Apr 3, 2023 11 min read

High school baseball

Lucas Judy scored from third base on a balk with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, giving Belle Vernon a 2-1 victory over Ringgold in Class 4A Section 2.

The win keep the Leopards unbeaten in the section at 2-0.

The game was a pitchers’ duel as there were only two hits for each team. Judy began the ninth with a single and moved up on a walk. A bunt put runners on second and third. Following an intentional walk and strikeout, the balk sent Judy home with the go-ahead run.

Belle Vernon took a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the seventh, but Ringgold (0-1, 1-3) forced extra innings on Lorenzo Glasser’s RBI single with two outs in the bottom fo the seventh.

Glasser pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed one hit and one unearned run.

Belle Vernon starter Colton Lee threw six no-hit innings with eight strikeouts. Seth Tomalski was the winning pitcher in relief.

• Ryan Opfer fired a five-hit shutout and Chartiers-Houston remained undefeated with a 2-0 victory over visiting Burgettstown in the Class 2A Section 1 opener for the Bucs.

Opfer walked three and struck out seven. The Bucs (1-0, 5-0) did all their scoring in the fourth inning, getting a two-run double by Paul Williamson.

Burgettstown starter Andrew Bredel allowed only two hits and struck out seven. Brodie Kuzior doubled for the Blue Devils (2-1, 3-1).

• Ryan Wilson-Jones hit a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning that gave Carmichaels a 6-3 win at Fort Cherry in Class A Section 1.

Fort Cherry (0-1, 1-3) led 3-2 entering the sixth before Wilson-Jones’ blast with one out put Carmichaels (3-0, 4-0) in front.

Winning pitcher Aydan Adamson threw a four-hit complete game with five strikeouts. Tyler Richmond, Jake Fordyce and Peyton Schooley doubled for the Mikes.

Luke Sweder had a single and double for the Rangers.

• Mapletown scored two runs in the first inning and used stellar pitching by Spencer Yeager and A.J. Vanata to knock Avella from the undefeated ranks by edging the Eagles 2-1 in Class A Section 1.

Daniel Fox hit an RBI triple in the first inning and Vanata followed with a double to account for Mapletown’s scoring. Avella (2-1, 4-1) scored in the second inning but was blanked the rest of the way. Yeager went 6 1/3 innings and Vanata got the final two outs for a save as Mapletown improved to 1-2 in section and 1-2 overall.

Tyson Mead pitched 4 1/3

• innings of one-run relief for his first win and Amdrew Kocan and Sam Meredith each drove in three runs as Canon-McMillan defeated Mt. Lebanon 9-4 in the Class 6A Section 2 opener.

The Big Macs trailed 3-0 in the first before scoring in five consecutive innings. Nick Hilbert and Mason Fixx each doubled for Canon-Mac and Kocan smacked a triple.

• Mason Switalski struck out eight in a complete game as Waynesburg defeated Brownsville 7-2 in Class 3A Section 4.

Lincoln Pack hit a double, drove in two and scored twice to lead the offense for Waynesburg (1-2, 1-3). Alex VanSickle and Austin Surber also doubled.

• West Greene scored three times in the fifth inning to rally for a 6-4 win over visiting Sewickley Academy in a non-section game.

West Greene trailed 4-2 entering the bottom of the fifth and tacked on an insurance run in the sixth.

Winning pitcher Morgan Kiger threw a complete game, striking out five. Johnny Lampe, Aaron Knight and lane Allison each doubled for the Pioneers (1-3).

• California scored six runs in both the first and fifth innings in a 14-1 Class 1A Section 1 victory at Jefferson-Morgan.

The Trojans’ Ricky Lawson was 3-for-3 with a home run, double and five RBI. Aidan Lowden had two hits, including a double, for California (3-0, 3-3). Chase Cicchitto had two hits for the visitors.

Caden Monticelli was the winning pitcher after yielding one run on five hits in four innings.

Mason Sisler had two hits for the Rockets (0-3, 1-4).

• Ben Shields fired a two-hit shutout in Charleroi’s 6-0 triumph over Beth-Center in Class 2A Section 1 action.

Shields struck out 14 and walked one in seven innings.

Ethan Hadsell connected for a two-run double in the third, as the Cougars (1-2, 2-2) built their lead to six. Teammate Nico Rongaus had two RBI.

• Despite two doubles and three RBI by McGuffey’s Lincoln Johnson, Mount Pleasant pulled out a 9-7 win over the Highlanders in a Class 3A Section 4 game at Wild Things Park.

Mount Pleasant scored four runs in both the first and third innings and then held off a late charge by McGuffey. Ryan keith drove in a pair of runs for McGuffey.

High school softball

Sofia Celaschi fired a five-inning no-hitter and Riley Jones smacked a home run as Charleroi won its Class 2A Section 3 opener, 10-0, over Beth-Cemter.

Celaschi struck out 12 and did not walk a batter as the Cougars improved to 1-0 in section and 6-0 overall.

Jones went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Madalynn Lancy added a double.

• Nora Lindley twirled a three-hit shutout, sparking Bentworth to a 5-0 win over Fort Cherry in Class 2A Section 3.

Lindley helped h cause by hitting two doubles. Zoie McDonald had a single, double and triple to go with two RBI. Sofia Gaussa had three singles as the Bearcats improved to 2-1 in section and 2-2 overall.

• Meadow Ferri tossed a three-inning no-hitter as Chartiers-Houston blanked visiting California 15-0 in Class A Section 2.

Kaileigh Walton and Emily Swarrow each drove in three runs for the Bucs (1-1, 1-4). Ella Richey and Seanna Riggle doubled.

• Ava Zubovic drove in five runs as Belle Vernon downed Greensburg Salem, 11-1, in Class 4A Section 2 play at Greensburg.

Zubovic and teammate Maren Metikosh each hit a home run. The Leopards’ Lexi Daniels tripled. Gracie Sokol and Olivia Kolowitz doubled for Belle Vernon. Kolowitz had two RBI for the Leopards (3-0, 6-1).

Talia Ross was the winning pitcher with seven strikeouts and five walks.

• Connellsville scored four runs in the top of the first, but Trinity countered with six and added four in the second and nine in the fourth for a 19-4 triumph in Class 5A Section 4 action.

The Hillers’ Hanna Suhoski had three hits, including two doubles, and five RBI. Teammates Addy Agnew, Madison Argo, Kristina Bozek, Finley Hohn and Mirranda Rinehart doubled.

Agnew and Bozek had two RBI apiece.

Taylor Dunn earned the pitching victory for Trinity (1-0, 5-1).

• Makenna Crothers homered, knocked in three runs and was the winning pitcher in McGuffey’s 6-2 victory over Seton LaSalle in Class 3A Section 4 play.

Crothers had five strikeouts and walked one. The Highlanders’ Julia Barr hit a solo homer and scored twice.

Katie Grimm had three hits (two doubles) for McGuffey (1-0, 3-1).

• Mapletown cut the deficit to three in the fourth inning, but West Greene came back with two runs in the fifth and five in the sixth for a 13-3 win in Class 1A Section 2 play.

The Pioneers’ Payton Gilbert was the winning pitcher and striking out seven and walking one.

West Greene’s Taylor Karvan had three singles, one double and two RBI. Lexi Six had three hits and an RBI for the Pioneers (2-0, 5-3). Ali Goodwin (3 singles, 1 RBI) and Lilly Melodia (1 single, 1 double, 2 RBI) had multiple hits for the visitors.

Treslee Weston knocked in two of the Maples’ three runs and had two base hits. Alexis Perry singled twice for Mapletown (2-1, 3-4).

• Jefferson-Morgan scored three runs in the first and cruised to a 10-0 home victory over Avella in Class 1A Section 2 play.

The Rockets’ Ava Wood had three hits, with one being a home run. Teammate Addie Larkin tripled.

Payton Faraber had two doubles and singled for the home team. Danica Grainey and Addyson Teagarden doubled for Jefferson-Morgan (2-1, 3-2).

Kayla Larkin won in the circle after striking out eight and walking one.

Katie Dryer doubled for the Eagles (0-3, 1-4).

• Canon-McMillan’s Brooke Bumer allowed just two runs on four hits, but Hempfield’s Riley Miller pitched a one-hitter in the Spartans’ 2-0 victory in a Class 6A Section 1 game at Hempfield.

Miller knocked in both runs with a single in the first and double in the third. She had 12 strikeouts and no walks in seven innings.

Bumer had two strikeouts and walked five.

Kiersten Williams singled for the Big Macs (0-3, 0-3) in the fifth.

• Liv Bonacci doubled, tripled and drove in three runs, powering South Fayette to an 8-4 win over visiting New Castle.

Cam Valentino scored three times to back the winning pitching of Stephenaie Binek.

• Kendal Lemley threw a five-hit shutout and Waynesburg won its Class 3A Section 4 opener over Brownsville, 8-0.

Dani Stockdale went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs to lead the Waynesburg attack. Abby Davis smacked a double.

• Thomas Jefferson scored in the bottom of the seventh inning to edge Peters Township, 9-8, in Class 5A Section 4.

It is the second consecutive one-run loss for PT (0-1, 1-4), both by 9-8 scores.

The Indians’ offense had 12 hits, including two home runs and five RBI by Makenzie Morgan.

In the majors

David Villar hit two of San Francisco’s seven home runs, Anthony DeSclafani tossed three-hit ball over six scoreless innings and the Giants pounded the Chicago White Sox 12-3 Monday afternoon.

Villar hit a solo homer in the fifth and a grand slam in the ninth. Joc Pederson, Michael Conforto, Thairo Estrada, Mike Yastrzemski and Bryce Johnson also went deep for San Francisco, which hit its most home runs since July 2, 2002, at Colorado. The team record of eight was eight at Milwaukee on April 30, 1961, when Willie Mays hit four.

• Rookie Brice Turang hit a grand slam for his first major league home run, capping a seven-run fifth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers opened their home schedule by routing the New York Mets, 10-0.
• Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon says he is dropping his appeal after his suspension was reduced to four games by Major League Baseball for his altercation with a fan last week.
• Texas outfielder Josh Smith was taken to a hospital after being hit in his face by a pitch in the Rangers’ game against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.

Smith, a left-handed hitter, was struck on the right side of his face in the third inning by a 1-0 slider from reliever Danny Coulombo. Smith spun back to his left and dropped to the dirt in the batter’s box, breaking his fall with his left hand while holding his face with his right hand.

College baseball

Evan Sante smacked a walk-off double off the wall to help the Washington & Jefferson a split of a Presidents’ Athletic Conference doubleheader Monday against Grove City at Ross Memorial Park. Grove City won the opener, 13-7, before W&J pulled out a 2-1 win in the nightcap.

The split puts the Presidents at 5-1 in conference play and 14-6 overall. The Wolverinesare 3-1, 15-6.