Jun 3, 2024 3 min read

Avella baseball and Bentworth softball earned their first victories in the state playoffs on Monday.

The Eagles were playing in the state tournament for the first time in program history, while the Bearcats were in their second appearance in the PIAA playoffs.

Bentworth blanked defending state champion Everett 4-0 behind the pitcher and hitting of freshman Sydney Gonglik.

Gonglik allowed one earned run on two hits over seven innings. She had 14 strikeouts and walked one. She also hit a solo home run, her ninth of the season, in the fourth.

Teammate Kyleigh Glaze hit a two-run homer to center field in the third inning after Zoie McDonald reached on an error. Glaze had three hits.

The Bearcats (18-3) took a 1-0 lead in the first when Gonglik and Nora Lindley drew back-to-back walks before Gonglik scored on McDonald’s base hit.

Bentworth will have a rematch of the WPIAL semifinals with Laurel on Thursday in the state quarterfinals at a time and place to be determined. The Bearcats defeated the Spartans 2-1 to reach the district title game.

Avella trailed by four entering the second inning, but the Eagles rallied for a 12-9 victory over West Middlesex behind a five RBI, four-hit day from Bryce Wright.

Avella (13-6) scored three runs in the second and two in the third to tie the game at 7-7 before taking an 8-7 lead in the fourth. West Middlesex tied the game in the fifth before a four-run sixth put the Eagles ahead for good.

Avella’s Westley Burchianti was a home run shy of the cycle and scored three runs. Teammate Isaiah Bradick also had three hits, including a double, and knocked in two runs.

Brayden Fuller had three hits and one RBI for the Eagles, who play Eden Christian (17-5) on Thursday in the Class A state quarterfinals. Avella played Eden Christian in the WPIAL semifinals and suffered an 11-2 setback.

Bradick earned the pitching victory in relief after allowing two runs (one earned) over four innings with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Blue Devils ousted in state playoffs

Burgettstown outhit Redbank Valley by three, but couldn’t get over the hump in suffering a 5-4 setback in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A baseball playoffs on Monday.

The Blue Devils’ Brodie Kuzior hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to tie the game at 3-3, but Redbank Valley regained the lead in the bottom of the frame before scoring an insurance run in the sixth.

Burgettstown (14-4-1) scored a run in the seventh when Eric Kovach scored on Samuel Elich’s double to center field. The Blue Devils scored a run in the second on an error.

Kovach had two hits and Matthew Bredel scored on Kuzior’s homer.

Pioneers’ season ends in state softball playoffs

West Greene softball saw its season come to an end in a 6-1 setback to Claysburg-Kimmel.

The Pioneers finish the season at 13-10 overall.

Payton Gilbert, Sammi Zimmerman and Kylee Davis doubled for West Greene.

Emmaline Beazell scored the Pioneers’ lone run in the first inning on Zimmerman’s fielder’s choice.

West Greene had base runnings in every frame except the seventh, but the Bulldogs were able to keep the Pioneers off the scoreboard.