Myriad county softball teams notch playoff bids

Just a few days remain in the WPIAL softball regular season, and the vast majority of the Westmoreland County teams have secured their spots in the postseason. Of the 18 Westmoreland teams, 13 have clinched, while three others are still in contention. In Class 6A, both Hempfield Area and Norwin are in. The Spartans are currently in second place in Section 1, at 11-2, while the Knights are just behind, at 11-3. In Class 5A, Franklin Regional, Greater Latrobe, and Penn-Trafford have all clinched. The Panthers are second in Section 2, at 7-2, while the Wildcats and Warriors are third and fourth with records of 6-3 and 4-5, respectively. Belle Vernon Area and Greensburg Salem have secured their spots in Class 4A. The Leopards are 9-2, good for second place in Section 2, while the Golden Lions are in third with a mark of 6-5. In Class 3A, Southmoreland, Yough, Mount Pleasant Area, Ligonier Valley, and Burrell have all punched their tickets. The Scotties lead Section 3 with a mark of 8-1, while the Cougars (6-3), Vikings (5-3) and Rams (5-4) round out the top four in the section. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, are deadlocked for second in Section 1 with a record of 5-2. Lastly, Greensburg Central Catholic has notched a playoff berth in Class 2A. At 7-1, the Centurions are second in Section 2. Additionally, Jeannette and Monessen are in the playoff hunt in Class 1A and can clinch this week, as the Jayhawks and Greyhounds are third and fourth, respectively, in Section 3, while Valley is still mathematically alive in Class 3A Section 1. The WPIAL softball playoff brackets will be revealed on Thursday.

Four volleyball squads clinch postseason

As the WPIAL boys volleyball regular season draws to a close, a quartet of Westmoreland County teams have clinched playoff berths. In Class 3A Section 3, Penn-Trafford, Hempfield Area, and Norwin have all secured their spots in the postseason bracket. Meanwhile in Class 2A Section 2, Greater Latrobe has punched its ticket to the playoffs. Thus, Derry Area is the lone county team that has not yet secured a spot in the playoffs.

Norwin, Derry girls, GCC boys reach track and field championships

The WPIAL team track and field championships will take place on Tuesday, and three Westmoreland County teams will be in contention for gold. On the girls side, Norwin qualified in Class 3A, while Derry Area advanced in 2A. Meanwhile, the Greensburg Central Catholic boys made the cut in 2A. In the semifinals last Thursday, host Norwin bested Franklin Regional 101-35 and Laurel Highlands 113-17 to secure its spot in the championship. The Knights will compete against North Allegheny, Canon-McMillan, and South Fayette at West Mifflin High School. The Trojans, meanwhile, edged host South Park via tiebreaker after the teams tied at 75-75 last Thursday. Derry Area also bested Freedom Area 98-52 and Waynesburg Central 105-45. Subsequently, the Trojans will battle Winchester Thurston, Knoch, and Quaker Valley at Peters Township High School. Greensburg Central Catholic advanced as a result of besting Mohawk 85-65 at GCC last Thursday. The Centurions also ousted Apollo-Ridge 95-55, and East Allegheny 106-44. Greensburg Central Catholic will match up against Shenango, South Park, and Quaker Valley at Peters.

GCC duo among all-state boys basketball honorees

The All-State boys basketball team was released last week, and Westmoreland County was well represented with five selections. All of the area players received Third-Team honors, led by the Greensburg Central Catholic junior duo of Tyree Turner and Franco Alvarez. Turner and Alvarez helped lead GCC to a record of 18-7, reaching the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals and an appearance in the state playoffs. Additionally, Belle Vernon Area sophomore Zion Moore, Yough junior Terek Crosby, and Lorenzo Gardner, a junior from Monessen, also made the team. In his first year with the Leopards after transferring from Ringgold, Moore helped propel BVA to the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals. Crosby, who has eclipsed 1,000 points in his career with the Cougars, sparked Yough to a mark of 17-10, reaching the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals and the PIAA postseason. Lastly, Gardner helped the Greyhounds achieve a record of 21-4, advancing to the WPIAL Class 1A quarterfinals.

Dellett, Moore headline SHU softball awards

After another stellar regular season, Seton Hill University softball garnered several conference accolades. Last week, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) announced its All-Conference honors, which included six Griffins. First-year head coach Cassie Moore was selected as the PSAC West Coach of the Year. Leading the way among the players was Lauren Dellett, who was chosen as the PSAC West Pitcher of the Year. Dellett, who was also a first-team honoree at pitcher, compiled a mark of 18-6 with a pair of saves, an ERA of 1.52, and 138 strikeouts over 165.1 innings of work during the regular season. Joining Dellett with First-Team recognition was shortstop Nina Grandey, who hit .318 with 32 runs scored and 23 steals. Additionally, third baseman Graces Paredes, catcher Mackenzie Zang, and designated player Brooke Cleland achieved Second-Team All-Conference honors. The Griffins were eliminated from the PSAC Tournament on the first day last Wednesday, dropping their record to 29-17.