Sports briefs
High school basketball
Canon-McMillan High School senior basketball player Jason Fowlkes scored 47 points in the opening game of the 43rd Annual Pennsylvania vs. Maryland All-Star weekend Friday night in Harrisburg.
Fowlkes, who averaged 17.3 points per game for the Big Macs this season, was recently named the Observer-Reporter Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
High school baseball
Late-inning heroics from Luke Robinson led Waynesburg to come-from-behind victory over host Seton-La Salle.
With the Section 3-AAA game tied 8-8 in the sixth inning, Robinson hit a go-ahead, two-run home run to put the Raiders on top. A Seton-La Salle (0-2, 2-4) comeback wasn’t out of the question in a back-and-forth contest, but Robinson entered to pitch in the bottom half of the frame, pitching the last two innings to earn the win. The sophomore allowed one run in two innings, striking out five batters and walking two.
After Waynesburg (1-0, 1-0) scored a run in each of the first two innings, the Rebels took the lead with four runs in the second and one run in the third. The Raiders retook the lead with two in the fourth and four in the fifth. Before Robinson’s two-run jack in the sixth, Seton-La Salle scored three in the bottom of the fifth.
Trey Rohanna led Waynesburg with three hits – two singles and a double – and two RBI, while Nick Zator hit two triples and knocked in two runs.
- An 8-run seventh inning capped a 14-0 victory by Fort Cherry over California in Section 1-AA.
Hunter Terpack went 3-for-4 with two doubles and 4 RBI for the Rangers (2-0, 2-0). Max Paterni went 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and Blake McElheney, Mark Parmigiani and Jacob Tkach each had a double.
California is 1-2, 1-1 in the section.
- Bentworth knocked 15 base hits, including exemplary performances from Jacob Maimone and Justin Kisner, to outscore visiting Mapletown, 15-8.
Maimone hit a double and a two-run home run, totaling three RBI on the day, and Kisner went 4-for-4 with two RBI.
After Bentworth (1-2) put up 11 runs in the first three innings of the non-section contest, Mapletown battled back to scored eight in the following three innings. Bentworth then put the game out of reach when the Bearcats scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Dylan Rush and Chuck Lash each hit a double for the Maples (0-2).
Isiah Russell was the winning pitcher, tossing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
- In Belle Vernon’s season-opener, Max Gauden pitched and hit the Leopards to a 13-3 mercy-rule win over Section 3-AAAA opponent McGuffey.
After the Leopards started the season with three postponements, Gauden didn’t allow an earned run in four innings to earn the win. The junior gave up three hits and three unearned runs, walking no batters and striking out three.
Gauden also led the Belle Vernon (1-0, 1-0) offense, hitting one of the team’s two doubles. Joe Sabolek knocked the other double for the Leopards.
Without scoring in the first two innings and falling behind 1-0, the Leps scored six runs in the third, four in the fourth and three in the fifth.
Losing pitcher Lane Wilkerson struck out one and walked two for McGuffey (0-1, 2-2),
- After trailing 5-3 heading into the bottom of the third inning, South Fayette exploded for five runs, which was all the Lions needed as they coasted to an 8-5 win over Hopewell.
Hopewell scored two runs in the top of the first before South Fayette (1-0, 1-0) answered back to take the lead with one in the first and two more in the second. The Lions were able to outscore Hopewell (1-1, 3-4) despite being outhit 10 to eight.
Tyler Bedillion led the Lions on the mound, striking out two batters in five innings.
- In a back-and-forth, extra-inning contest, Charleroi came out on top against Frazier, 10-9, to remain undefeated.
Frazier (1-1) took a 5-0 lead after the first two innings, but the Cougars took the lead with six runs in the third inning. The Commodores scored two in the fourth to retake the lead, but the Cougars answered back with two runs of their own. Frazier scored two runs again the next inning, and Charleroi (4-0) scored one to tie the game at 9-9.
The Cougars won the game on an eighth-inning walk off.
High school softball
Bailey Parshall struck out six and tossed a three-hit shutout as Belle Vernon blanked West Mifflin, 5-0, in Class 4A Section 2.
Parshall also had three hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs for BV (1-1, 2-1). West Mifflin had its three-game win streak snapped and fell to 2-1 in the section.
- Emma Haloren went 3-for-3, scored 3 times and drove in 3 runs during Carmichaels 17-1 win over California in a four-inning Section 2-A game.
Megan Walker had a bases-loaded triple and Gina Ranieri cracked a solo home run for the Mikes (2-0, 4-2). Kylie Sinn struck out six and doubled as did Holaren. Maddi Ewart and Madison Ellswortheach had a triple.
California fell to 0-2, 0-1 in the section.
- A 14-run first inning sealed a 16-0 win by Mapletown over Hundred in a non-section game and season-opener for both teams.
Taylor Vanata went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBI and Makenzie Cree went 2-for-2 with two runs. Winning pitcher Maddie Blaker struck out six. Macee Chesney had two hits.
- Seven different Waynesburg players smacked extra-base hits to score in six of seven innings and defeat host Southmoreland 18-8 in Section 3-AAA.
Paige Rutan and Sydney Hare both hit home runs for the Raiders (2-0, 4-1). Erin Fitch hit a double and a triple, and Rachel Elsenhimer, Bailee Shimek, Brooke Meek and Selena Phillips all roped doubles.
The Raiders had eight extra-base hits to Southmoreland’s one. The Scotties’ (1-1, 1-2) lone extra-base hit was a double by Emily Putsey.
Meghan Braun was the winning pitcher, tossing six innings in relief, allowing only three runs.
- Shelby Dobrynski did it all for McGuffey, leading the Highlanders to a 12-2 win over Brownsville in Section 3-AAA.
Dobrynski threw a six-inning complete game, striking out seven Falcons (0-2, 1-4) and walking only one. At the plate, Dobrynski hit the game’s only home run.
After trailing 1-0 after two innings, McGuffey (1-1, 1-1) scored eight in the third inning. The Highlanders scored one more in the fifth and three more in the sixth to secure the mercy-rule win.
Also leading the Highlanders’ offense was Brin Hunter, who smacked two doubles and a triple. Abigail Blackhurst tripled for McGuffey.
- Three different Chartiers-Houston players hit home runs to lead the Bucs to a 10-0 win over visiting Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic.
Ella Brookman, Kaci Alderson and Karlyn Bayer each homered and drove in two runs. Alderson, who hit two homers in the Bucs’ (3-0) win over Bentworth Thursday, also doubled.
Pitcher Kaitlyn Dittrich struck out five and didn’t allow a walk in four innings.
Wild Things add former Cal player
The Wild Things announced Friday the signing of former California University standout outfielder Mick Fennell.
Fennell played the last two seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals system after being drafted in the 22nd round of the 2016 major league draft. Fennell had four successful seasons with the Vulcans as he was a consensus all-region selection for two years and was a semifinalist for the Tino Martinez Award, which is given annually to the best player in NCAA Division II. Fennell was named PSAC West Athlete of the Year in his senior season and was a three-time All-PSAC selection.
Fennell is one of only three players in Vulcans history with 200 hits and 150 runs. He is tied for the school record in runs and was one hit shy of tying the school record. He hit 27 triples in his four seasons (tied for second in Division II history).
Fennell played for the State College Spikes in 2016, and in 2017 for State College and the Peoria Chiefs.
“Mick is very familiar with us and our facility. … He is a high energy player who looks to use his dynamic speed to create chaos,” said Wild Things assistant general manager of team operations Tony Buccilli. “We look to give him more freedom and allow him to showcase his strengths. Being a WPIAL, Butler (High School) and Cal product, it will be exciting to see how the local community embraces him on his journey.”
College baseball
California split a PSAC West Division doubleheader Friday at Clarion, falling 7-5 in the opener but bouncing back to twin the finale 14-0.
The Vulcans are 5-5 in the conference and 14-11 overall. Clarion is 2-8, 7-18.
In the second game, Cal had five players with multiple hits, including second baseman Garrett brooks, who went 4-for-4 with a career-high four RBI. Austin Logan had two hits and scored four times. The Vulcans had 17 hits in the game.
Sophomore pitcher Nick Riggle threw a complete-game shutout. He allowed four hits and struck out six.
Clarion won the opener by scoring three runs in the first inning ad four in the fifth.
Nico Marchetti hit a two-run homer for Cal.
- Geneva scored five runs over the final two innings to rally for an 8-7 victory over visiting Waynesburg and sweep of a PAC doubleheader. The Golden Tornadoes won the opener 10-0 in eight innings behind a complete-game shutout by Jacob Cardenas.
Waynesburg (1-5, 5-15) erased an early 3-0 deficit in the nightcap and led 7-3 in the eighth. Geneva (5-1, 16-3) scored twice in the bottom of the eighth and won it with a three-run ninth. Vinny Howells hit a two-run triple to tie the game and scored the game-winner on a sacrifice fly.
Tyler Godwin and Brenden Kohan each drove in three runs for Waynesburg. Kohan, Tyler Reis and Jordan Kowalski doubled.
Waynesburg pitcher Noah Lolley scattered five hits over six innings in the opener. He allowed three unearned runs and left with the Yellow Jackets trailing 3-0. Geneva tacked on seven runs over the final two innings.
Vinny Monico had two of the Yellow Jackets’ hits.