Sports briefs
Wild Things make roster additions
The Wild Things have made several roster moves over the last week ahead of the Frontier League season.
Washington has signed outfielder Turner Hill, infielder Harrison Ray, catcher Lolo Williams and righthanded pitchers Angel Landazuri and Nick Beardsley.
Hill played at Marietta College, where he batted .433 and stole 33 bases last year as a senior and was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Last summer, Hill played for West Virginia in the MLB Draft League and won the league batting title with a .391 average.
Ray spent two seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays organization and played four years of college baseball at Vanderbilt. As a junior, Ray played 66 games for Vanderbilt and helped the Commodores win the national championship.
Williams is a rookie who played at Union (Tenn.). He was the bullpen catcher for the Florence Y’alls last year and played in the California Winter League.
Landazuri was acquired a player to be named in a trade that sent pitcher Sandro Cabrera to Southern Maryland of the independent Atlantic League. Landazuri played last year in the American Association.
Beardsley, who played his college ball at Point Park, was with the Wild Things early in the 2022 season, appearing in 11 games.
High school baseball
Gavin Frank went 2-for-2 with a triple and three RBI, Brian Martos drove in five runs and Avella remained undefeated with a 14-2 thumping of host Northgate in a five-inning non-section game Thursday.
The win moves Avella’s record to 4-0.
The Eagles scored nine times in the third inning to open a 10-1 lead.
Martos, who went 3-for-4, had a double, as did teammates Brian Humensky and Alex Krocker.
Frank and reliever Bryce Wright combined on a one-hitter. The lone Northgate hit was a two-run homer by Tyler Adams.
- Eric Kovach struck out nine over six innings and Burgettstown scored four times in the fifth to rally for a 9-6 win at Freedom in a non-section game.
The Blue Devils trailed 5-4 entering the fifth and grabbed the lead on a two-run single by James Leuice.
Wyatt Stevenson drove in three for Burgettstown.
- Alex Nash threw a one-hitter and Jake Gedekoh drove in three runs, sparking Belle Vernon to a 10-0 five-inning victory over host California in a non-section contest.
The Leopards (1-1) scored five runs in the top of the first inning. Gedekoh went 2-fro-3 with a double and triple. Martin Marion also tripled, and Max Kostelnik and Jake Wessell doubled.
Cam Scrip’s single was the only hit off Nash, who struck out six and walked two.
- The winning run scored on an error in West Greene’s 3-2 victory over Beth-Center in a Section 2 game in Class A.
Dom Revi and Tyson Dingle each had a double to help B-C (2-1, 3-3) take an early 2-0 lead.
West Greene (1-2, 2-3) responded with doubles by Jackson Grimes and Ian Van Dyne to tie the game in the fourth.
High school softball
Fort Cherry scored 11 runs in the fourth innings en route to a 14-2 victory in five innings over Beth-Center in Class 2A Section 3.
Winning pitcher Adryonna Herbst struck out eight and twirled a four-hitter. She also hit a double.
Mylee Johnson also had a double for FC (1-1, 1-1).
Ashley Metts fired a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts, leading Albert Gallatin to a 4-2 victory over Ringgold in Class 4A Section 2.
Mia Myers hit a solo home run for the Colonials (1-1, 1-1). Alexis Metts had a double.
The lone hit for Ringgold (0-2, 1-3) was a single by Cassi Kunkel.
- Our Lady of the Sacred Heart scored eight runs in the top of the sixth inning and defeated Bentworth, 13-2, in a Class 2A Section 3 contest.
Julietta Vybiral homered and drove in three and winning pitcher Justena Giles had a triple and scored twice for OLSH (2-0, 3-1).
Bentworth (1-1, 1-2) had seven hits but five of them went for extra bases. Jaclyn Tatar and Zoie McDonald each hit a triple, and Kyleigh Glaze, Sofia Gaussa and Sydney DiNardo each smacked a double.
- Sami Bewick belted two home runs for Peters Township, but Fox Chapel scored six runs in the sixth inning to rally for a 9-8 victory over the Indians in a non-section contest.
Bewick reached base four times, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks.
- Alivia Lantzy fired a two-hitter with 14 strikeouts, smacked a home run and led defending WPIAL and PIAA champion Avonworth to a 9-1 win over South Fayette.
- Jefferson-Morgan unleashed a 14-hit attack and scored in eveny inning en route to a 19-6 victory over California in Class A Section 2.
The Rockets put up a pair of six-run innings that helped them even their section record at 1-1 and overall mark at 2-2.
Winning pitcher Kayla Larkin had a double and two singles, Addie Larkin tripled, Payton Farabee smacked a double and Karlee Crockard had three singles.
In the NBA
Julius Randle will miss the rest of the regular season with a sprained left ankle, and his availability for the playoffs – if the New York Knicks make it – is in doubt.
Randle was hurt Wednesday in a victory over Miami, and the Knicks said Thursday that the All-Star forward would be re-evaluated in two weeks. That would be two days before the postseason is scheduled to open April 15.
In college basketball
Alabama All-American forward Brandon Miller is heading to the NBA after displaying versatile talent and athleticism in a lone season of college ball that was blemished by revelations he was present at a fatal shooting in January near campus.
The 6-9, 200-pound freshman, who was one of the nation’s top high school recruits, is projected as a potential top 5 draft pick.