Oct 14, 2021 4 min read

Cardinals fire manager

The Cardinals fired former National League manager of the year Mike Shildt over organizational differences Thursday, just one week after St. Louis lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a walk-off homer in the wild-card game.

Cardinals president John Mozeliak said the firing was “something that popped up recently,” but he refused to expand on what he called “philosophical differences” between Shildt, the coaching staff and the front office.

“Where we felt the team was going, we were struggling to get on the same page,” Mozeliak said. “With him having one year remaining on his contract, we could have gone into 2022 having that over him.”

It is rare for clubs to fire managers the same day as a playoff game – the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants played the decisive game in their divisional series late Thursday. But Mozeliak and Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. decided it was important enough to seek permission from Major League Baseball to make the move immediately.

Girls soccer

Bentworth clinched its 12th consecutive WPIAL playoff berth by defeating Beth-Center 4-0 Thursday in a Class A Section 2 match.

Nina Thompson scored the only goal Bentworth (5-6-1, 8-8-1) would need and Tessa Charpentier followed with three goals, one coming off a penalty kick. The Bearcats led 3-0 at halftime.

“I am so proud of the girls this season,” said Bentworth coach Tyler Hamstra. “To achieve everything they did and overcome an unreal amount of adversit, it is the most inspiring thing I have ever been part of. Total team effort. Most unified team I’ve ever coached.”

• Morgan Einodshofer and Chloe Morgan scored goals, and Victoria Rodriguez stopped all six shots she faced as Belle Vernon blanked Greensburg Salem 2-0 in Class 3A Section 2.

Einodshofer assisted on the Morgan goal. It was her 88th career assist.

Belle Vernon finishes 12-2 in section and is 15-3 overall.

• Jillian Marvin scored two goals and Casey Breier had two assists to lead Peters Township to a 4-0 victory over host Canon-McMillan in a Class 4A Section 2 match Wednesday night.

Ella Neupaver and Bella Spergel also scored for the Indians, and goalkeeper Emma Burrows recorded the shutout.

PT finishes in second place in the section at 7-2-3 and 9-3-3 overall. Canon-McMillan was 4-8 in the section.

Boys soccer

Charleroi continued rolling toward the postseason by defeating California 13-1 in a nonsection match.

Eben McIntyre continued his sensational season by scoring eight goals as the Cougars improved to 13-1 overall with their eighth consecutive victory.

Field hockey

Sofia Forlini’s goal was all Peters Township needed as its blanked Norwin 1-0 Wednesday night.

College golf

For the second time in his collegiate career, Washington & Jefferson’s Colin earned medalist honors at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Fall Golf Championships at Avalon Golf & Country Club in Warren, Ohio.

Robinson led the 35-player field after carding a four-under 68 Wednesday. Robinson shot 71 Thursday to finish at 5-under par 139.

W&J’s Juan Caputi was fourth at 144, Matthew Lacek shot 159, Clark Miller carded a 164 and Ray Behm had a score of 180.

Westminster leads the seven-team field with a 585. W&J is in second place (606) and is followed by Grove City (619), Thiel (620), Waynesburg (670), Geneva (679) and Saint Vincent College (682).

Wednesday play featured a hole-in-one by Waynesburg’s Lance Diel on the 308-yard, par-4 fifth hole.

This year’s PAC Championship features a 54-hole event, with 36 holes contested this fall and 18 holes in April.