Early agate
ON SCHEDULE
April 30
1938 – Penn State sophomore Nick Vukmanic, a graduate of Jefferson Township High School in Greene County, sets the meet record in the javelin at the Penn Relays with a throw of 223-10 1/2. Vukmanic is a former PIAA champion and national record holder in the event.
1956 – Duquesne’s Sihugo Green is the first player selected in the NBA draft. It marks the first time that a school has produced the first selection in the draft in consecutive years. In 1955, Duquesne’s Dick Ricketts was chosen first overall by Milwaukee. After Green, the St. Louis Hawks select Bill Russell, a center from San Francisco, and trade him to the Boston Celtics.
1958 – Donora High School breezes to the team title at the Mon Valley track meet. Five meet records are set, including three by the Dragons: Ray Schearer in the javelin (177-3 1/2), Tom Urbanik in the shot put (54-2) and Hal Rice in the high jump (6-5).
1965 – Jim Buchanan sets the school record in the mile run (4:37.9) and helps Washington to the team title at the Western Conference track meet at Canon-McMillan.
1967 – The Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League complete a sweep of Rochester to win the Calder Cup. Billy Harris scores the game-winning goal 26 seconds into overtime. It’s the final game in Hornets history.
1974 – Canon-McMillan’s Tim Corcoran and Trinity’s Blaine Hainer each throw a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts in Section 3 baseball games. Corcoran issues only one walk in the Big Macs’ 3-0 win over Avella, and Hainer walks five in Trinity’s 2-0 victory over host Fort Cherry.
1979 – McGuffey turns to the college coaching ranks and hires Washington & Jefferson assistant Frank Sworden to be the Highlanders’ head football coach.
1981 – McGuffey’s Gary Loughman throws a no-hitter as the Highlanders defeat Waynesburg 3-0 and hand the Raiders their first Section 8-AAA loss. Loughman strikes out nine and walks three.
1996 – Jim Boone, who coached the California University men’s basketball team for the last 10 years, is named head coach at Robert Morris. Boone was chosen from a pool of more than 130 applicants. At Cal, Boone had a 228-79 record and won four PSAC championships and made the NCAA Division II tournament six times. The Vulcans advanced to the Final Four twice.
1999 – Dave Cecchini strikes out 17 as Avella defeats Carmichaels 3-0 to improve the Eagles’ Section 1-A baseball record to 4-1.
2002 – The Oakland Raiders sign 10-time Pro Bowl defensive back Rod Woodson as a free agent.
May 1
1920 – In the longest game in major league history, the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers play to a 1-1 tie called because of darkness after 26 innings at Braves Field. The game lasts three hours and 50 minutes. Leon Cadore of the Dodgers and Joe Oeschger of the Braves both pitch complete games.
1951 – Jim Moore of Cumberland Township High School throws a no-hitter for a 6-0 win over visiting Waynesburg. Moore strikes out 15, walks only two and keeps the winners in first place in Section 24.
1952 – Senior right-hander Jack Mounts pitches a no-hitter as Claysville defeats Hickory 10-0 in a Section 4 game. Mounts strikes out 14 and walks four.
1964 – Trinity’s Bob Marra throws a no-hitter and strikes out 13 as the Hillers defeat Peters Township 18-0 to sweep a Section 3 baseball doubleheader.
1979 – Top-seeded Anthony Maropis of Burgettstown defeats unseeded Greg Valley of Peters Township, 6-4, 6-2, in the finals of the Section 9 tennis tournament at Washington Park.
1979 – Washington’s Terry Leavers pitches a no-hitter as the Prexies beat Immaculate Conception 8-0 in Section 13-AA baseball. Levers strikes out eight and walks one.
1984 – The Pittsburgh Steelers select Southern Mississippi wide receiver and kick returner Louis Lipps with their first-round pick in the NFL draft.
1992 – The Pittsburgh Penguins become the 11th team in NHL history to rebound from a 3-1 deficit and win a playoff series with a 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals.
1999 – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds defeat the Cincinnati Riverhawks 3-2 in overtime in Pittsburgh’s first professional outdoor soccer game in 20 years. The game draws 5,639 to Bethel Park High School’s football stadium.
2006 – Geri Whitman throws her fifth no-hitter of the season, highlighted by 17 strikeouts, as Beth-Center blanks California, 4-0, in Section 1-A softball. The Trojans’ Amanda Higinbotham goes 4-for-4 with a home run, triple, two runs and an RBI.
2008 – The United States Olympic softball team defeats Robert Morris 16-0 in an exhibition game played before 4,132 at Consol Energy Park.