High school softball: Trinity strengthens playoff push
Trinity moved closer to clinching a playoff berth with a 4-0 win at Moon in Class 5A Section 4 Wednesday.
The Hillers (4-3, 5-3) began the day holding the final playoff berth from the section and was one game ahead of Moon. Trinity expanded the gap in the standings as starting pitcher Taylor Dunn and reliever Emma Morgan combined on a five-hit shutout.
Morgan, who struck out five in relief to get a save, had a double, the only extra-base hit of the game for the Hillers. Madison Rinehart had two singles and scored two runs.
Three of the five hits by Moon (3-6, 4-9) were doubles.
- Nicole Palmer pitched a two-hitter and Frazier scored a pair of unearned runs in the first inning to hold off Charleroi 2-1 in Class 2A Section 3.
The win keeps Frazier atop the section at 7-0 (10-3 overall). The Commodores host second-place Carmichaels on Monday.
Frazier got a leadoff double by Jensyn Hartman and a walk by Victoria Washington in the first inning. Both runners scored on a two-out, two-base error on a fly ball.
Palmer kept Charleroi (4-3, 7-7) off the scoreboard until the sixth when McKenna DeUnger doubled home a run.
Charleroi’s Kylie Quigley also threw a two-hitter. She struck out eight and walked three. Palmer struck out 10 and did not issue a walk.
- Chartiers-Houston avenged an earlier loss to Fort Cherry by blanking the Rangers 12-0 in six innings in Class 2A Section 1.
Winning pitcher Nicolette Kloes threw a four-hit shutout, struck out eight and went 3-for-4 with a home run, double and four RBI. Bella Hess was 3-for-5 with a double and triple and Paige McAvoy doubled for the Bucs (6-3, 9-5), who have won six of seven.
Annika Rinehart had a double for Fort Cherry (4-3, 7-5).
- Winning pitcher Kiley Meek hit a home run and drove in four as West Greene stayed unbeaten in Class A Section 2 with an 8-3 win over Mapletown.
London Whipkey tripled and Katie Lampe had a double for the Pioneers (6-0, 10-2).
Kileigh Smith had double for Mapletown (4-2, 6-4).
- Jordan Hoover did a little of everything for Uniontown in an 11-1 win over Ringgold in five innings in Class 4A Section 2.
Hoover threw a five-hitter, struck out three and did not walk a batter. She also hit a solo homer and doubled as the Red Raiders improved to 3-6 in section and 4-8 overall.
Haley Resosky had two hits, including a double, for Ringgold (1-7, 2-10).
- Mt. Pleasant did all its scoring in the first three innings and then held off Waynesburg 7-6 in Class 3A Section 3.
The win moves Mt. Pleasant (5-1, 11-2) into second place ahead of Waynesburg (5-2, 10-3).
Mt. Pleasant forged a 7-1 lead after three innings and the score stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh when Waynesburg scored five runs, four on a grand slam by Lily Rush.
Kylee Goodman had a double for the Raiders. Winning pitcher Mary Smithnosky and Courtney Poulich homered for Mt. Pleasant.
- Leah Urick threw a three-inning no-hitter and Abby Salzman drove in three runs as California won at Jeannette 15-0 in a non-section game.
Urick struck out five and walked three. Raegan Gillen had a double for the Trojans (4-9).
- Mt. Lebanon hit four home runs and held off a late comeback to defeat Peters Township 15-12 in Class 6A Section 1.
Jenna Gorecki and Deidre Flaherty each homered and drove in four, and Elizabeth Kubancek and Kate Borza homered and drove in three as Mt. Lebanon (3-2, 8-4) built a 15-6 lead in the fifth inning.
Peters Township (0-4, 1-8) scored all its runs in two innings, a six-run second and six-run seventh. Sami Bewick was 4-for-5 with a triple and five RBI. Katelyn Stokan homered and Amber Wilkes drove in three runs.