briefs
Cal softball eliminated
The California University softball team mounted a two-out rally in the top of the seventh, getting the game-tying run at the plate on Thursday afternoon before suffering a 4-1 loss to Bloomsburg in an elimination game during the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament.
Cal fell to 19-18 overall after playing 11 games over the past week. The Vulcans dropped to ninth in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic regional rankings released yesterday and are unlikely to receive an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Bloomsburg, which is the second seed from the PSAC Central, improved to 20-21 this season and advances to play at least one more elimination game in the tournament.
Junior Taylor Robblee and Bloomsburg starter Alyssa Davies battled in a pitchers’ duel for the majority of the game. Each starting pitcher allowed only one base runner over the opening three innings before Robblee collected the first hit of the contest with two outs in the top of the fourth.
The Huskies collected their first hit with a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning, eventually advancing the runner to third before a ground-out kept the game scoreless.
Bloomsburg loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning on a pair of singles and a walk before Robblee recorded a strikeout. However, shortstop Taylor Winkelman delivered a two-run single before being thrown out attempting to take second on the play. Second baseman Maggie Hall followed with a two-out RBI single to give the Huskies a 3-0 lead.
Freshman catcher Brooke Wilson opened the sixth with a walk and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Robblee to cut the deficit to 3-1. Bloomsburg countered in the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer by third baseman Marissa Shelhamer.
PT’s Bruce
in tennis finals
Peters Township High School sophomore tennis player Connor Bruce advanced in the WPIAL Class AAA championships with a pair of wins.
Bruce, who is the defending WPIAL Class AAA champion, won his second match 6-1, 6-3 to advance to tomorrow’s finals set for 2 p.m. at Alpha Tennis Center in Harmar.
High School baseball
Trailing by three runs entering its final at-bat in the seventh inning, South Fayette scored twice but left the tying runner stranded at third and lost to Blackhawk, 6-5, in a battle of teams atop Section 2-AAAA.
It’s the second time this season the Lions lost by one run to undefeated Blackhawk (13-0, 15-0) .
Nolan Lutz hit a line-drive single to score Richie Dell, who reached on a leadoff double, to cut the deficit to two runs. Ryan Kokoski then tripled with two outs to trim the Cougars’ lead to one run, 6-5, before a groundout kept Kokoski from scoring the tying run.
The Cougars took a 4-0 lead on South Fayette (10-3, 12-5) in the first inning, then added another run in the second.
Blackhawk was powered by the heart of its order as Michael Turconi went 3-for-4 and scored three times. Cleanup hitter Andy McClymonds also had three hits.
- Belle Vernon used seven hits to score six runs in the first inning and Josh Hoffman hit two home runs to defeat Keystone Oaks, 10-1, in a Section 3-AAAA game.
Six of the first-inning hits for the Leopards were consecutive, including a run-scoring double from Trevor Schrock. Ten players for Belle Vernon (9-4, 10-4) had at least one hit. Josh Hoffman went 2-for-4 with three RBI and scored twice.
The balanced offense helped Belle Vernon starter Jordan Hartman, who scattered 10 hits for the complete-game victory.
It is the fifth loss in six games for Keystone Oaks (5-8, 6-8).
- Hayden Hoffman hit a game-winning double as Cornell scored four runs in the sixth inning to defeat Avella, 8-6, in a Section 3-A game.
Hoffman’s two-run double erased a two-run lead the Eagles were able to take in the top half of the sixth inning. Tony Piccolo, who earned the win in relief for Cornell (7-3, 7-3), surrendered all six runs but hit a triple.
Derek Tarolli led Avella (0-8, 1-9) by going 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Tyler Cerciello also hit a double and collected three RBI for the Eagles.
- Bo Haines went 3-for-3 and drove in 5 runs to help Ringgold to a 16-1, 4-inning victory over McGuffey in a Section 3 game in Class 4A.
The win clinches the section title for the Rams (12-2, 13-2). Chas Angotti went 3-for-3 with a double and 4 RBI and Luke Winterbottom went 4-for-4 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. Jake Mayer doubled, singled twice, scored twice and drove in 2. Ryan Varley went 1-for-3 and score 3 runs.
McGuffey fell to 1-13 in the section and 3-14 overall.
- Beth-Center scored in all but two innings on the way to an 11-3 victory over Bentworth in Section 1-AA.
The win keeps the Bulldogs (7-5, 8-6) one game from the fourth and final playoff berth from the section with 2 games remaining.
Bailey Lincoski doubled, Hunter Bowen tripled and Andrew Bower went 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored.
Justin Kisner and Jacob Maimone each had a double for Bentworth (0-13, 1-14).
high school softball
Yough scored a pair of runs in the opening inning and held on to defeat South Fayette, 2-1, in a game of teams on opposite ends of the Section 2-AAAA standings.
The Lions cut their deficit in half when Mia Ely hit an RBI groundout in the third inning, which would end up being the final run of the game for either team.
South Fayette (2-9, 4-12) starter Marg Iagnemma held the high-scoring Cougars to five hits and struck out five.
Entering the game, Yough (11-0, 14-2) had outscored its last five opponents 63-1. Sammie Mcghee was the only player for the Cougars to have a multi-hit game. Kierra Waywood earned the victory in the circle after surrendering just two hits.
- Kourtney Gavatorta and Sophia Godzack each hit solo home runs, Mekenzie Sokol had a grand slam and Bailey Parshall pitched another gem as Belle Vernon defeated Canon-McMillan, 11-2, in a non-section game.
Parshall stifled the typically powerful lineup for the Big Macs, giving up only three hits, two runs (one earned) and striking out 11 for the win. The only earned run she gave up was a home run by Canon-McMillan’s Katelyn Greaves.
Grace Higgins and MaKenzi Hollie each had a single for Canon-McMillan (9-4).
Parshall helped her own cause at the plate with three hits and two RBI. Alex Sokol had a pair of hits and Jaelynn Clegg hit two singles for Belle Vernon (14-2).
- Mattie Telegraphis went 4-for-4, hit two home runs and drove in five runs as Monessen defeated Jefferson-Morgan, 9-1, in a Section 2-A game.
The homers for Telegraphis – two-run shots in the third and fourth innings – gave Monessen (10-1, 11-1) an 8-1 lead. Dana Vatakis continued a strong season by striking out 16 hitters en route to earning the victory. Hannah Yorty also had a multi-hit game for the Greyhounds, going 2-for-4.
Krista McCartney hit a triple for Jefferson-Morgan (3-7, 4-7).
- Six of the eight hits from Bentworth went for extra bases as the Bearcats defeated visiting Beth-Center, 6-5, with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning of a Section 3-AA game.
Jessica Rothka led the way for Bentworth (6-4, 10-5) with a pair of doubles. Emilie Snyder, Savannah Adams, Leah Lindley and Cheyenne Dziak each had a double for the Bearcats, who scored four runs in the final two innings for the comeback victory.
Madison Mock and Paige Moore each had a double for Beth-Center (3-7, 3-10).
- Charleroi pounded out 11 hits in a 10-0 victory over Brownsville in a Section 3-AAA game.
Winning pitcher Kylie Quigley struck out 9, walked 2 and went 3-for-4 with a triple. Lexi Perry went 3-for-4 and Katie Reed went 2-for-4 with a triple for the Cougars (1-9, 1-10).
Payton Hall doubled for Brownsville (1-8, 3-11).
- Analia Paoli went 4-for-4, scored 3 runs and drove in 5 to lead Albert Gallatin past Ringgold, 22-7, in a Section 2 game in Class 5A.
The win assures AG (9-2, 10-2) a tie for the section title with Connellsville.
Maddie Flowers went 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored and 5 RBI and Ally Bejak was 3-for-3 with 4 runs and 4 RBI.
The Colonials hit 5 home runs with Paoli getting 2, Bejak and Flowers one each and Hannah Turtzer one.
Hannah Frizzel, Jillian Scherer and Lauren Gohacki each drove in 2 runs for Ringgold (2-8, 3-8).
Pony baseball
Caden Ondrejko hit a game-winning single as Washington Hyundai defeated Chambers Insurance, 14-13, in a Washington Pony game. Bodie Morgan had a double and three RBI for Washington Hyundai.