Apr 17, 2023 5 min read

High school softball

Charleroi created a four-way tie for first place in Class 2A Section 3 with a 16-1 victory over Fort Cherry in four innings Monday.

The win moves Charleroi to 4-1 in the section and 9-1 overall. The Cougars are tied for first place with Bentworth, Burgettstown and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

The Cougars led Fort Cherry (2-4, 3-5) by 3-0 before erupting for 10 runs in the third inning.

Winning pitcher Sofia Celaschi struck out nine and did not issue a walk. Riley Jones drove in three and scored three times.

Fort Cherry’s Adryonna Herbst went 2-for-2 with a home run.

n Chartiers-Houston took control in the fifth and sixth innings to down Jefferson-Morgan, 13-2, in Class A Section 2.

The Rockets (3-3, 5-4) had a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the third before the Bucs (5-1, 6-4) scored four times for a 5-2 advantage.

Winning pitcher Meadow Ferri struck out 11. She had two hits, including a double, and two RBI. Teammate Lauren Rush tripled. Seanna Riggle doubled and tripled, and Ella Richey doubled.

High school baseball

n Jantzen Durbin pitched six shutout innings, Samuel Stout and Jacob Ross each drove in two runs and McGuffey defeated Class 3A Section 4 leader Greensburg Salem 5-2 Monday night at Wild Things Park.

McGuffey (4-1, 7-2) led 1-0 before scoring four times in the bottom of the sixth inning. That was enough support for Durbin and Ross, who combined on a four-hitter. Greensburg Salem (6-1, 9-2) had its eight-game winning streak snapped.

n Nathan Christy drove in three runs, Anthony Romano and Ryan Opfer each had three hits and Keegan Kosek allowed one earned run over five innings as Chartiers-Houston defeated visiting Bentworth 15-5 in six innings in Class 2A Section 1 game.

Chartiers-Houston (4-1, 8-2) is tied with Burgettstown for first place in the section.

The Bucs broke a 3-3 tie by scoring three times in the third inning and added three more in the fourth for a 9-4 lead.

Opfer had a double for the Bucs. Lucas Burt doubled for Bentworth (3-4, 6-5).

n Tristan Roach went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs, Eric Kovach smacked two doubles and Andrew Bredel allowed one hit over four shutout innings as Burgettstown defeated Beth-Center 15-0 in Class 2A Section 1.

The Blue Devils scored in all four innings. Kovach was 3-for-3 with four runs and two RBI and Bredel doubled and struck out seven.

n South Fayette took advantage of four first-inning walks by Connellsville pitching to score five runs and went on to a 9-2 win in Class 5A Section 2.

Four South Fayette pitchers combined on a four-hitter.

Celebrity softball game returning

The third Three Rivers Celebrity Softball Game will be held at Wild Things Park on July 15. Proceeds for the event will benefit the Heyward House: the Cameron Heyward Foundation.

Pittsburgh athletes, celebrities and entertainers will play on Team Burgh while participants from across the globe will play for Team World.

Last year, the event sold out with more than 4,000 fans in attendance. The game included Kenny Pickett, Jersey Jerry, Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., Alex Highsmith, Braun Strowman, Jalen Rose and Miles Sanders, among others, and raised more than $50,000.

Tickets for the game are $15.

College golf

Washington & Jefferson’s Andrew Platt battled cold and rainy conditions to earn medalist honors Monday at the Peter C. Rossin Memorial Invitational held at Southpointe Golf Club. W&J also picked up the team title at the 18-hole event.

Platt fired a round of 80 to pull ahead of the pack and earn the title by a stroke over a trio of second place finishers at 81.

W&J’s Matt Tokarczyk and Chase Crissman finished in the three-way tie for second place.

Lamberti hired as head coach

Former South Fayette High School standout and Observer-Reporter Boys Basketball Player of the Year Mike Lamberti has been hired as the head coach of the men’s basketball program at Western Colorado University.

Lamberti had been the head assistant coach at his alma mater, West Liberty. The Hilltoppers advanced to the NCAA Division II championship game this season.

In the NBA

Nobody blocked more shots per game, nor had better defensive numbers at the rim this season, than Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. And voters noticed.

The Memphis big man was announced Monday as the NBA’s defensive player of the year, becoming the second player to win the award while wearing a Grizzlies’ uniform.

In the majors

TJ Friedl drove in four runs, and Cincinnati beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-1 Monday night after Reds right-hander Hunter Greene departed with a leg injury.

n Jorge Soler hit a pinch-hit two-run home run and the Miami Marlins rallied to beat the San Francisco Giants, 4-3.

n Hunter Renfroe hit a three-run, first-inning homer and Los Angeles held off the Boston Red Sox 5-4 .