May 17, 2017 3 min read

Ringgold’s Ryan Varley did a little of everything Tuesday, and because of his performance the Rams are moving on to the WPIAL quarterfinals.

Varley pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings and went 3-for-4 with three RBI as Ringgold blanked Freeport 7-0 in a Class AAAA first-round game at Mt. Pleasant High School.

The victory moves Ringgold (13-5) into the quarterfinals Monday against top-seeded Blackhawk, which received a first-round bye. Freeport’s season ends with a 12-8 record.

Ringgold broke open a close game by scoring four times in the top of the sixth inning for a 6-0 lead. Luke Winterbottom’s single scored Bo Haines with the first run of the inning. Haines reached base on a three-base error. Another Freeport error allowed Winterbottom to score, and Varley capped the inning with a two-run single.

That was more than enough offense for Varley and reliever Chase Angotti, who combined on a three-hit shutout. Varley allowed three hits and three walks before being removed because of the 100-pitch limit. He struck out six. Angotti retired both batters he faced.

Ringgold took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Koby Bubash scored on a passed ball. The Rams made it 2-0 an inning later when Varley’s two-out single scored Winterbottom.

Haines, who was 2-for-4, had the game’s only extra-base hit, a double.

Plum 7, Peters Township 0: For the second consecutive season, Peters Township’s season came to a close with a playoff loss to Plum.

The Mustangs’ Ryan Kircher and Alex Terell combined on a one-hit shutout as Plum defeated Peters Township 7-0 in a Class 6-A first-round game at Fox Chapel.

Kircher struck out eight and allowed one hit over six innings. The lone hit for PT (14-7) was a single by Blake Smith leading off the fourth inning.

Markus Cestra scored two runs, drove in two others and stole a base for Plum (14-6), which has won five in a row. Will Rumcik was 2-for-2 with two runs.

Deer Lakes 3, McGuffey 1: Zach Lubick allowed only two hits, two walks and struck out nine as Deer Lakes defeated McGuffey, 3-1, in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs at North Allegheny High School.

The Lancers failed to give Lubick much help with only four hits, but used four errors by McGuffey to score two unearned runs.

Jake McCaskey and Jake Kelly each had a hit and an RBI for Deer Lakes (15-5).

The lone run for McGuffey (7-15) came in the sixth inning.