May 2, 2014 4 min read

Senior right-hander Josh Luko threw a no-hitter and Louden Conte hit a two-run homer Friday as Section 1-A leader California remained undefeated with a 3-0 victory over host Jefferson-Morgan.

Luko narrowly missed a perfect game as he allowed only a third-inning walk. He struck out 11 and helped his cause by hitting at a double.

Conte’s home run gave Cal (9-0, 15-0) a 2-0 lead in the third inning. The Trojans tacked on an insurance run in the sixth.

Jefferson-Morgan’s records dropped to 3-6, 3-10.

• Eddie Zellie pitched 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief and drove in the game-winning run with a double in the fifth inning as Beth-Center defeated visiting Brownsville 2-1.

The loss knocked Brownsville (9-3, 11-5) out of first place in Section 2-AA. The Falcons fell one game-behind Washington (10-2).

Zellie’s double drove in Jeff Hvizda and gave Beth-Center (4-7, 5-10) the 2-1 lead. Brownsville had taken a 1-0 lead in the third, when Shane Roebuck hit a triple, but B-C answered with a run in the bottom of the inning.

B-C’s pitchers held Brownsville to only two hits.

• Jordan Mooney scored the game-winning run on Lincoln Key’s groundout in the top of the eighth inning as Washington overcame a six-run deficit to defeat Fort Cherry 7-6 at Consol Energy Park.

Fort Cherry (3-8, 3-9), which lost its fifth one-run game, had 11 hits and forged a 6-0 lead after four innings. Wash High (10-2, 12-4), however, scored three times in the fifth and three more in the sixth to send the game to extra innings.

Chris Gouin, who was 4-for-5 with two RBI, was the winning pitcher in relief. John Findling was 3-for-5 for FC. All 20 of the hits in the game were singles.

• Brandon Lawless took a shutout into the seventh inning and Carmichaels settled for a 9-1 victory over host West Greene in Section 1-A.

The win keeps Carmichaels (6-1, 9-1) in contention for at least a share of the section title. The Mikes have rescheduled a home game against undefeated California for Tuesday.

The Mikes forged a 9-0 lead after four innings and that was all Lawless needed. West Greene (1-8, 4-9) avoided the shutout in the seventh when losing pitcher Ben Carlisle hit an inside-the-park home run.

Brennen McMinn and Cory Fuller each had a double for Carmichaels and Mike Blasinksy was 3-for-4 with two RBI.

• Taylor Lehman, a 6-8 left-hander and a Penn State recruit, threw an eight-inning no-hitter as Keystone Oaks outlasted visiting Waynesburg, 1-0, in a key Section 3-AAA game.

The win moves third-place KO to 5-3 in the section (7-6 overall) and drops Waynesburg to 4-5 (6-8 overall).

Lehman walked three and struck out 15. He also had the only extra-base hit of the game, a double that did not factor into the scoring.

Waynesburg pitcher Aaron Hill matched Lehman with 7 2/3 shutout innings. He allowed only two hits. KO’s run in the eighth was unearned.

The Golden Eagles used an error, a sacrifice bunt, an intentional walk, a walk and Nick Riggle’s single to right field to produce the game’s only run.

• Walt Kopko threw a three-hitter and struck out nine as playoff-bound Avella defeated visiting West Greene 8-2 in Section 1-A.

Dean Hodgdon and Santino Paris each doubled and drove in two runs for the Eagles (6-3, 7-3). Hodgdon’s two-run double broke open a close game and gave Avella 6-2 lead.

Shawn Carl also doubled for Avella. Ben Carlisle doubled for West Greene.

• Bentworth made the most of only six hits and defeated host Burgettstown 9-3 in Section 2-AA.

Zach Robker hit two doubles, and Ty Mitchell also contributed a double, as Bentworth (3-9, 8-10) moved closer to the .500 mark. Jake Rothka was the winning pitcher.

Sam Hockenberry went 4-for-5 for Burgettstown (3-8, 4-9).

• Belle Vernon scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning and Carrick, 4-0, to remain in the playoff race out of Section 4-AAA.

Nolan Stulock threw a complete-game shutout, allowing five hits and one walk. Stulock struck out nine. He threw 112 pitches.

Stulock helped his own cause with a two-run single in the ninth.

Belle Vernon is 6-4 in the section and 10-4 overall. Carrick is 2-8, 2-11.