Bentworth, EF to play in softball finals; Mikes seek ‘public’ crown
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Bentworth and Elizabeth Forward will play for WPIAL softball titles in Class AA and AAAA this week, and three other area teams also remain alive as the PIAA tournament looms.
The Carmichaels and West Greene softball teams have already assured themselves of spots in the Class A state playoffs and will play a consolation game to determine where they will be placed in the bracket.
The lone baseball team still alive is Carmichaels and although their game with Avella is deemed a third-place consolation game with the winner gaining a PIAA berth and the loser going home for the season, some have given the matchup a different title: WPIAL public school championship.
That’s how Mikes coach Dickie Krause sees it as well with his team and the Eagles having been eliminated by a pair of private schools in Bishop Canevin and Eden Christian Academy, respectively.
The private vs. public school debate has raged for years and Krause has always let his opinion be known on the issue.
“This is tough for me, and I know how hard Avella works,” Krause said. “I know what they try to do and what we do at Carmichaels and then we both get here and we’ve got to see those two teams.
“Our kids have dreams, too. Our kids would love to be in WPIAL finals. We’re playing with all of our kids within five or six miles of our schools. It’s just not even, it’s not a level playing field. I don’t understand it and my kids don’t understand it.”
The eighth-seeded Mikes (13-5) and sixth-seeded Eagles (11-6) will meet in a 4 p.m. game at Ross Memorial Park on Wednesday. The Mikes won both regular-season meetings, 14-3 and 6-2, but the two finished in a three-way tie for second place in Section 1.
Fourth-seeded Bishop Canevin beat Carmichaels 7-1 and second-seeded Eden Christian knocked off Avella, 11-2, in the semifinals to set up a championship game between the Crusaders and Warriors at 1 p.m. today at Wild Things Park.
Bishop Canevin has been a postseason roadblock for the Mikes before.
“This is the third time we’ve lost in the playoffs to Canevin, and you can tell me, ‘Go get better,’ well, I lose a guy, I can’t go get another kid that’s starter-ready,” Krause said.
“I love my kids. I wouldn’t trade my kids for anybody. They’re great kids. But they’re all from five or six miles away. Avella had the same thing happen to them. You go and play these schools and they’re so deep and they’ve got kids that are physically mature, and we get what comes out of our school district.”
Carmichaels defeated No. 9 Carlynton, 9-1, and top-seeded Union, 3-1, before falling to the Crusaders. Avella knocked off No. 11 Springdale and upended Section 1 champion and third-seeded Fort Cherry, 6-3, to reach the district final four for the first time in program history before losing to the Warriors.
The first game of the week involving area teams will take place today when the Lady Mikes (15-2) and Lady Pioneers (13-8) meet in a 3:30 p.m. game at Jefferson-Morgan to determine the third- and fourth-place teams out of the district.
Carmichaels received a first-round bye then topped South Side Beaver, 7-0, before falling to Chartiers-Houston in the semifinals, 3-2. West Greene knocked off Leechburg, 11-1, and Frazier, 13-5, before losing to No. 1 seeded Union, 10-0.
The Lady Mikes were co-champions with C-H in Section 2 while West Greene wound up in third place. Carmichaels won both regular-season meetings with the Lady Pioneers, 7-3 and 2-0.
Second-seeded Bentworth (17-2), which won the Section 3-AA title, and top-seeded Elizabeth Forward (19-1), the Section 2-AAAA champion both play for district titles on Thursday at PennWest University-California’s Lilley Field.
The Lady Bearcats take on top-seeded and undefeated Neshannock (21-0) at 12 p.m. and the Lady Warriors go up against No. 2 Hampton (17-4) at 4:30 p.m.
Bentworth with Sydney Gonglik and EF with Shelby Telegdy both have ace pitchers who double as outstanding hitters.
The Lady Bearcats’ path to the Class AA final saw them defeat Shenango, 8-1, and Laurel, 2-1, while the Lady Lancers triumphed over Riverside, 11-1, and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 5-0.
Bentworth defeated OLSH twice during the regular season, 7-0 and 12-1. Neshannock swept Shenango, 7-0 and 10-0, and Laurel, 3-0 and 5-1.
The Lady Talbots eliminated Knoch, 11-2, and Blackhawk, 10-0 to reach the Class AAAA final. Elizabeth Forward knocked off West Mifflin, 10-0, and Chartiers Valley, 7-2.
Hampton split two games with CV, winning 9-7 and losing 1-0.
Bentworth and EF have both already clinched spots in the state tournament.