Apr 27, 2021 10 min read

High school baseball

McGuffey clinched the first outright baseball section championship in school history Tuesday when the Highlanders rolled over Brownsville 13-1 in six innings in Class 3A Section 4.

The win moves coach George Linck’s Highlanders to 8-0 in the section and 12-5 overall. McGuffey has a four-game lead over Brownsville (4-4, 5-7) with two section games remaining.

The Highlanders started quickly, scoring eight runs in the top of the first inning.

Jake Orr went 3-for-4 with five RBI and a solo homer in the third inning that gave McGuffey a 9-0 lead. Winning pitcher Austin Beattie and Logan Hatfield doubled, and Brock Wallace scored three times. Beattie struck out 12 and walked only one over six innings.

• In the wildest game of the season, Charleroi scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to rally and beat Southmoreland 22-20 in Class 3A Section 4.

Southmoreland (3-6, 5-7) scored nine runs in the third inning, five in the fourth and led 16-5 after four. Charleroi (2-6, 4-7) battled back and tied the score at 18-18 with a four-run seventh.

The Scotties had a chance to win the bottom of the seventh, putting runners on first and second with no outs, but a line-drive triple play sent the game to extra innings.

After a scoreless eighth, Charleroi took a 19-18 lead on an RBI single by Zach Usher, and Ben Shields added a three-run homer later in the inning. Shields finished the day 3-for-4 with four runs and seven RBI. He had a run-scoring single in the seventh that tied the score at 18-18.

Usher and Nick Rongaus each drove in three for the Cougars, who had only nine hits.

Four Southmoreland pitchers combined to walk 17 batters and hit six. Charleroi walked 13 batters.

Anthony Govern was 5-for-6 with four RBI for Southmoreland.

Jake Beveridge, the fifth Charleroi pitcher, was the winner.

• Tyler Switalski went 3-for-5 with two triples and three RBI as Waynesburg defeated Yough 14-4 in six innings in Class 3A Section 4. The teams split their two-game series.

Waynesburg, which scored in every inning, improved to 3-5 in section and 3-7 overall. Waynesburg had 13 hits, including three singles by Mason Switalski, and a double and two singles by Hunter Boris. Winning pitcher Logan Higgins doubled.

• Matt Rieger homered, doubled and drove in four runs as Chartiers-Houston completed a two-game sweep of Fort Cherry by defeating the host Rangers 11-4 in Class 2A Section 4.

The Bucs (7-3, 11-3) scored in each of the first five innings to forge a nine-run lead. Roman Lombardi and Jimmy Sadler each had a double for C-H. Matt Bitz was the winning pitcher.

• Landon Urcho went 3-for-4 with a single, double and triple and drove in five runs as Bentworth clobbered Beth-Center 14-4 in a six-inning game in a Section 1-AA game.

Ayden Bochter had two singles for Bentworth (1-7, 3-10).

Beth-Center (5-3, 6-7) had only two hits.

• Greensburg Central Catholic took an 11-2 lead through three and hung on for a 15-8 victory over Mapletown in Class A Section 2.

Landon Stevenson had a double and two RBI for Mapletown (0-5, 0-6).

Max Kallock had two of GC Catholic’s six doubles. Dylan Sebeck, Wade Boyle, Cole Benning, and Ryan Appleby had the others.

• Burgettstown had its hands full with host Clairton for much of the game before settling for a 7-4 victory in Class 2A Section 4.

The Blue Devils (6-2, 8-3) swept the two-game series and have won six of their last seven. Clairton is 1-9, 1-11.

Burgettstown led 5-1 in the third inning before Clairton made a late charge and closed to within 6-4 in the sixth.

Winning pitcher Andrew Bredel struck out five. Nathan Klodowski, who hit a double, pitched the seventh inning for a save. A.J. Kuzior also doubled for Burgettstown.

• Carmichaels scored nine runs in the second inning and four Mikes pitchers combined on a no-hitter in a 15-2 win over Frazier in five innings to remain unbeaten in Class 2A Section 1.

The Mikes improved to 6-0 in section and 10-1 overall.

Gavin Pratt, Trenton Carter, Liam Lohr and Dylan Rohrer combined on the no-hitter, striking out 13. They did hit four batters, which helped Frazier (2-5, 3-7) score its two runs.

Stush Ferek had three RBI for the Mikes.

• Chase Krewson allowed two runs over six innings and Jake Dunay drove in three as South Fayette defeated host North Hills 10-2, sweeping the two-game series in Class 5A Section 3.

Dunay had a two-run triple in the third inning that helped the Lions (6-2, 12-2) build a 5-1 lead.

• Jake Kramer pitched a one-hitter and Hempfield defeated Canon-McMillan 11-1 in six innings in Class 6A Section 2.

Hempfield (6-2, 9-5) swept the two-game series. Kramer struck out six and did not walk a batter. The only hit Kramer allowed was a solo homer in the fifth inning by Matt Graeber.

Canon-Mac fell to 2-6 in section and 4-10 overall. The Big Macs have lost four in a row.

• Hunter Hamilton hit two triples, a double and had three RBI, powering West Greene to a 9-5 win over host Monessen in Class A Section 2.

Winning pitcher Caleb Rice struck out 12 as the Pioneers improved to 5-3 in section and 6-3 overall.

James Thomas went 4-for-4 with a double and four runs for Monessen (1-5, 1-9). Kody Kuhns hit a triple.

• Owen Maddich homered, Bryce Bedilion drove in five runs and Kyle Clayton pitched five strong innings as Jefferson-Morgan defeated host Bishop Canevin 15-4 in six innings in Class A Section 2.

Maddich, who also had a double, went 3-for-4 and drove in two. Bedilion was 2-for-5 and Ayden Pratt scored four runs.

Clayton allowed six hits and four runs (two earned) as the Rockets improved to 5-1 in section and 7-4 overall. Canevin is 3-7, 3-8.

• Thomas jefferson scored four runs in the first inning and went on to a 7-4 win over Trinity in Class 5A Section 4.

Trinity trailed 7-0 nefore scoring times in the sixth and loading the bases with one out in the seventh.

The Hillers’ Ben Hardy was 2-for-4 with two RBI.

• Ringgold won 3-1 over Elizabeth Forward to sweep a two-game series in Class 4A Section 3. No game details were made available.

High school softball

Carmichaels remained in the hunt for the Class 2A Section 3 title with a 10-0 victory over California in six innings Tuesday.

The Mikes (6-1, 9-5) scored in every inning and had a 12-hit attack that wa sled by Mia Ranieri’s three singles and Grace Brown’s three RBI.

Winning pitcher Emma Holaren struck out 14 and scattered four hits by California (2-5, 3-9), which began the day in the final playoff spot in the section.

Carmichaels is a half-game behind section-leading Frazier.

• Annika Rinehart homered, tripled and drove in four runs as Fort Cherry won at Aliquippa 24-1 in three innings in Class 2A Section 1.

Fort Cherry moves above .500 in the section at 3-2 and 6-4 overall.

The Rangers’ Macey Roble had two doubles and scored four times, Maddie Farner drove in four runs, Trista Fehl-Gariglio scored four times and winning pitcher Adryonna Herbst doubled.

• Sophia Duke went 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBI as Canon-McMillan bombed Class 6A Section 1 rival Baldwin 18-0 in three innings.

Hailey Freeman had a double and four RBI, and Eli Kotar doubled and scored three times for the Big Macs (1-2, 4-5).

Pitchers Lauren Duke and Brooke Perri combined on a three-inning no-hitter against the Highlanders (1-2, 1-6).

• Avella used a pair of three-run innings to beat host Jefferson-Morgan 7-4 in Class A Section 2.

Winning pitcher Laurel Bongiorni twirled a five-hitter as Avella (1-5, 1-8) won its first game of the season. Three of the J-M hits were by losing pitcher Jasmine Demaske, who had a big game with a home run, triple and single. She struck out 11 and threw a six-hitter.

Maria Dire had three singles for the Eagles and Katie Dryer doubled. Payton Farabee doubled for J-M (3-3, 4-5).

• Seven different Chartiers-Houston players scored at least one run and Nicolette Kloes threw a two-hitter as the Bucs defeated host Monessen 11-0 in five innings in a non-section game.

Kaleigh Walton had a triple and three RBI for the Bucs (7-5). Bella Hess doubled and scored twice.

• Undefeated Bethel Park scored in each of the first six innings and topped visiting South Fayette 10-7.

The Black Hawks (10-0) had to overcome several deficits as they trailed 3-2 after two innings and 5-4 in the fourth. Bethel Park scored four times in the fourth to take control.

South Fayette (9-5) received a solo homer from Abbey Girman.

Girls lacrosse

Paige Comini scored two goals, Sarah Rubican assisted on four tallies and Peters Township blanked Allderdice 11-0 Tuesday night.

Nine different Indians scored at least one goal and goalkeeper Rachel Esselstyn had the shutout.

Wild Things make moves

The Wild Things made several transactions Tuesday including signing power-hitting outfielder Grant Heyman, a trade and a player being placed on the inactive list.

Washington signed Heyman, traded recently acquired catcher Joe DeLuca to Southern Maryland of the Atlantic League for a player to be named and placed infielder Randy Cesar on the inactive list.

Heyman most recently played in 2019 for Rockland of the Can-Am League. He won the Home Run Derby at the Can-Am League-Frontier League All-Star Game, defeating Wild Things outfielder Hector Roa in the finals. On the year, the left-handed hitter belted 12 home runs and drove in 44 runs.

That came off a 19-homer 2018 season with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, where the team’s hitting coach was new Wild Things manager Tom Vaeth.

“He and Tom built a strong rapport during his time in Winnipeg, so we look for that relationship to restore elite production,” said Wild Things president and general manager Tony Buccilli. “A piece like Grant provides great balance to our lineup, adding another former all-star to our squad and an experienced weapon.”

Vaeth is excited to reunite with Heyman.

“I signed Grant when I was in Winnipeg and he had a monster year for us,” Vaeth said. “He’s a big, strong, athletic kid who will bring a power presence to the middle of our lineup. A big left-handed bat that can leave the yard in any direction.”

In the NBA

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points and 12 rebounds, Brook Lopez added 22 points and the Milwaukee Bucks held off the Charlotte Hornets 114-104 on Tuesday night to avoid a sweep of the teams’ regular-season series.