Bethel Park makes easy work of Baldwin in softball playoffs
The Bethel Park softball team defeated Baldwin, 9-1, at West Mifflin in the first round of the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs.
The Black Hawks remained undefeated, improving their overall record to 16-0, while advancing to the semifinals to play Pine Richland May 26.
The WPIAL softball championships will be held June 2-3 at California University of Pennsylvania.
“It felt great to get our first playoff win in awhile,” said BP head coach Heather Scott, who saw her team’s season derailed by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
“We are one step closer to reaching our next goal,” she added. “These girls keep working hard.”
Connecticut recruit Delany Nagy made quick work of the Highlanders on the mound. Facing 25 batters, she fanned seven, walked one and scattered three hits.
Abby Quickel, Ali Sniegocki and Gianna Sciullo fueled the BP offense.
Quickel tagged three doubles and drove in three runs. Sniegocki tripled and singled while driving in two runs. A two-run homer from Sciullo highlighted the first inning. She also singled in the game.
Meanwhile, Pine-Richland advanced to face the Black Hawks by virtue of a 6-1 victory against Mt. Lebanon at Plum.
Boston recruit Gabbi Augton fanned 12 Blue Devils and Leah Hartzberg tagged two hits, including a home run for the Rams, who improved to 9-8 overall.
Lebo finished the season at 10-8 overall.
South Fayette dropped a 16-3 decision to Armstrong in a Class 5A game at Valley.
Abbey Girman smacked a three-run homer in the fourth inning to account for all the runs by the Lions, who finished the season 12-8 overall.
Armstrong, meanwhile, tagged six home runs, including two each by Emma Smerick and Riley Kilgore, who finished with three hits and five RBI.
Chartiers Valley used a grand slam from Zoe Mangan to beat Thomas Jefferson, 6-5, in its playoff opener.
Mackenzie Maga and Marta Gualazzi had two hits each for the Colts.
In the quarterfinals, Gualazzi tagged a home run and drove in three runs as CV dispatched Connellsville, 5-1.
On the mound, Jenna Bonneysteele tossed a one-hitter. She fanned 10. Offensively, she collected three hits in three plate appearances. Marie Kinchington drilled two doubles for the Colts, who improved to 14-7 overall and advanced to face North Hills (15-5) on May 25 in the semifinals.