WPIAL softball brackets releasedFour Butler County high school softball teams learned their WPIAL first-round playoff foe when the brackets were released Thursday afternoon.Class AAAKnoch (15-3) will face Montour (11-4) at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Seneca Valley’s Raider Field.Mars (9-7) will play Section 1 champion Beaver (10-5) at 3 p.m. Wednesday at North Allegheny.Class AAFreeport (12-4) will battle Section 2 champion McGuffey (14-2) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Latrobe.Class ASection 3 champion Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (13-4) will meet Bishop Canevin (7-5) at 5 p.m. Monday at Fox Chapel.

Mars boys lacrosse hosting playoffThe Mars boys lacrosse team earned the No. 1 seed in the WPIAL Division II playoffs.The Planets (16-1) will host a quarterfinal playoff game at 7 p.m. Wednesday against the winner of Monday’s game between Latrobe and Gateway.

Fennell semifinalist for Martinez AwardOMAHA, Neb. — Butler graduate and California (Pa.) University senior outfielder Mick Fennell is a semifinalist for the Tino Martinez Award.The award is presented annually to the most outstanding baseball player in NCAA Division II.Fennell is one of only two semifinalists to record at least 10 doubles, five triples, five homers, 30 RBI, 50 runs scored and 20 stolen bases this season. He is tied for the California career record of 175 runs scored and his 223 hits are one shy of the school mark.Fennell closed his career with the Vulcans with a .372 batting average (223-for-600), 33 doubles, 16 homers, 98 RBI and 60 steals.The finalists for the Martinez Award will be announced May 28. The winner will be named June 6.

Butler grad Allen named track MVPERIE — Butler graduate and Penn State Behrend track and field standout Paige Allen has been named Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference women’s track MVP.Allen was a first team all-conference winner in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 100-meter hurdles this spring, along with running legs on the first team 4x100 and 4x400 relays.Knoch graduate Ashlyn Carlsson was also a member of the first team 4x100 relay.