High school softball: Waynesburg clinches section title
Waynesburg broke a tie by scoring two runs on an error in the sixth inning and went on to beat South Park 4-2 Wednesday to clinch the Class 3A Section 4 championship.
Waynesburg (8-0, 11-2) has won nine in a row.
The Raiders scored two runs in the first inning but South Park (4-3, 8-4) pushed across single runs in the second and fourth to tie.
In the sixth, Waynesburg loaded the bases on a walk to Emma Zehner and singles by Abby Davis and Mikaylynn Good. After a ground ball led to a forceout at home plate, winning pitcher Kendall Lemley hit a grounder to third base and the ensuing error allowed the Raiders to score two runs.
Waynesburg was held to six hits, including a double by Dani Stockdale.
• Trinity played powerball, hitting two home runs, and defeated visiting Upper St. Clair 6-2 to clinch at least a share of the Class 5A Section 4 title.
The Hillers (8-0, 12-1) have won 11 in a row. They built a 6-1 lead after three innings against USC (4-4, 8-5).
Addy Agnew and Ryleigh Hoy got Trinity off to the good start with home runs, which backed the winning pitching of Taylor Dunn, who scattered six hits and struck out seven. Dunn did not walk a batter.
Ava Pries hit a solo homer and scored both USC runs.
• Sofia Celaschi fired a five-inning no-hitter with 13 strikeouts as Charleroi cruised to a 10-0 win over Bentworth in a key Class 2A Section 3 game.
Charleroi is 6-2 in the section and 11-2 overall. The Cougars are 1 ½ games behind first-place OLSH. Bentworth slipped to 5-4, 5-6. The Bearcats are now a half-game out of the final playoff berth from the section.
Celaschi did not walk a batter. Bentworth managed three baserunners, all reaching on errors.
Charleroi scored in every inning. Madalynn Lancy led the Cougars’ attack with two doubles. Lyla Brunner doubled and Riley Jones drove in a pair of runs.
• Undefeated Carmichaels needed only three innings to defeat California 15-0 in Class A Section 2.
The Mikes are 9-0 in section, 13-0 overall and have clinched a playoff berth.
Ali Jacobs led the Mikes’ offense by going 3-for-3 with a double, three runs and two RBI. Ashton Batis smacked a home run and Kaitlyn Waggett tripled and drove in three.
Winning pitcher Bailey Barnyak allowed only two singles and struck out six.
• Winning pitcher Peyton Gilbert fired a two-hitter, struck out 13 and helped her cause by belting a home run as West Greene moved closer to a playoff berth with an 8-2 win at Jefferson-Morgan in Class A Section 2.
The Pioneers (6-2, 9-5) had a fast start, leading 7-0 after three innings. Taylor Karvan, Lexi Six and Marissa Tharp each had a double for West Greene.
Gilbert now has 104 strikeouts for the season.
• Layla Sherman hit a grand slam during Burgettstown’s nine-run third inning, powering the Blue Devils to a 15-0 four-inning win over Beth-Center in Class 2A Section 3.
Burgettstown (6-3, 9-5) is in sole possession of third place in the section. The Blue Devils scored in every inning.
Peyton Mermon was 3-for-4 with a double and Ashlyn Kubatka also had a double. Rya Sentipal scored three runs.
Winning pitcher Julie Jastrzebski gave up only one hit and struck out six.
• Cameran Chambers’ RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Moon a 1-0 victory over South Fayette in Class 5A Section 3.
Moon (2-5, 3-8) scored after having two outs and nobody on base. Until Chambers’ game-winning hit, it was a pitching duel between Moon’s Abbie Warnagiris and South Fayette’s Emma Earley. Warnagiris allowed five hits and struck out 10. Earley gave up only four hits, walked just one and struck out 14.
Emma Smith had a double for South Fayette (5-3, 8-7).
• Hempfield stayed in contention for the Class 6A Section 1 title with a 9-3 win at Canon-McMillan.
Emily Griffifth went 4-for-4 with a home run and Hannah Uhrinek homered and doubled for Hempfield (9-2, 12-2), which scored in each of the first six innings.
Olivia Ford homered and Morgan Doyle was 3-for-4 with a double for the Big Macs (4-7, 5-8).
• Bethel Park built an early five-run lead and held off Peters Township 8-4 in Class 5A Section 4.
Nicolette Antonucci homered, and Rebecca Gillenberger and Anna Duguid doubled, as BP improved to 3-5 in section and 4-9 overall.
Makenzie Morgan and Maddie Patton doubled for PT (1-7, 3-10). Madi Renda and Skylar Lemansky contributed doubles.
• Shelby Telegdy hit two doubles, drove in four runs and pitched a one-hitter as Elizabeth Forward took a big step toward the Class 4A Section 2 title with an 11-1 win over Belle Vernon in five innings.
EF is 9-0 in section and 12-0 overall. Belle vernon dropped to 7-2, 10-4.
The lone run for Belle Vernon came on a solo homer by Mia Zubovic.