Briefs
College softball
The Washington & Jefferson College softball team split a doubleheader in its final day at the Rebel Spring Games in Florida, defeating North Park, 8-2, before losing to Olivet, 2-1.
In game 1, W&J (5-5) rallied from a 2-0 deficit by scored a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings before a six-run sixth to pull away.
Brooke Lapia broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning with a two-run homer to left field. Lapia went 3-for-3 with the two RBI and scored twice.
Taylor Andres allowed four hits, two runs and struck out four in seven innings.
In game 2, the Presidents scattered their eight hits off Olivet pitcher Gracie Boyle.
Lapia drove in W&J’s lone run when she doubled to right centerfield to score Laura Ryder and take a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Olivet scored two runs in the sixth inning, including an RBI single from Taylor Shellenberger that scored the game-winning run.
College baseball
Ben Maudie hit a pair of solo home runs and the California University had 14 hits but fell to Dominican, 12-10, in a non-conference game in North Carolina.
After Dominican (7-5) scored three unearned runs in the second inning, the Chargers added six in the top half of the third to take a 9-3 lead.
Cal (10-3) scored at least one run in four of the next five innings but its comeback attempt fell short when Dominican added a pair of runs in the seventh inning.
Maudie paced the Vulcans from the leadoff spot by going 4-for-5 with three RBI and scoring three runs. Louden Conte, a California High School graduate, had three hits.
Kush signs
with Browns
Former California University offensive lineman Eric Kush signed with the Cleveland Browns.
Kush, a Chartiers Valley High School graduate, played 15 games for the Bears in 2018, including starts in the first three games at left guard. A neck injury sidelined him relegated him to being a backup on the interior and playing on special teams.
In four years at Vulcans, Kush started 32 games in his final three seasons. He was selected to the East-West Shrine game and was named a D2Football.com Second-Team All-American as a senior.
Kush, 29, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He played two seasons in Kansas City before then playing for Tampa Bay, the former St. Louis Rams and the last two years in Chicago.
Browns’ general manager John Dorsey held the same position in Kansas City when Kush was drafted.
Pirates top Phillies
Five Pirates hit home runs that helped snap a six-game skid in Grapefruit League play with an 11-2 victory over Philadelphia Thursday afternoon at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla.
The homers overshadowed a sloppy day in the field for Pittsburgh, which committed three errors, including two from third baseman Colin Moran.
Trevor Williams allowed three hits and an unearned run over five innings. He had four strikeouts and no walks.
Moran made up for his errors with a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Adam Frazier and Starling Marte each had solo home runs. Corey Dickerson and Kevin Newman had two-run homers.
Making the start in left field, Melky Cabrera went 2-for-4 to raise his batting average to .333.
The lone earned run for the Phillies was on a home run from Shane Robinson off Pirates’ reliever Brandon Maurer in the ninth inning.
Pittsburgh plays Tampa Bay at 6 p.m. tonight. The game will be aired on AT&T SportsNet.