May 16, 2023 5 min read

High school softball

Emma Stefanick hit a two-run walk-off home run to rally Charleroi to a 6-5 victory in eight innings over Steel Valley on Tuesday in WPIAL Class 2A softball playoff action.

The Cougars (16-2) play Greensburg Central Catholic in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The site and time have yet to be determined.

Steel Valley (4-11) only had two hits against Charleroi starter Sofia Celaschi, who struck out 11 and walked five in the win, but the Cougars made three errors.

Steel Valley had a 4-2 lead after the third, but Charleroi came back with two runs in the fifth for the tie. Steel Valley had a 5-4 advantage heading into the bottom of the eighth before Stefanick’s heroics.

The Cougars’ McKenna DeUnger was 3-for-4, and teammates Maddie Lancy and Lyla Brunner had doubles.

• West Greene will have a third meeting with Chartiers-Houston after a 16-1 victory over Monessen in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs at Waynesburg University.

The Pioneers (12-7) had two heartbreaking setbacks to the Buccaneers (12-5) this season in section play. The quarterfinal is scheduled for Thursday with the time and site to be determined.

The Greyhounds (7-8) were limited to one hit against West Greene starter Payton Gilbert but took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Kenda Jones’ double scored Abigail Rhome, who drew a leadoff walk.

The Pioneers responded with six runs in the bottom of the inning and never looked back. West Greene scored nine in the second and one in the third.

London Whipkey was 2-for-2 with two doubles and three RBI. Gilbert struck out eight and walked three in earning the win.

• Julia Jastrzebski struck out eight and only allowed a solo home run to her pitching opponent in Burgettstown’s 8-1 victory over Apollo-Ridge Tuesday during the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A softball playoffs at Penn-Trafford High School.

The Blue Devils (13-7) play top-seed Neshannock (17-0) Thursday in the quarterfinals. The site and time have yet to be determined.

Jocelyn Snyder’s blast in the top of the second gave Apollo-Ridge a 1-0 lead, but Burgettstown scored four runs in the bottom of the frame to take control.

The Blue Devils scored two runs apiece in the fifth and sixth.

Burgettstown’s Emma McGregor and Payton Gratchen doubled. Teammate Layla Sherman hit a three-run homer in the second inning. Sherman had two hits and four RBI.

Peyton Mermon had three hits and an RBI for the Blue Devils.

• Riverside’s Sam and Danny Rosenberger and Ellie Hardy combined for a five-inning no-hitter in the Panthers’ 14-0 victory over Fort Cherry Tuesday in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A softball playoffs at Peterswood Park.

Riverside (12-4) plays No. 2-seed Laurel (14-2) in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The site and time have yet to be determined.

Sam Rosenberger pitched the first four innings to earn the win. She struck out 10 and walked one. Hardy pitched 1/3 of an inning and Danny Rosenberger pitched 2/3 of the fifth to close things out.

Charlie Bissell, Aliya Ottaviana and Braley Zappia each had a double.

Mylee Johnson walked and stole second for the Rangers (7-9).

• McGuffey gave No. 2-seed Southmoreland all it could handle, but the Scotties prevailed with a 3-1 victory in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A softball playoffs on Tuesday at Waynesburg University.

The Highlanders (8-7) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Julie Barr led off with a double and scored on Katie Grimm’s single.

The Scotties’ star shortstop Amarah McCutcheon tied the game in the bottom of the frame with a solo shot and Southmoreland scored one run in the third and one in the fourth to take a two-run advantage.

Southmoreland pitcher Maddie Brown had five strikeouts and allowed one run over seven innings.

Makenna Crothers took the loss but had seven strikeouts.

Katie Henderson doubled for McGuffey.

The Scotties (14-2) play section-foe Yough (10-4) in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The site and time have yet to be determined. Southmoreland beat Yough in both games during the regular season.

• Greensburg Central Catholic scored four runs in the third inning and six in the fifth for a 10-0 victory over Bentworth in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A softball playoffs Tuesday at West Mifflin.

The Centurions (12-2) play Charleroi (16-2) on Thursday in the quarterfinals at a site and time to be determined.

Zoie McDonald tripled in the first inning for the Bearcats (6-9) but she was stranded at third. Bentworth would only get two more hits against Greensburg Central Catholic starting and winning pitcher Emma Henry, who struck out five and walked one in five innings.

Henry had four hits, including a double, and knocked in two runs. Teammate Grace Kindel had three RBI and two hits.

Nora Lindley took the pitching loss but had five strikeouts.

Sydney DiNardo and Sofia Gaussa had the Bearcats’ other hits.

Pro basketball

Doc Rivers’ penchant for playoff collapses and second-round exits cost him his coaching job with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 76ers fired Rivers on Tuesday following a third straight exit in the second round of the playoffs, and the second time over that span he lost a series lead and a Game 7.

Rivers led the 76ers to their second straight 50-win season behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid but again failed to lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. The Sixers have not won an NBA championship since 1983.