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Seneca Valley Leads the Pack in WPIAL Playoffs

No other high school in the region has as many teams still competing in the WPIAL playoffs

might not be top-seeded in each sport, but the Raiders lead the WPIAL playoffs in at least one category.

The Raiders lead the region in the number of teams still competing in the WPIAL playoffs.

Five Seneca Valley High School varsity teams - baseball, softball, boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse and boys volleyball - remain in contention in the WPIAL playoffs. That doesn't include the van full of track and field athletes headed to the PIAA individual championships starting Thursday at Shippensburg University.

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The Seneca Valley girls lacrosse team kept the momentum going when it defeated Peters Township, 14-8, in the semifinals of the Division I playoffs Tuesday night at North Hills High School.

"It's pretty impressive how many of our teams are still in the playoffs," Raiders girls lacrosse coach Dina Hughes said after the game. "We were joking before our game that we probably wouldn't have many fans here because they're all at the other playoff games. It's a cool thing."

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Seneca Valley advanced in baseball and softball with close playoff victories on Monday.

The No. 10-seeded Raiders softball team (12-5) eliminated second-seeded Hempfield (17-1), 4-2, Monday at Woodland Hills High School.

“We’ve been the underdogs all along,” Seneca Valley softball coach Geroge Trew said. “We were relatively relaxed. Nobody expected us to win, except us.”

Seneca Valley trailed 2-0 early in the game, but came back to win its seventh consecutive game, including two straight in the playoffs.

“We just scratched and clawed and got back into the game,” Trew said.

Raiders’ baserunner Kelsey Mislan crossed the plate with the winning run, and junior pitcher Emily Watson (12-5) picked up the victory. Watson doubled and singled and freshman teammate Sarah Blagg added three singles and drove in the fourth run.

“She used her fastball, curveball, sinker and drop,” Trew said. “She mixed them up pretty well.”

Trew also gave credit to junior shortstop Julia Vandrak for making solid defensive plays on a couple hard-hit softballs.

Seneca Valley’s softball team will meet Baldwin in the semifinals at a site and time to be announced.

The Raiders baseball team (14-3) knocked off Upper St. Clair, 2-1, Monday at Pullman Park in Butler.

Seneca Valley advanced to the WPIAL baseball semifinal against Bethel Park at a site and time to be determined.

Sam Fragaile delivered a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the seventh to drive in Christian Durbin with the winning run.

The Raiders boys lacrosse team ends a week-long layoff when it returns to action in the WPIAL Division I semifinals against Mt. Lebanon at 8 p.m. tonight at Chartiers Valley High School.

Also at Chartiers Valley at 6 p.m. today, Seneca Valley takes on Norwin in the WPIAL boys volleyball semifinals.

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