ALEXA BRYSON
SCHOOL: Latrobe.

THE PAST WEEK: Bryson pitched a no-hitter and struck out 15 in a 5-0 victory against Peters Township a week ago in the WPIAL Class AAAA semifinals.

GOOD FOR NOTHING: The no-hitter against Peters Township was Bryson's fourth of the season and she has not allowed a run in two playoff games. A junior right-hander, she has a 15-2 overall record with 223 strikeouts for the Wildcats, who will play Seneca Valley in the WPIAL championship game tonight at California University.

BELATED PRESENT: Bryson turned 17 yesterday. Her most desirable present would come one day late -- a WPIAL championship. "That's what I'm hoping for," said Bryson, who also has a .385 average.

SMALL BALL: Bryson certainly isn't an imposing figure on the pitching rubber. She stands only 5 feet, 1 inch. But she has been gigantic in leading Latrobe to a spot in the WPIAL championship game for the first time in school history.

"When I was younger, a lot of people used to say, 'She can't throw because she's so little,' " said Bryson, who has a 3.9 grade point average. "But I guess some people are starting to see I can throw a little."

COACHING HELP: Bryson credits some of her success to Latrobe assistant coach Jana Hudson, who was Bryson's private pitching coach before becoming part of the Latrobe staff.

-- By Mike White

NICK MERICH
SCHOOL: Peters Township.

THE PAST WEEK: Merich, a junior right-hander, pitched a five-hit shutout as Peters Township defeated Bethel Park, 12-0, to win the WPIAL Class AAAA championship game Tuesday. Merich also was the winning pitcher in Peters Township's 5-3 semifinal victory May 23 against Plum.

ZERO TOLERANCE: Merich's performance in the title game was highly unusual, when you consider past championship history. Since the WPIAL changed to more than one classification in 1979, there have been only three other shutouts in the championship game of the largest class. Mt. Lebanon defeated Blackhawk, 2-0, in 2002. Shaler beat Blackhawk, 7-0, in 1980. Hopewell defeated Central Catholic, 4-0, in '79.

AVENGING DEFEAT: Bethel Park defeated Merich and Peters Township, 8-3, earlier this season. That's the only defeat for Merich, who has a 9-1 record.

"Our goal was to have Nick get us to at least the fifth or sixth inning," said Peters Township coach Joe Maize. "But this kid is the most underrated player around. You don't hear much about him, but he's a kid who was in the weight room all the time in the fall. All of our kids were in there, but he worked harder than anybody else on our team in his conditioning. I just love the fact that he was on the mound to end the game."

Merich is eligible to come back and pitch in the first round of the PIAA playoffs Monday.

-- By Mike White