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One out away from being shutout, Bentworth pulled off an improbable comeback to force extra innings and the Bearcats eventually defeated Jefferson-Morgan, 4-3, in nine innings in a critical Section 1-A game.
Second-place Bentworth (9-3, 12-3) put together three-consecutive hits in the seventh, including a run-scoring double by Derek Jansante.
Jefferson-Morgan (8-4, 11-6) scored three runs in the first but managed just one hit off Ryan Anderson, who pitched a complete game. The Rockets had a four-game win streak snapped and they had scored 54 runs in those victories.
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• Matt Shade pitched a complete-game four hit shutout to lead Trinity to a key 9-0 Section 4-AAA win at Thomas Jefferson.
Andrew Armstrong was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple, and Nick Weaver had two hits, including a double, for Trinity (9-3, 10-4). Graham Cowieson was 2-for-4 with a double and Evan Bukowski added a double. Shade struck out seven and walked one.
Thomas Jefferson (8-2, 11-4) lost for just the second time in section play.
• Burgettstown scored nine runs in the first two innings and Nick Donati pitched a complete game as the Blue Devils won 11-6 at Charleroi in a Section 2-AA game.
Sean Tunno tripled and Brenden Bongiorni doubled for Burgettstown (4-5, 6-7).
Nathan Helster was 4-for-5 with a triple, Isaiah Bell went 4-for-4 with a double and Andrew Sampson added a double for the Cougars (2-7, 4-8), who had 13 hits.
• Dan Saftner had a run-scoring double and Brett Gedman drew a bases-loaded walk during Fort Cherry's three-run seventh inning that lifted the Rangers to a 4-1 win at Beth-Center in Section 2-AA.
Nick Russell struck out 10 in the complete-game win for the Rangers (3-5, 4-7).
Joe Tarley had an RBI-single that gave Beth-Center (2-6, 2-9) a 1-0 lead in the first inning. John Cherup went the distance but took the loss for B-C.
• McGuffey captured its first two victories of the season, knocking off Ringgold 7-3 in the first game and 3-2 in the second.
In the first game, Matt Czulewicz hit two doubles and Don McAnallen hit one for the Highlanders (2-8, 2-10). Scott Graham struck out six and walked one.
Kyle Fisher hit two solo home runs for the Rams.
In Game 2, Graham hit a two-run double in McGuffey's three-run first inning. Luke Baker added two doubles to back the pitching of Jordan Baker. Fisher doubled for the Rams.
• One unearned run was enough for Geibel in a 1-0 victory over Carmichaels in Section 1-A.
With two outs, Phil Mariani and Brendan Constantino hit back-to-back singles. Mariani scored when the ball was bobbled in the outfield.
Mike Ciarochi threw a complete game, scattering six hits, for the Gators (7-4, 8-7). The Mikes (6-4, 7-6) fell a half-game back of Geibel for fourth place.
Girls softball
Shaylee Ianno broke a 1-1 tie with a leadoff home run in the top of the fifth inning and Anna Coletti singled home Lindsay Hoover, who had walked, later in the inning to give Peters Township a 3-2 win at Mt. Lebanon in a Section 4-AAAA game.
Ianno was the winning pitcher, striking out nine for the Indians (8-3, 10-4), who clinched a playoff berth with the win.
Geena Badolato was the losing pitcher for Mt. Lebanon (5-5, 6-7) despite recording 15 strikeouts.
• Ashley Nichols scattered three hits and struck out six as Belle Vernon shut out Ringgold, 6-0, in a Section 4-AAA game.
Apryl Patterson had three hits, including a double, for the Leopards (11-3, 13-5).
Amber Crompton struck out 10 for Ringgold (4-8, 4-9).
• Megan Sowers, Tonya Carroll and Amanda Higinbotham each had two hits and Geri Whitman fired a one-hitter to lead Beth-Center to a 13-0 Section 2-AA win in five innings at South Fayette.
Sowers and Carroll each doubled, Higinbotham tripled and Breigh Devecka had a key two-run single in the second inning for the Bulldogs (8-4, 10-5). Whitman struck out eight and didn't allow a walk.
Ayla Gounder suffered the loss for South Fayette (6-7, 7-8).
• Carmichaels scored 12 runs in the fifth inning and pitcher Cortney Newland gave up just one hit as the Mikes routed Geibel, 18-0, in a Section 2-A game.
Taylor Nichols hit a home run and Ashley Chernisky doubled for section-leading Carmichaels (11-1, 12-1). Memry Jordan added three RBI and Newland recorded 11 strikeouts and yielded one walk.
Geibel (0-12, 0-13) committed five errors.
• Jefferson-Morgan broke open a one-run game after three innings by scoring seven runs over the next three en route to a 13-6 win over Mapletown in a Section 2-A game.
Ashley Phillips, Erin Barbetta, Ashley Naylor and winning pitcher Emily Cottle each doubled for the third-place Rockets (6-5, 7-6). Lindsay Olson and Marissa Cameron each had two hits and two RBI, Phillips finished with two hits and three RBI and Barbetta had three hits and drove in three runs.
Christa Grim had a double and four RBI to lead Mapletown (5-8, 7-8).
• Chrissy Pankratz tripled and Tiffany Lee and Victoria Bennett each added a double as California defeated visiting Avella, 5-1, in a Section 1-A game.
Maria Wohar and Ashley Toia each had two hits and Elizabeth Shaw struck out 10 batters to earn the win for the Trojans (5-6, 6-8).
Bethany Kern struck out six but took the loss for Avella (1-11, 1-11).
• Sarah Angeletti struck out 11 and allowed one hit as visiting Bethel Park defeated Canon-McMillan, 6-0, in a Section 4-AAAA game.
Katie Barry hit a home run for the Black Hawks (4-5, 4-7). Sam Melone and Brittany Toplisek combined on a three-hitter for the Big Macs (2-8, 4-11).
• West Greene tightened its grip on second place in Section 2-A with a 5-3 victory over visiting Frazier.
Sarah Burns drove in two runs for the Pioneers (10-3, 11-4). Mary Burns went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI. Chelsey Jones had two hits and an RBI. Winning pitcher Rachel Burns allowed two hits and struck out five.
Frazier (5-8, 8-8) is tied with Mapletown for fourth place.
• Ashley Morran's home run with one out in the top of the seventh inning lifted Trinity to a 1-0 victory at Sto-Rox in a non-section game.
Kristen Zelenka tossed a four-hitter and struck out seven for the Hillers (14-2), who made several strong defensive plays. Sto-Rox fell to 15-2.
• Harley Davidson went 3-for-3 with a double and five RBI to power Fort Cherry to a 13-2 victory over Monessen in a five-inning Section 1-A game.
The win wrapped up third place and a playoff spot for the Rangers (8-6, 10-7). Lacy Matush and Brianna Salvino each had a double for Monessen.
College softball
California University's softball team was dealt a 5-0 loss against Bloomsburg in the opening round of the PSAC Softball championships at Kutztown University.
Freshman Kayleigh Braim had two of Cal's four hits.
Cal (14-16), the No. 3 seed from the West, will return to the field in the double-elimination tournament against Edinboro (19-19), the No. 2 seed from the West today (10 a.m.). Edinboro lost its first-round game to East Stroudsburg, 1-0 in eight innings.
Cal sophomore Meghan Johnson surrendered five runs, including four in the second inning, on eight hits and two walks. The Cal defense committed four errors, leading to two unearned scores.
College baseball
Slippery Rock erased a 2-1 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the fifth and added three runs in the seventh to post an 8-2 win over California University in the second round of the PSAC baseball championships at SRU's Jack Critchfield Park.
Senior leftfielder Lee Rohan led Cal's six-hit attack with two singles, a run scored and stolen base. Junior first baseman Chris Novia added a hit, walk and RBI while junior catcher Dave Sibenac had a double and run scored.
The Vulcans (34-14), who broke the school record for most wins in a season with Wednesday's 7-1 first-round victory over East Strousdsburg, will return to action Wednesday.
Pony baseball
Zach Barnes hit two doubles and a triple, driving in five runs, as Ace Sporting Goods topped Fairmont Supply, 12-10, in a Washington Pony game.
Matt Sachek picked up the win for Ace (2-1).
Jason Poland doubled, while Sammy Interval took the loss for Fairmont (1-2).
Girls lacrosse
Paige McMenamin and Jenn Doran each scored five goals to lead Peters Township to an 18-5 win over Upper St. Clair in a Section 3 match.
Kelly McGrail scored four goals and Lauren Ray had two for the Indians (15-1). Laura Sunday and Ally Oleynik each added a goal and goalie Alexa Walhoha made 17 saves for PT.
W&J to induct six
Washington & Jefferson College will induct six new members into the W&J Athletic Hall of Fame Friday, Sept. 7 in the Allen Ballroom of the Rossin Campus Center.
The 2007 class, which will be the ninth group inducted, includes Russell Goodwin (1915), Charles "Ace" Heberling (1949), John Luckhardt, Dan Primrose (1997), Michelle Stano (1998) and John Unice (1965).
For more information on attending the induction ceremony, contact the W&J athletic office at (724) 250-3461.
Players honored
Washington & Jefferson College senior second baseman Chris Varacallo was named the Presidents' Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter of the Week on Monday.
Varacallo led 23rd-ranked Washington & Jefferson to a 5-0 record last week by posting a .556 batting average (10-for-18) with five doubles and one triple. He scored six runs and drove in three others. Varacallo also notched a pair of stolen bases.
• Slippery Rock standout Jeff Weiss was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the Week.
Weiss' honor comes in recognition of his SRU record-setting time of 14:09.94 in the 5,000m run at last week's Penn Relays.
He broke his own school record by more than five seconds and also established the new mark for fastest time run by a PSAC competitor this spring. His time is the third fastest recorded by an NCAA Division II runner this season.
Penn State reverses ticket policy
Penn State pulled a reverse with its policy for student football tickets.
Bowing to criticism, the athletic department scrapped a plan to distribute the 21,800 tickets by lottery and will return to the old first-come, first-serve policy.
The proposed lottery was announced Tuesday night, and thousands of students began criticizing the plan through social networking Web sites. Some worried that die-hard Nittany Lions fans would be shut out of Beaver Stadium, and that less interested students might scalp their tickets.
"It became very apparent, very quickly, that most Penn State students want the first-come, first-serve system," associate athletic director Greg Myford said. "So that's what we are going to do."
With a capacity of 107,282, Beaver Stadium is the second-largest in the country behind Michigan Stadium (107,501) in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Penn State's 2007 season begins Sept. 1 at home versus Florida International.
