Zane Markovitz also collected two hits each. Stefaniak finished with three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored for Butler (19-3) which will play North Allegheny in the WPIAL 6A Championship next week.

Indiana Area 3 Derry Area 0 (3A)

No. 13 Derry Area managed just one hit and No. 1 Indiana did just enough offensively to defeat the Trojans 3-0 in a WPIAL 4A semifinal clash at Plum. Ben Cowburn's bloop single to left field put the Indians in the lead 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning. They added a third run when Brady Oakes scored on a wild pitch in the third. The Trojans twice had two runners on and nobody out but could not score. Liam McMahen had the lone hit for Derry Area. Shane McHugh had two hits for the Indians while Charlie Manzi pitched four scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. Cason Long was the hard luck loser for the Trojans as he struck out seven batters in six innings. Indiana (17-4) will move on to face Elizabeth Forward in the WPIAL 4A championship next week. The Trojans (9-10) will play Hopewell in a third-place consolation game to determine which team will advance to the PIAA playoffs.

Greensburg Central Catholic 2 Serra Catholic 1 (1A)

Anthony Grippo's RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning was the difference as No. 2 Greensburg Central Catholic edged No. 3 Serra Catholic 2-1 in a WPIAL 1A semifinal at Norwin. With the contest knotted at 1-all, Grippo lined a 3-2 pitch to left-center field gap which scored Nolan Sopko from first base to give GCC a 2-1 lead. Centurions reliever Stephen Kochis struck out the side in the seventh inning to put the game away. Alec Martin, who singled in Central's first run, was the winning pitcher. He went 5 1/3 innings and struck out eight while allowing just one unearned run on three hits. Liam Sommerer recorded two hits for the Eagles (13-7). Greensburg Central Catholic (17-0) will meet No. 1 seed Eden Christian in the WPIAL 1A Championship next week.

WPIAL baseball quarterfinal game recaps from Tuesday, May 19th 2026:

South Fayette 11 Penn-Trafford 10 (5A) - WATCH BROADCAST

No. 2 Penn-Trafford and 10th seeded South Fayette combined for 21 runs and 27 hits but it was the Lions that scored the game deciding run in the top of the seventh inning as they edged the Warriors 11-10 in the WPIAL 5A semifinals at West Mifflin. The game-winning hit came in the top of the seventh inning on a R.J. Borgesi RBI single to left field which broke a 10-all tie. PT's Kyle Grabowski drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh but was picked off of first base. A flyout and strikeout ended the game. With Penn-Trafford ahead 6-5 through four innings, the Lions erupted for five runs in the fifth highlighted by a Cody Bungert grand slam to give South Fayette a 10-6 lead. The Warriors (16-6) battled back and tied the game in the sixth on a three-run triple by Colton Tyburski and a run-scoring single from Bryce Ruby to tie the game at 10-10. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they were unable to tally again. Ruby finished with three hits while Logan Matrisch belted a two-run homer for Penn-Trafford. Bungert recorded five RBIs while Bo Stover and Trey Skeen each collected three hits for South Fayette (13-9) which will play No. 3 Thomas Jefferson on Thursday in the semis.

Ellwood City 5 Burrell 4 (3A)

Jake Biskup's single in the bottom of the seventh inning brought in the game-winning run and helped cap off Ellwood City's rally as the No. 3 Wolverines topped No. 11 Burrell 5-4 in a WPIAL 3A quarterfinal game at Pullman Park in Butler. The Bucs scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to go in front 4-2 but Ellwood City responded with a three-spot in the bottom of the seventh to win it. Trey Coury doubled twice while Brayden Mell went 2-for-2 with a double and two walks for Burrell (11-10). Jordan Keller collected three hits while Biskup finished with two and two RBIs for Ellwood City (17-3) which faces No. 7 Riverside in the semifinals on Thursday.

WPIAL baseball quarterfinal game recaps from Monday, May 18th 2026:

Norwin 4 Pittsburgh Central Catholic 3 (6A) - LISTEN BROADCAST

Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Norwin rallied for a 4-3 walk-off victory when Ryan Helphensteine was hit by pitch with the bases loaded against Pittsburgh Central Catholic in the WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinals at Gateway. Three Norwin batters were hit by pitch in the frame, while another walked and the Vikings made a costly error to extend the contest. Ethan McMullen opened the stanza with a single, and Dante Marino drew a walk. Following a balk, Trevor Vitsas grounded out to play the first round for the fourth seed Knights. Tristyn Tavares was hit by pitch, and Caden Sivrich reached on an RBI infield single to make it 3-2. After a strikeout, Zane Markovitz was plunked to load the bases. Josh Funk hit a grounder to shortstop, but an error allowed him to reach, tying the game. Helphenstine was then hit by Vikings’ hurler Nate O’Leary to bring in the winning run. The No. 5 Vikings jumped out to an early advantage, as Chase Gelpi smacked a two-run homer in the first inning after a pair of Norwin errors. The Vikings (9-12) added another run in the third, courtesy of an RBI single by starting pitcher Josh McFadden. Central Catholic had ample opportunities to add to the lead, but Norwin starting pitcher Matt O’Neil stranded a pair of runners in the third, fourth, and sixth innings. Sivrich had a pair of hits for Norwin (13-8), while Jake Knight worked a scoreless inning in relief to collect the victory. The Knights will meet top-seeded Butler in the semifinals on Wednesday.

Derry Area 5 Hampton 2 (4A) - WATCH BROADCAST

In a battle between a pair of underdogs, No. 13 Derry Area reigned supreme as Max Doherty led the Trojans to a 5-2 victory over No. 12 Hampton in a WPIAL 4A quarterfinal clash at Plum. Doherty struck out eight batters while yielding two runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings to pick up the win on the mound. He also broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh as he lashed a two-run double down the left field line to give Derry Area a 4-2 lead. Cason Long earned the save as he came on to get the final out of the game plus had two hits, a run scored and was intentionally walked twice. Mason Perla also singled and scored for the Trojans (9-9). Drew Bucci had a double and scored a run for the Talbots (13-9). Derry Area vaults into the WPIAL semifinals for the first time since 1984 as it faces off against No. 1 Indiana on Wednesday. The Trojans were swept by the Indians during the regular season by scores of 8-2 and 10-3.

Hopewell 7 Valley 1 (4A)

Despite outhitting Hopewell, No. 3 Valley dropped a WPIAL 4A quarterfinal contest 7-1 at West Mifflin. Nikolas Heakins, Dominick Dunkel and Benjamin Mehalick all collected two hits each for Valley with Heakins adding a double. Charles Smetana went 3-for-3 with two RBIs to lead sixth-seeded Hopewell which plays No. 2 Elizabeth Forward on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

Greensburg Central Catholic 4 Jefferson-Morgan 1 (1A)

With Tyler Samide starring both on the mound and at the plate, Greensburg Central Catholic bested Jefferson-Morgan 4-1 in the WPIAL Class 1A quarterfinals at Ross Memorial Park in Washington. Samide tossed a gem for the No. 2 Centurions (17-0), while he also smacked a three-run homer to carry the offense. In his complete-game effort, Samide allowed just one unearned run on two hits, issuing two walks while racking up 17 strikeouts. Greensburg Central Catholic opened the scoring in the first inning, courtesy of a solo homer by Anthony Grippo. Samide’s blast came in the third, scoring Nate Sopko and Stephen Kochis. John Woodward took the loss on the mound for the No. 7 Rockets (12-9), but he produced a double in the seventh and his courtesy runner scored on a groundout off the bat of Drew Adams. As a result, GCC moves on to the WPIAL Class 1A semifinals, and will face No. 3 Serra Catholic on Wednesday.

WPIAL baseball first round game recaps from Tuesday, May 12th 2026:

Penn-Trafford 4 Fox Chapel 1 (5A) - WATCH BROADCAST

Spurred by a superb pitching performance from Dom Delio and timely hitting, No. 2 Penn-Trafford began the WPIAL 5A playoffs with a 4-1 victory over No. 15 Fox Chapel in a first round contest at Plum. The Warriors struck for three runs in the first inning with two of those tallies coming off of an error by Foxes second baseman Tyler Golembiewski on a Colton Tyburski grounder. After a strikeout, Austin Kovarik delivered a two-out, RBI single to make it 3-0. P-T scored again in the bottom of the third as Tanner DeStefano, who had singled with one out, raced home on a wild pitch. Elias George came through with a two-out, RBI single for Fox Chapel's lone run, an unearned tally, in the top of the sixth. Delio finished with five strikeouts and no walks while yielding six hits in a complete game effort. Destefano scored twice for Penn-Trafford (16-5) which plays 10th seeded South Fayette on Tuesday in the quarterfinals at West Mifflin at 6:30 p.m. The Lions (12-9) upset Franklin Regional 8-2 in the first round. Golembiewski collected two hits for the Foxes (12-9).

Bethel Park 6 Greater Latrobe 1 (5A) - LISTEN BROADCAST

Despite getting traffic on the base paths Greater Latrobe managed just one run as the sixth-seeded Wildcats were upset by No. 11 Bethel Park 6-1 in a WPIAL 5A first round game at Plum. The Blackhawks scored twice in the first inning and a single run in the third off of Greater Latrobe hurler Cole Short. They then broke the game open with three runs in the top of the seventh inning against reliever Aaron Gaskey. Noah Noel drove in a run on a groundout in the bottom of the seventh inning for the Wildcats only run. Short reached base four times on three walks and a single for Greater Latrobe (17-4). Mike Bruckner went 2-for-4, with a double, and two runs scored for Bethel Park (13-8) which will play third-seeded Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday in the quarterfinals.

Charleroi 4 Mount Pleasant 2 (3A)

Mount Pleasant Area’s offense was silenced until the seventh, as the Vikings’ rally came up short in a 4-2 loss to Charleroi in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs at Ross Memorial Park in Washington. The No. 8 Vikings mustered just one hit through the first six frames against Cougars’ hurler Brock Henderson. Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Quinn Painter singled for the Vikings (12-9), Dane Firmstone notched an RBI triple, and Santino Marne followed with an RBI single. But Henderson secured the final out in the complete game victory, allowing four hits and issuing three walks. Jordan Grieff took the loss for the Vikings, working 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on six hits, with three walks and three strikeouts. The No. 9 Cougars (11-8) received a two-RBI effort from Tristyn Woods, while Henderson and Jaxson Klinger also produced RBIs. As a result, Charleroi will face top-seeded Avonworth in the 3A quarterfinals next Tuesday.

Burrell 2 Mohawk 0 (3A)

Keyed by a stellar effort by pitcher Brayden Mell, Burrell upset Mohawk 2-0 in the WPIAL Class 3A first round at Pullman Park in Butler. Mell tossed the shutout, permitting just two hits and three strikeouts for the No. 11 Buccaneers. Burrell (11-9) notched both of its runs on a fifth-inning single by Rayden Shirey. Bobby Fadden took the loss for the six seed Warriors (14-6), allowing five hits. Consequently, Burrell will battle third-seeded Ellwood City in the 3A quarterfinals next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Pullman Park.

Ellwood City 3 Ligonier Valley 0 (3A)

Ligonier Valley sputtered offensively in a 3-0 loss to Ellwood City in a WPIAL Class 3A first round matchup at Pullman Park in Butler. The No. 14 Rams (10-11) collected just three hits, including a double by Jacob Petalino. In the triumph for the third seed Wolverines, Aaron Lake came one out shy of the shutout, striking out six, while Jake Biskup, Geordan Bokor, and Matt Kelly each picked up a pair of hits and an RBI. Ellwood City (16-3) advances to the 3A quarterfinals to play No. 11 Burrell at 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday at Pullman Park.

WPIAL baseball first round game recaps from Monday, May 11th 2026:

Hampton 7 Belle Vernon 1 (4A)

No. 12 Hampton plated two runs in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings plus took advantage of four Belle Vernon miscues to secure a 7-1 upset victory over the fifth-seeded Leopards in a WPIAL 4A first round contest at Gateway. After the Talbots went up 1-0 early, Belle Vernon tied the game in the third as Jaden Johnson's single drove in Jordan Jerome, who had tripled, to make it 1-1. But it's the lone run the Leopards would manage off of a trio of Hampton pitchers. Jerome added a double in the game to lead the offense for Belle Vernon (14-6). Colin Custer went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored for the Talbots (13-8) who will face Derry Area in the quarterfinals on Monday.

Derry Area 2 Beaver Area 1 (4A)

Max Doherty drove in both runs for Derry Area plus was the winning pitcher as the 13th seeded Trojans earned a 2-1 upset over No. 4 Beaver Area in a WPIAL 4A first round match up at Deer Lakes. Doherty's double drove in Cason Long in the third inning to give Derry Area a 1-0 lead. He then hit a sacrifice fly to bring home a crucial insurance run in the top of the seventh inning. The Bobcats loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh and Mikey Corob drew a walk to force in a run and make it a 2-1 game. Long then replaced Doherty on the mound and struck out J Derringer to end the game. In addition to Doherty's two RBIs, Long reached base three times and scored once for the Trojans (8-9). Cam Ferri was on base twice and scored. Doherty struck out three batters in 6 2/3 innings while yielding just one run on seven hits. Maddox Tanner had three hits for Beaver Area (15-6). Derry Area will face Hampton in the WPIAL quarterfinals on Monday at a site and time to be determined.