Vincentian entered the WPIAL Class AA tournament as the No. 11 seed. The Royals finished the tournament as the district’s third-best team.
Vincentian, led by WPIAL singles champion Derek Chen, upset Greensburg Central Catholic (5-0) and No. 3 Valley (3-2) to advance to the semifinals.
The Royals lost to Mars, 4-1 in the semis, but rebounded to beat Quaker Valley, 3-2, to advance to the PIAA Class AA team tournament.
Nick Tolomeo's feature on the Vincentian softball team:
"By its own lofty standards, this has not been a typical softball season at Vincentian Academy.
The Royals finished the regular season 8-5. They finished third in Class A Section 3 to qualify for the playoffs where they received a No. 13 seed in the 14-team field. The season was plagued by a depleted roster and mounting injuries, especially concussions.
But the more things change, the more they stay the same."
Perennial contender Vincentian Academy is flying under the radar this season.
With only nine players on the roster the Royals struggled at times this season but at the end of the day they are headed to the playoffs. Vincentian finished 8-5 overall this season and 8-4 in Class A Section 3 to finish in third place.
They received the No. 11 seed in the playoffs and will face No. 4 Frazier (16-2) on Thursday at Hempfield.
Cara De Carlo's feature on the Vincentian track team:
(Photo: Alex Archer has been a standout for the Vincentian boys team. Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette.)
tennis