Sports briefs
High school baseball
Michael Shallcross scored from third base with the tiebreaking run on a groundout in the bottom of the sixth inning and Washington held on for a 12-11 win over Beth-Center in a Class 2A Section 1 game Wednesday at Wild Things Park.
Washington (1-0, 2-2) trailed 8-3 early, came back to take an 11-9 lead, then saw Beth-Center (0-1, 0-3) tie the score at 11-11 with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth.
The Prexies regained the lead when Shallcross, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by winning pitcher Wayne Sparks-Gatling.
Sparks-Gatling finished with four RBI, Zxavian Willis drove in three and Iain Callan hit a double.
Ethan Varesko belted a home run for B-C.
- Undefeated Peters Township built a late four-run lead, then had to hold of a furious rally by Connellsville to edge the host Falcons 5-4 in Class 5A Section 4.
PT (2-0, 6-0), which swept the two-game series, led 5-1 entering the bottom of the seventh. Connellsville (0-2, 1-3) scored three times and had the bases loaded before PT’s Drew Ripepi, who earned a save, got the game’s final out via strikeout.
The Indians belted six extra-base hits including a solo homer by Sam Miller, a triple and double by winning pitcher Tucker Ferris and doubles by Ripepi, Wes Parker and Bryce Thompson. Ferris allowed one run over five innings.
High school softball
Belle Vernon used a 17-hit attack to crush host West Mifflin 15-0 in a five-inning Class 4A Section 2 game.
Ava Zubovic had three of the Leps’ hits, including a home run. Ashley Joll also had three hits with a triple, and Lauren VanDivner doubled. Zubovic and VanDivner each drove in three runs.
Winning pitcher Olivia Kolowitz tossed a six-hit shutout.
Belle Vernon is 2-1 in section and 3-2-1 overall.
In the majors
The scheduled starting time for the opening day matchup between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals on Thursday was pushed back three hours because of rain in the forecast.
Washington, which is hosting the four-game season-starting series between the clubs, announced Wednesday that the Nationals and Mets agreed to play the next day at 7:05 p.m. EDT instead of 4:05 p.m. EDT.
In the NBA
Luka Doncic had 26 points, 14 assists and eight assists to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 131-113 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
The Mavericks are 20 games above .500 for the first time since 2011, when they went on to win the NBA title. They’re set up to earn home-court advantage in the playoffs for the first time since coach Jason Kidd was their point guard during the championship season.
- Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball will miss the rest of the season after another setback in his recovery from surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Ball’s final game was Jan. 14, and he had surgery two weeks later.
Women’s lacrosse
Washington & Jefferson used a stingy defensive effort to pick up an 8-6 road victory over Thiel in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference match Wednesday evening in Mercer County.
The victory moves W&J to 2-0 in PAC play and 4-4 overall.
Amanda Effland and Sarah Labovitz each scored two goals for the Presidents.