Apr 19, 2021 9 min read

High school baseball

The showdown for first place in Class 3A Section 4 didn’t exactly turn out to be a classic. That is, unless you’re a McGuffey fan.

McGuffey continued its impressive start to the season Monday by rolling past host Southmoreland 15-2 in five innings, a win that improves the Highlanders to 4-0 in the section.

Jake Orr had a huge game for McGuffey, belting two home runs – in the same inning – and driving in five runs. He smacked a solo homer to start the fourth inning and give the Highlanders a 4-0 lead. The Highlanders batted around in the inning and the next time Orr stepped to the plate he smacked a two-run homer. McGuffey scored eight runs in the inning.

Orr also pitched four innings and struck out seven.

Austin Beattie had a double and drove in four runs for McGuffey and Kyle Brookman and Jacob Ross each had a double.

Southmoreland (3-1, 3-2) was held to three hits, including doubles by Mason Basinger and Ben Zimmerman.

• Carmichaels bounced back from its first loss of the season last Friday to rout Bentworth 20-2 in a three-inning Class 2A Section 1 game.

Nick Ricco led the Mikes at the plate by hitting two home runs – a grand slam and a three-run shot. Ricco finished the game 2-for-3 with seven RBI as the Mikes improved to 3-0 in the section and 6-1 overall.

Drake Long also homered for the Mikes and Stush Ferek tripled.

Carmichaels scored 11 runs in the first inning. Trenton Carter was the winning pitcher.

• South Fayette built an early five-run lead and held on for a 5-3 win at Shaler, leaving a logjam atop Class 5A Section 3.

The win moves South Fayette to 4-1 in section and 9-1 overall. The Lions are in a three-way tie for first place with West Allegheny and Shaler (4-1, 6-2).

South Fayette led 5-0 in the fourth inning and that was enough for winning pitcher Tyler Pitzer and reliever Christian Brandi, the latter getting the final four outs for a save.

Chase Krewson went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs for the Lions and Michael DiMartini also drove in a pair.

• Alex Miller went 3-for-4 and Zach David did the same to help Greensburg Central Catholic to a 10-3 victory over West Greene in Class A Section 2.

David struck out six and walked two to get the win for GCC (3-0, 3-0).

Hunter Hamilton and Dalton Lucey each hit a double for West Greene (1-4, 1-5).

• Bishop Canevin won a 20-10 slugfest over Mapletown in a Class A Section 2 game.

Trey Varley doubled and knocked in four runs for Bishop Canevin (2-4, 2-5). Luke Andruscik doubled and had two RBI. Nevan Crossey and John Gmys also had doubles.

A.J. Vanata and Brodie Evans each had a double and Landen Stevenson tripled for Mapletown (0-3, 0-3).

• Nathan Klodowski fired a one-hitter and Burgettstown scored nine runs in the fifth inning to defeat visiting Brentwood 10-0 in Class 2A Section 4.

Burgettstown (3-2, 5-2) was protecting a 1-0 lead before its big fifth inning, which ended the game. The first seven Blue Devils to bat in the fifth reached base. Tristan Roach’s double, the only extra-base hit in the game, also came in the inning.

Klodowski did not issue a walk and struck out 12.

• Gianni Cantini’s bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Zane Mahoney and gave Ringgold a 4-3 victory over Greensburg Salem in Class 4A Section 3.

Greensburg Salem (1-6, 1-7) had scored three runs in the top of the seventh to tie the score.

Ringgold’s Lorenzo Glasser gave up three hits in six-plus innings. Reliever Eli Callaway was the winner.

Cantini finished with two doubles for the Rams (1-4, 5-5). Chase Behrendt had a double and two RBI and Joey Schumaker doubled twice.

• Cole Jaworowski and Ty Jaworowski combined for six of Avella’s 15 hits as the Eagles picked up their first win of the season, 9-6, at Cornell in Class A Section 1.

Cole Jaworowski had a double and two singles, Ty Jaworowski had three singles and Blaze Allen smacked a double for Avella (1-6, 1-8), which built an early 4-0 lead, fell behind 5-4 and then scored five runs over the final two innings. Gavin Frank was the winning pitcher.

• Washington scored seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally for a 10-7 win at Frazier in Class 2A Section 1.

The Prexies (1-2, 3-2) trailed 5-3 after six innings but the first seven Wash High batters in the seventh reached base.

Steve Patterson, Asa Charnik, Michael Shallcross and Taviaire Vereen each hit a double for Washington. The Prexies had only seven hits in the game but five of them came in the pivotal inning.

David Lutes pitched 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief to get the win.

• Derek Tarpley homered, doubled and drove in four runs, powering Brownsville to a 13-2 win in five innings at Waynesburg in Class 3A Section 4.

The Falcons (3-2, 4-3) scored 11 runs over the final two innings to break a 2-2 tie.

Lincoln Pack was 2-for-2 with a triple for Waynesburg (2-3, 2-5).

• Charleroi was limited to four hits by two pitchers as the Cougars lost at Yough, 3-1, in Class 3A Section 4.

Joey Campbell had two of the hits for Charleroi (0-5, 2-6) including a double. Zach Usher pitched well for the Cougars as all three runs by Yough (2-2, 2-4) were unearned.

• Jacob Bazala fired a three-hit shutout and struck out eight as Norwin blanked visiting Canon-McMillan 10-0 in six innings in Class 6A Section 2.

Jake Kendro hit a home run and drove in three to lead the offense for Norwin (4-1, 7-1).

Canon-McMillan slipped to 2-3 in section and 4-6 overall.

• Kyle Clayton came off the bench and went 2-for-3 with two triples and four RBI as Jefferson-Morgan overwhelmed visiting Trinity Christian 17-1 in three innings in a non-section game.

Mason Sisler and Troy Wright each doubled and Liam Ankrom drove in three runs as the Rockets improved to 5-3.

• Nick Kumor pitched a two-hitter with 15 strikeouts, hit two doubles and scored twice as Laurel Highlands dealt Belle Vernon its first loss in Class 4A Section 3, beating the Leopards 8-1 in Uniontown.

High school softball

Abby Fabian’s walkoff hit in the bottom of the eighth inning Monday gave Belle Vernon a 3-2 win over Yough in Class 4A Section 2.

The win leaves the Leopards (4-1, 7-3) in second place behind section-leader Elizabeth Forward and Yough drops to third place.

Belle Vernon made the most of only six hits, including two by Lexi Daniels.

Yough had 11 hits, including a home run, triple and both RBI by Kaylyn Odelli.

• Bella Hess and Hannah Richey combined for four runs and seven RBI as Chartiers-Houston stopped visiting South Side Beaver in non-section action.

Hess went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI, and Richey had two hits, including a double, and drove in four. Maddie Smith belted a home run as the Bucs improved to 3-4 overall.

SSB (4-2) had six errors and walked 13 C-H batters.

• Emma Holaren fired a four-hitter with 13 strikeouts and Carmichaels used 13 singles to beat host Uniontown 9-4 in non-section play.

Each of the hits by Carmichaels (5-4) were singles but the Mikes had plenty of them. Sophia Zalar had three to lead the Mikes.

Holaren walked five and threw 151 pitches, but Carmichaels’ hitters staked her to an early 7-1 lead.

• Montour dealt South Fayette its second consecutive loss, 10-5, in a non-section game.

Abbey Girman had a big day at the plate for the Lions (7-2) in a losing cause as she tripled, doubled and drove in three runs.

• Nicole Palmer threw a two-hit shutout, Maria Felsher and Delaney Warnick combined for two home runs and nine RBI, and Frazier rolled to a 20-0 win in four innings over host California in Class 2A Section 3. Frazier is unbeaten in the section at 5-0 and 7-3 overall.
• Mary Smithnosky threw a five-hitter as Mt. Pleasant defeated McGuffey 11-1 in Class 3A Section 3.
• Ringgold unleashed a 22-hit attack and rolled to an 18-7 win over visiting Laurel Highlands in Class 4A Section 2.

Payton Laflash led the Rams (1-4, 2-6) at the plate by going 4-for-5 with a grand slam, two doubles and seven RBI. Karlie Russell was 4-for-4 with two doubles, Olivia Vecchio homered and Leah Jaquay doubled.

• Mapletown scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 10-5 victory Jefferson-Morgan in Class A Section 2.

Jefferson-Morgan (2-1, 3-3) took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth inning on Jasmine Demaske’s three-run home run.

Kiliegh Smith led the way for Mapletown (3-1, 4-2) with a single, double and three RBI.

In the NBA

Frank Jackson scored 20 points, including a tiebreaking baseline drive in the final minute, lifting the Detroit Pistons to a 109-105 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday.