May 7, 2021 4 min read

High school baseball

Canon-McMillan scored five runs in the top of the first inning Friday and went on to an 8-2 victory over Baldwin that clinched a berth in the Class 6A playoffs for the Big Macs.

Canon-McMillan (4-6 in Section 2, 6-10 overall) smacked six singles in the first inning. A two-run home run by Zane Freund capped the Big Macs’ three-run third and gave the visitors an 8-1 lead. Freund went 3-for-4 and scored two runs.

That was enough support for starting pitcher Tyler Greenleaf and reliever Matt Graeber, who combined on a three-hitter with seven strikeouts.

• Fort Cherry moved closer to clinching a Class 2A playoff berth with an 11-2 victory at Carlynton in Section 4.

Mitchell Cook went 3-for-4 and scored three runs, and Ryan Craig and Adam Wolf combined on a four-hitter as the Rangers improved to 6-4 in section and 9-5 overall. Fort Cherry is tied with Burgettstown for third place in the section with Brentwood one game back of them in the loss column. The top four teams qualify for the postseason.

Fort Cherry led 5-1 after five innings, then broke the game open with a six-run sixth. Ryan Craig had a triple, and Henry Karn, Lane Miller and Adam Wolf each doubled.

High school softball

Kaileigh Walton doubled, tripled and drove in three runs, and Nicolette Kloes came within two outs of a shutout as Chartiers-Houston blasted visiting Carlynton 8-3 Friday in Class 2A Section 1.

The win moves C-H to 8-3 in the section and 11-5 overall. The Bucs have won five straight.

Chartiers-Houston jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and led 8-0 in the seventh when Carlynton’s Emma Weiland hit a three-run homer to spoil Kloes’ shutout bid. Kloes finished with a four-hitter. She struck out 13 and did not issue a walk.

Lexie Brodnik doubled and drove in two runs for the Bucs.

n Zoe Mangan hit a three-run homer with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Chartiers Valley an 8-6 win over South Fayette in a game between playoff-bound teams from Class 5A Section 4.

The game featured five home runs, including one by South Fayette’s Abbey Girman, her fourth in two games. Lexie Vetter also homered for the Lions (6-4, 10-6).

Haley Nicholson’s RBI double in the top of the seventh gave South Fayette a 6-5 lead.

College baseball

Behind a complete-game pitching performance by Dylan Brosky and two solo home runs, California defeated Gannon 2-1 Friday to split a PSAC West doubehealder in Erie. Gannon won the opener, 5-1.

Brosky earned his eighth win, throwing a seven-hitter and striking out seven. Cal’s Jacob McCaskey hit a solo homer in the first inning and Louden Conte led off the fifth with a home run to break a 1-1 tie.

Pony baseball

Ian Migyanko pitched Ace Sporting Goods to a 12-3 win over Washington Hyundai in the Washington Pony League Thursday night. Jackson Burt, Ben Hays and Issac Charnik each had two hits for Ace. Reno Presto doubled for Washington Hyundai.

In the NHL

Rookie Wade Allison scored twice, Brian Elliott made 28 saves and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Capitals 4-2 Friday night to prevent Washington from reclaiming first place in the East Division.

The Capitals trail the Pittsburgh Penguins by two points with two games left on their regular-season schedule. A Penguins victory in their regular-season finale against last-place Buffalo on Saturday and another Washington loss to Philadelphia hours later would clinch the division for Pittsburgh.

n Thomas Greiss made 22 saves and the Detroit Reds Wings scored three goals in the second period to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-2.