In the meantime, you can click the links below for text updates for baseball and an audio stream for softball provided by PIAA.

BASEBALL TEXT UPDATES

SOFTBALL AUDIO STREAM

In addition, PCN is providing live over-the-air coverage of each baseball championship and pay-per-view live video streaming over the Internet for baseball and softball. Here’s the link for the pay-per-view coverage (at $6.99 a pop): PAY-PER-VIEW

Here is the baseball championship schedule from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park at Penn State:
CLASS AAA: Northern York 6, Tunkhannock 3 (Northern York wins school’s first PIAA championship in a team sport)
CLASS A: Serra Catholic 4, Reading Central Catholic 0 (Serra wins handily after state championship losses in 2009 and 2010)
CLASS AA: Ellwood City Riverside 5, Salisbury Twp. 2 (Riverside becomes sixth school to win 3 PIAA baseball titles)
CLASS AAAA: Conestoga 6, Spring-Ford 3, 10 inn. (Conestoga wins first PIAA baseball title, reverse 22-11 District 1-AAAA loss)

Here is the softball championship schedule from Nittany Lion Softball Park at Penn State:
CLASS AA: Philipsburg-Osceola 1, Brandywine Heights 0 (P-O wins second title in five years)
CLASS AAAA: Hatboro-Horsham 4, Pennsbury 3 (HH scores 3 in the 6th to claim its 2nd PIAA softball title)
CLASS A: Minersville 6, Clarion 1 (Minersville wins 8th PIAA softball title, most in PIAA history)
CLASS AAA: Valley 3, Manheim Central 1 (Valley wins first PIAA softball championship)

In the meantime, here are a few game notes:

BASEBALL
CLASS AAA: Northern York vs. Tunkhannock … First appearance in the PIAA Baseball Championship for either school … The game was moved from its scheduled 1 p.m. start time to 10:30 a.m. because of Tunkhannock’s graduation ceremony Friday evening … The first four batters in Northern’s lineup – New York Mets draftee Joe Tuschak, Cody McLaughlin, Jon Mayer and Dylan Tamecki – all have batting averages above .400 … Lefty Vince Apicella of Northern has 121 Ks … Tunkhannock SS Mike Papi is batting .556, just ahead of power-hitting Mike Healey (10 HR, a whopping 50 RBI in just 21 games)

CLASS A: Reading Central Catholic vs. Serra Catholic … Serra is the first school to reach the PIAA baseball finals three straight years. The Eagles lost to Christopher Dock 4-3 in a stunning 7th-inning rally last year and Camp Hill 7-3 in 2009 … The Eagles will start pitcher Alain Girman, who is 23-0 in his high school career. Girman started last year’s championship game and pitched well before yielding to his brother, Oliver … Reading Central Catholic has an unbelievable storyline. Today’s game is the last athletic event in the school’s history; Central Catholic and Reading Holy Name are merging next school year to form Berks Catholic High School … The Cardinals might be the first school to reach the PIAA finals with a losing record at 11-13. They were 2-12 in their first 14 games this season. In fact, the school nearly dropped baseball in 2008 because of lack of participation

CLASS AA: Salisbury Twp. vs. Ellwood City Riverside … Salisbury Twp. is making its first state championship appearance; Riverside is making its third state finals appearance in the last seven years, having won PIAA Class AA titles in 2005 (over Halifax 8-0 with the first no-hitter in PIAA championship game history and 2006 (over Montoursville 7-4) … Salisbury’s Zach Harper will make the start on 3 days rest; he’s 2-0 in the PIAA playoffs. … Riverside can join five other schools – Camp Hill, Chambersburg, Christopher Dock Mennonite, Mount Union and Oley Valley – as three-time PIAA baseball champions with a win. No school has won more than three PIAA baseball championships; the PIAA baseball playoffs did not begin until 1977.

CLASS AAAA: Spring-Ford vs. Conestoga … You can call this a District 1-AAAA rematch if you like, but if it ends up being anything like Spring-Ford’s 22-11 win in the 1-AAAA championship back on June 2, it will be a stunner (and a record-breaker, given the PIAA championship game record for runs in a game is 22; that would be Mount Union’s 14-8 win over Wyomissing in the 1993 AA title game) … This is the second straight year for an all-District 1 Class AAAA final. Last year, Henderson defeated Owen J. Roberts 7-0 in the Class AAAA championship game at Altoona. … Spring-Ford is likely to start senior pitcher Mike Oczypok, who has a 14-0 record and a 0.87 ERA … Spring-Ford is making its second championship game appearance in four years, losing 10-2 to Canon-McMillan in in the 2008 Class AAAA championship game … Conestoga is making its first state championship appearance.

SOFTBALL
CLASS AA: Brandywine Heights vs. Philipsburg-Osceola … P-O and Brandywine met in the 2007 PIAA Class AA championship game with P-O winning 11-6, the highest-scoring game in PIAA softball championship history … P-O is making is second straight appearance in the finals, losing 3-1 in 11 innings to Nanticoke in 2010, and its third appearance in the last five years … Likewise, Brandywine is making its third appearance in five years, having lost to Bald Eagle Area 2-0 in 2009 as well as P-O in 2007 … P-O and Brandywine Heights also made one other Class AA championship game appearance each, Brandywine in 2005 (losing to Bald Eagle Area 6-0), P-O in 2000 (losing to Valley View 1-0)

CLASS AAAA: Hatboro-Horsham vs. Pennsbury … Like baseball, another all District 1-AAAA final. Hatboro-Horsham squandered a 5-0 lead in the 1-AAAA title game only to win 8-5 in eight innings on three unearned runs … Hatboro-Horsham starts six sophomores … Pennsbury has won five PIAA softball titles – second all-time in state history behind Minersville’s seven – the last coming in 2007 with a 3-2 win over Greater Latrobe … Hatboro-Horsham won its lone PIAA softball championship the following year with a 3-0 over poor Greater Latrobe … This is Hatboro-Horsham’s third appearance (lost to Shaler 3-0 in 2006) and Pennsbury’s seventh; the Falcons are 5-1 in championship games, losing to State College, 2-0, in its initial appearance in 1978

CLASS A: Minersville vs. Clarion … Minersville has been the undisputed champion of PIAA softball champions with a record seven, including the first two Class AA titles in 1979 and 1980 … In fact, the Battlin’ Miners have the distinction of winning the first Class AA and Class A PIAA titles; Minersville won the initial Class A championship in 1999 over Chartiers-Houston, 6-0 … This is Minersville’s record 9th PIAA championship game appearance … Clarion is the lone remaining unbeaten baseball or softball team in the state. The Bobcats are making their first PIAA championship game appearance … Clarion coach Dan Shofestall is 94-37 in his seventh season, but has done an amazing reclamation project. Clarion had won just three games in the previous two seasons when he took over in 2005.

CLASS AAA: Manheim Central vs. Valley … This is the first PIAA championship game appearance for both schools … Manheim Central has just two senior starters, Alexa Campbell and Samantha Ginder, both of whom skipped Manheim Central’s Senior Week in Florida to play in the state championships … Manheim Central has had five one-run victory in 9 postseason games … Valley was the WPIAL Class AA champion a year ago, but was moved up to AAA this year. It won again despite entering the WPIAL tournament with just 11 wins in a season devastated by rainouts.

You can view the official PIAA baseball brackets here and the softball brackets here.

PIAA BASEBALL
Class AAAA
Spring-Ford 6, Manheim Twp. 5
Conestoga 11, Seneca Valley 1 (6 inn)
Championship: Spring-Ford (25-4) Conestoga (21-4) at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, Penn State University, Friday, 6

Class AAA
Tunkhannock 9, Blue Mountain 0
Northern York 6, Elizabeth-Forward 4
Championship: Tunkhannock (19-2) vs. Northern York (22-5) at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, Penn State University, Friday, 10:30

Class AA
Salisbury Twp. 3, Danville 1
Ellwood City Riverside 5, Martinsburg Central 4
Championship: Salisbury Twp. (20-6) vs. Ellwood City Riverside (19-5) at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, Penn State University, Friday, 3:30

Class A
Reading Central Catholic 8, Muncy 4
Serra Catholic 11, Mercyhurst Prep 4
Championship: Reading Central Catholic (11-13) vs. Serra Catholic (21-3) at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, Penn State University, Friday, 1

—

PIAA SOFTBALL
Class AAAA
Hatboro-Horsham 2, Neshaminy 0
Pennsbury 7, Greater Latrobe 4
Championship: Hatboro-Horsham (25-2) vs. Pennsbury (23-3) at Nittany Lion Softball Park, Penn State University, Friday, 1

Class AAA
Manheim Central 1, Valley View 0
Valley 1, Bellefonte 0
Championship: Manheim Central (25-4) vs. Valley (20-2) at Nittany Lion Softball Park, Penn State University, Friday, 5

Class AA
Brandywine 2, Christopher Dock Mennonite 0
Philipsburg-Osceola 5, Burrell 0
Championship: Brandywine Heights (26-2) vs. Philipsburg-Osceola (24-1) at Nittany Lion Softball Park, Penn State University, Friday, 11

Class A
Minersville 3, Wyalusing 2
Clarion 3, Chartiers-Houston 2
Championship: Minersville (24-2) vs. Clarion (24-0) at Nittany Lion Softball Park, Penn State University, Friday, 3

PIAA BASEBALL QUARTERFINALS
Class AAAA
Spring-Ford 6, Council Rock South 5
Manheim Twp. 5, Nazareth 1
Conestoga 13, Methacton 3 (5 inn)
Seneca Vally 6, Peters Twp. 4

Class AAA
Tunkhannock 4, Mechanicsburg 1
Blue Mountain 9, Twin Valley 3
Northern York 6, Punxsutawney 1
Elizabeth-Forward 3, Grove City 2 (8 inn)

Class AA
Salisbury Twp. 9, Oley Valley 3
Danville 6, York Catholic 5
Ellwood City Riverside 10, Saegertown 7
Martinsburg Central 8, Bedford 1

Class A
Reading Central Catholic 8, Calvary Christian 3 (game called in 6th due to weather; Central Catholic declared winner)
Muncy 7, Salisbury-Elk Lick 0
Mercyhurst Prep 3, Bishop McCort 1
Serra Catholic 6, Bishop Carroll 3

PIAA SOFTBALL QUARTERFINALS
Class AAAA
Hatboro-Horsham 11, Williamsport 0 (6 inn)
Neshaminy 5, New Oxford 3 (8 inn)
Pennsbury 5, Souderton 0
Greater Latrobe 1, McDowell 0

Class AAA
Valley View 14, Pope John Paul II 0 (5 inn)
Manheim Central 5, Lansdale Catholic 4 (8 inn)
Bellefonte 9, Ambridge 0
Yough vs. Valley (game suspended in 4th, tied 0-0)

Class AA
Brandywine Heights 4, Elk Lake 3
Christopher Dock 6, Central Columbia 4
Burrell 6, Central Cambria 2
Philipsburg-Osceola vs. Greensburg Central Catholic (postponed to June 10 at Altoona HS, 1 p.m.)

Class A
Wyalusing 10, Old Forge 0 (5 inn)
Minersville 5, Bristol 0
Chartiers-Houston 2, Fannett-Metal 1
Clarion 8, Cochranton 0

Either way, here’s the first-round board:

PIAA BASEBALL
First round
CLASS AAAA
Spring-Ford 15, Spring Grove 1 (5 inn.)
Council Rock South 8, Monsignor Bonner 3
Manheim Twp. 3, Williamsport 1
Nazareth 6, Council Rock North 2
Methacton 6, Cedar Cliff 2
Conestoga 10, Frankford 3
Seneca Valley 8, McDowell 5
Peters Two. 6, DuBois 1

CLASS AAA
Mechanicsburg 10, Franklin Towne Center 0 (5 inn.)
Tunkhannock 11, Jersey Shore 7
Twin Valley 3, Neumann-Goretti 1
Blue Mountain 5, Upper Moreland 3
Northern York 11, Somerset 0
Punxsutawney 11, Hampton 1
Elizabeth-Forward 13, Carrick 2 (5 inn.)
Grove City 6, Chartiers Valley 3

CLASS AA
Oley Valley 10, Nueva Esperanza 1
Salisbury Twp. 7, Towanda 0
Danville 6, Lake-Lehman 5
York Catholic 13, Springfield Twp. 1
Ellwood City Riverside 1, Karns City 0
Saegertown 4, Laurel 3
Bedford 3, Waynesburg 2
Martinsburg Central 4, Mohawk 2

CLASS A
Reading Central Catholic 3, Masterman 2
Calvary Christian 9, Tri-Valley 4
Muncy 8, Old Forge 3
Salisbury-Elk Lick 5, Lancaster Country Day 0
Bishop McCort 7, Neshannock 1
Mercyhurst Prep 3, Coudersport 2 (12 inn.)
Serra Catholic 11, Elk County Catholic 5
Bishop Carroll 7, Chartiers-Houston 6

SOFTBALL
First round
CLASS AAAA
Hatboro-Horsham 6, Governor Mifflin 5
Williamsport 1, Spring-Ford 0
New Oxford 4, Archbishop Ryan 1
Neshaminy 12, Easton 0
Souderton 2, Central Dauphin 1 (8 inn.)
Pennsbury 12, Northeast Philadelphia 2
Greater Latrobe 1, State College 0
McDowell 4, Seneca Valley 3

CLASS AAA
Pope John Paul II 7, Donegal 5
Valley View 11, Jersey Shore 1
Lansdale Catholic 3, Bethlehem Catholic 1
Manheim Central 2, Pottsgrove 1
Bellefonte 5, Greencastle-Antrim 2
Ambridge 3, Fort LeBoeuf 0
Yough 11, Carrick 1
Valley 1, Punxustawney 0

CLASS AA
Brandywine Heights 3, Troy 2
Elk Lake 2, Pen Argyl 1
Christopher Dock 17, Masterman 1
Central Columbia 10, Annville-Cleona 6
Burrell 13, Moniteau 3
Central Cambria 14, Chestnut Ridge 6
Philipsburg-Osceola 10, South Allegheny 0
Greensburg Central Catholic 1, Fairview 0

CLASS A
Wyalusing 1, West Branch 0
Old Forge 5, Greenwood 3
Minersville 5, Northeast Bradford 0
Bristol 25, GAMP 0
Chartiers-Houston 12, Smethport 0
Fannet-Metal 2, Claysburg-Kimmel 1
Cochranton 4, Fort Cherry 1
Clarion 5, South Side Beaver 4

First, the PIAA brackets:

PIAA CLASS AAAA BRACKET (PIAA Championship begins June 6)
PIAA CLASS AAA BRACKET (PIAA Championship begins June 6)
PIAA CLASS AA BRACKET (PIAA Championship begins June 6)
PIAA CLASS A BRACKET (PIAA Championship begins June 6)

Now, the districts:

DISTRICT 1

CLASS AAAA … CLASS AAA … CLASS AA … CLASS A

DISTRICT 2

CLASS AAAA … CLASS AAA … CLASS AA … CLASS A

DISTRICT 3

CLASS AAAA … CLASS AAA … CLASS AA … CLASS A

DISTRICT 4

CLASS AAA … CLASS AA … CLASS A

DISTRICT 5

CLASS AA … CLASS A

DISTRICT 6

CLASS AAAA … CLASS AAA … CLASS AA … CLASS A

DISTRICT 7

CLASS AAAA … CLASS AAA … CLASS AA … CLASS A

DISTRICT 8

Not available

DISTRICT 9

CLASS AAA … CLASS AA … CLASS A

DISTRICT 10

CLASS AAAA … CLASS AAA …CLASS AA… CLASS A

DISTRICT 11

All classes

DISTRICT 12

Public League

Catholic League

I haven’t posted squat on spring sports this summer because I’m up to my torn-tendon elbows (thanks, puppies) in District 3 work, which I’m enjoying immensely, but this was just off the charts: Easton QB turned Nazareth catcher Justin Pacchioli, one of the state’s most talented athletes, packing the stands at Nazareth because of his mid-year transfer.

Brad’s piece is wonderfully descriptive and made me wish I’d made the drive just to watch Easton students knock themselves out (or get escorted out) trying to out-jeer each other.

I suppose that would be endorsing bad sportsmanship, and I’m not about that, but let’s be honest: HS baseball could use the nutty student section that basketball, wrestling and football sometimes produce. Brad isn’t wrong when he calls some of those crowds near-mobs.

By the way, it is spring sports post-season time, is it not? Lots of posting of playoff brackets and info coming from around the state very soon. Very soon.

Just as soon as I get back from yet another visit with my friends at Dauphin County Domestic Relations (yes, on a Saturday morning). I’m getting to know those folks so well I might invite them to my kids’ baptism.

START GAME

As expected, Chester breaks on top, leading 19-12 late 1st … Clippers have advantages in  every major stat category

Mount Lebanon is game, closes to 24-19

Timout Chester at 4:37 2nd, Chester leads 26-19 … Mt. Lebanon with a couple of free throws to close to 26-21

Mount Lebanon maintains pace, trails Chester 30-25 at 1:23 mark

Lots of action in final minute, Chester takes 34-31 lead into halftime

ML in the game, 35-33 Chester 1st 90 seconds of 3rd

Lebo gets its first tie of teh game at 35-35 at 6:05 (ML has not led at any point), but Chester goes right back up 37-35

TO at 4:56 3rd, Chester 39-35

Chester with a spurt, has outscored ML 8-0, ML TO at 4:20 to take 43-35 lead

ML Tyler Roth ends the run with a 3 at 3:58 .. Now Roth at line for two st 3:41 … 44-39

ML cuts to 44-41 on a 6-0 run  … Evan Eaton with an and one to tie teh game at 44-44 with 2:22 left 3rd

Chester back on top 45-44 at 1:21 … Chester fans enraged by foul calls and in at least some instances are justified, based on replays

ML gets first lead of game at 46-45 with :22 left 3rd on outlet by Roth, no-look pass by Hagy and slam by Lang,

ML ends 3rd with 11-2 run

END 3RD: MOUNT LEBANON 46, CHESTER 45

START 4th

Lamon Church gives Chester the lead with 2 FTs at 47-46

Tied again at 48-48 at 6:51

Church with a steal and a slam to make it 50-48, ML responds with a shot bank by lang … 50-50

Saturday attendance: 4,372 in afternoon, 4,090 in evening

ML TO at 4:59, Chester leads 51-50

Chester extends lead to 53-50, TO with 3;53 to play

Lang down low for 2, Chester leads 53-52

Walker off glass for 2, Chester 55-52

Roth with long-range trey at 1:08, ties game at 55-55

Chester miss, Lang ML rebound, Nelson steals for Chester and scores at :35 … C leads 57-55

Evan Eaton to the line at 23.6 … one and one … makes first and second … tied at 57-57

Lamon Church of Chester called for offensive foul with 13.3 seconds left … ML will get ball and chance for last shot, assuming no turnover

NO! Roth stepped on line, turnover to Chester

Church miss, tap to Nelson, miss, Lang gets rebound … OVERTIME AT 57-57

OVERTIME

ML George Hensler fouls out at 3:01 …Walker misses both

Hagy to the line  at 2:50 … makes one … ML 58-57

Walk of Chester and one to puyt C back in front, 60-58 at 2:21

ML Eaton travels

C TO 2:02 with 60-57 lead

Church makes one of two FT for 61-58 lead

Chester bust loose with 8-0 spurt, puts it away at 69-58 with :36 left

Crazy, entertaining game  … CHESTER WINS IT, 72-60

That is Chester’s 7th PIAA boys basketball championship, tied with the Farrell boys and the Allentown Central Catholic and Pittsburgh North Catholic girls for the most all-time.

Until then, feast.

PIAA girls basketball pairings

PIAA boys basketball pairings

The new school, a merger of Indian Valley and Lewistown high schools that was approved by the Mifflin County School Board last week, will be in place next school year if current Mifflin County School District plans move forward. At current, there is no indication that anything will interrupt those plans, but with school mergers, anything can happen.

But here is what has happened: Indian Valley and Lewistown, both members of the Mountain League, were booted out of the Mountain League in 2012-2013, although the new school will have Mountain League schedules in most, if not all, sports for the next school year.

With the new school, which will be a mid-sized Class AAAA school in football and basketball, thrown out of the Mountain League, it is highly likely that the Mid-Penn Conference will accept the new school as a full member at the start of the next cycle.

On Thursday, the Mid-Penn Conference, as anticipated, accepted State College as an all-sports member; the Little Lions had been a football-only member since 2004. With Mifflin County between State College and Harrisburg, it makes adding Mifflin County a little more palatable to the Mid-Penn.

So palatable, in fact, the conference has included the Mifflin County school in its 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 schedules as a league member, despite the fact that no formal action has been taken on the Mifflin County matter.

In fact, the Mid-Penn, meeting at the same time as the Mountain League and unaware of the ML’s actions, would likely have passed the alignments that included Mifflin County had it not been for requests by Trinity and Steelton-Highspire to change basketball divisions. The conference will vote electronically next Wednesday on the alignments once Steel-High and Trinity resolve the issue. Assuming the Mifflin County school is included in those alignments, as they were on Wednesday, that’s a pretty good indication Mifflin County will have smooth sailing to Mid-Penn membership.

Here they are:

Boys AAAA (Top 20 teams qualify)

Boys AAA (Top 20 teams qualify)

Boys AA (Top 10 teams qualify)

Boys A (Top 12 teams qualify)

Girls AAAA (Top 20 teams qualify)

Girls AAA (Top 20 teams qualify)

Girls AA (Top 10 teams qualify)

Girls A (Top 12 teams qualify)