After a busy Thursday of quarterfinals, Archbishop Wood baseball and Palisades softball are both two wins away from state titles.
In the PIAA 4A baseball tournament, District 12 champion Wood (18-6) manhandled District Four’s Montoursville 9-1 in Fredericksburg. Dariel Tiburcio knocked in three runs while Braden Kelly and Logan Pietrzak drove in two each. Sophomore lefty Mason Burlingame allowed one run in five innings. Wood, who reached the 5A final four last year, will play District Two’s Dallas in Monday’s semifinal.
The District 11 3A softball champion Palisades Pirates (24-2) also have a date on Monday; they will face District Two champion Mid Valley for the right to play for a state title. Palisades handed District Four champion North Penn Liberty its first loss in a 5-1 win at Central Columbia High School. Catie Russo and Karlye Teman both homered for the Pirates while Ashley Amato notched her 100th career hit.
In 6A baseball, Central Bucks West’s pitching staff was almost perfect – again – but lost 1-0 in a nine-inning heartbreaker to District 12 champion Father Judge at Villanova Ballpark. Sam Greer struck out eight and allowed just five base runners in seven shutout innings. West, the District One champion, ends its best season in memory with a 20-7 record.
The Archbishop Wood softball team bowed out to District Seven’s Montour 5-0 at Messiah University. The Vikings (13-9) topped District Three champion Lampeter-Strasburg 7-4 on Monday to advance. Wood’s Dakota Fanelli was named the Philadelphia Catholic League’s MVP and Pitcher of the Year. She was joined on the PCL All-First League team by fellow Vikings Maura Yoos and Parker Kraus.
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