May 12, 2016 5 min read

There was never much of a question that the McGuffey softball team would be in the WPIAL playoffs this year.

The Highlanders were coming off a solid 14-3 season that saw them lose just one senior and looked to be the class of Section 2-AA.

McGuffey took care of business, wrapping up the Section title earlier in the week with wins over Waynesburg and Washington, something that might have led the Highlanders to exhale slightly Wednesday. The Highlanders lost 7-4 to Brownsville, allowing three unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning, likely costing themselves some seeding in the WPIAL Class AA playoffs.

The WPIAL softball steering committee met Thursday, and the Highlanders, one of five section champions in Class AA, wound up with the sixth seed. McGuffey (14-2) will play Freeport (12-4) in a first-round game Wednesday (7 p.m.) at Latrobe.

“I figured we’d be seeded between 4 and 6, so we probably dropped two spots,” said McGuffey head coach Jason Kern. “We lost two games to teams with winning records. That’s fine. Eventually, to be the champion, you have to beat everyone anyway.”

The West Greene girls were a little more fortunate. The Pioneers were given the top seed in Class A as the committee looked favorably on their body of work.

In addition to the loss this week, what also might have hurt the Highlanders was their non-section schedule. Both of McGuffey’s non-section wins came in Florida to start the season. The Highlanders had non-section games scheduled, but rainouts and a 14-game section schedule in an eight-team league – others have six or seven teams – might have made it difficult for the steering committee to judge McGuffey.

Kern believes the Highlanders have the goods to make a long trip into the postseason, something they failed to do last season when they dropped a 13-3 first-round game to Burrell.

“A lot of the girls still have a bitter taste in their mouths from the Burrell loss,” Kern said. “So I think they’ll be focused because of that. We’re just focused on Freeport right now. I think in Double-A, top to bottom, anyone can win. I don’t think anyone will be an easy out.”

That’s what other area Class AA teams are hoping, anyway.

Waynesburg (9-11) will start the postseason Monday at West Allegheny in a preliminary round game against Neshannock (9-7), with the winner facing top-seeded Elwood City Wednesday at Seneca Valley.

Also Wednesday, Burgettstown (14-6) has a first-round game against South Allegheny at Baldwin (5 p.m.), and Bentworth (14-5) gets Laurel (14-3) at 2 p.m. at West Allegheny.

While McGuffey’s non-section schedule was thin, West Greene got in nine games outside its section and picked up some impressive wins, including one over perennial powerhouse Deer Lakes, the No. 2 seed and defending champion in Class AA. The Pioneers compiled a 19-1 record on their way to the Section 1-A title.

West Greene, whose only loss came in South Carolina, will play Greensburg Central Catholic (6-7) in an opening-round game Monday at Canon-McMillan’s North Strabane Intermediate School field (5:30 p.m.).

Also in Class A Monday, defending champion Jefferson-Morgan (10-7) faces Monessen (13-5) at 4 p.m. at Canon-McMillan, and Chartiers-Houston (11-7) gets Leechburg (12-6) at at Hampton.

Meanwhile, Trinity and coach Shawn Gray are just happy to be in the playoffs, thanks to Belle Vernon having to forfeit three games for use of ineligible players,

The three forfeits by the Leopards, the defending WPIAL champions, included one to the Hillers, who moved ahead of Belle Vernon in the Section 3-AAA standings. Belle Vernon had defeated Trinity twice in the regular season.

Now, Trinity, which had been on the outside looking into the postseason prior to the forfeits, gets another shot at a deep playoff run. Trinity advanced to the PIAA championship game last year.

“Shock and awe,” said Hillers head coach Shawn Gray of his team’s reaction to their situation. “It’s unfortunate because Belle Vernon deserves to be there. They have a very good team and they got caught up in a situation. But we’re excited to have the opportunity. We want to see what we can do with it and how far we can take it.”

The Hillers (8-8) face No. 3 seed and Section 2 champion West Allegheny (16-1) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at North Allegheny. Trinity didn’t play West Allegheny this season but knocked the Indians out of the WPIAL playoffs last year with a 20-3 win in the quarterfinals.

“They’ve been doing really well this season,” Gray said of West Allegheny. “We’ve battled them several times over the years. It should be a good game.”

The Hillers are one of two local teams in the Class AAA playoffs. The other, South Fayette (14-4), plays Elizabeth Forward (11-5) Wednesday at California University’s Lilley Field. First pitch is 2 p.m.

In Class AAAA, Canon-McMillan (15-3), the Section 4 co-champion, is the fifth seed and plays Fox Chapel (12-7) 5 p.m. Monday at North Allegheny. Also Monday, Peters Township (10-6) faces Section 2 champion Franklin Regional (12-4) at Baldwin (5 p.m.).