Norwin baseball loses in quarterfinals again .... other playoff highlights

Highlights from today's WPIAL baseball quarterfinals.

For the second consecutive season, Norwin finished the regular season undefeated. For the second consecutive season, the Knights didn't make it past the WPIAL quarterfinals.

Norwin lost to Mt. Lebanon, 5-2, in a quarterfinal game at Gateway tonight. Norwin also lost in the quarterfinals last year.

Luke Hagy added another successful chapter to his terrific athletic career, hitting a home run for Mt. Lebanon. Ian Happ also homered and Mike Duffy gave up only two hits in 6 1/3 innings.

ELSEWHERE IN CLASS AAAA

*** Central Catholic won its ninth consecutive game with a 6-2 victory against Bethel Park.

*** North Allegheny crushed Hempfield, 10-0, as Section 2's reputation took another hit. Norwin and Hempfield were both from Section 2 and both were top four seeds.

*** Seneca Valley and Upper St. Clair were tied, 2-2, heading into the bottom of the sixth before Seneca Valley scored three runs and won, 5-2. Matt Smith pitched a complete game for Seneca Valley, which scored all of its runs in the first and sixth innings. The Raiders didn't have a hit off Steve Gannon in innings two through five.

CLASS AAA

*** Thomas Jefferson edged Hampton, 1-0, in 11 innings. Greg Schneider continued his incredible season for Thomas Jefferson. He allowed only two runs in the regular season in 48 1/3 innings. Today, he pitched nine scoreless innings and struck out 17. Wow! The only run of the game scored on a fielder's choice.

*** Hopewell edged Greensburg Salem, 2-1. Dave Claypole's suicide squeeze bunt scored Tim Hughes with the winning run in the sixth inning. Somewhere former Hopewell coach Joe Colella has to be smiling. Colella, who died last summer, was famous for bunts and suicide squeezes.

*** Matt Callaway pitched a four-hitter to lead Belle Vernon over Mars, 7-1.

*** Joe Lopez's second-inning double gave Blackhawk a 1-0 win against Chartiers Valley.

CLASS AA

*** Riverside scored four runs in the top of the seventh and defeated Deer Lakes, 6-3.

*** Andrew Geisler pitched a two-hitter as Shady Side Academy defeated Fort Cherry, 6-2.

*** South Fayette defeated Laurel, 12-4.

*** Ellwood City's Christian Kerns pitched a five-inning no-hitter as the Wolverines defeated Brownsville, 13-0.

CLASS A

*** Defending PIAA champ Serra was ousted by Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 6-5, in nine innings. Santino Platt's single drove in the winning run.

*** Neshannock defeated Chartiers-Houston, 9-5.

*** Another big performance from T.D. Conway as California beat Western Beaver, 7-2. Conway pitched a two-hitter and struck out 16.

*** Bentworth shut out Vincentian, 10-0, in five innings.