Apr 25, 2022 10 min read

High school baseball

Liam Ankrom scored twice and pitched out of a tight spot in the bottom of the seventh inning to nail down Jefferson-Morgan’s 4-3 win over Bishop Canevin in Class A Section 2.

Jefferson-Morgan (3-2, 4-2) scored single runs in four different innings to forge a 4-0 lead. Rockets starting pitcher Patrick Holaren went five innings, allowing two unearned runs and striking out nine.

Bishop Canevin scored twice in the fifth and once in the seventh to make it a one-run game. The Crusaders had bases loaded with two outs but Ankrom induced a game-ending groundout to first base.

Bishop Canevin is 3-2 in section and overall.

n TJ Bucy doubled and drove in three runs to help Thomas Jeffferson to a 10-5 victory over Trinity in a Class 5A game in Section 4.

Winning pitcher Brady Haberman doubled, singled, knocked in a run and scored three for Thomas Jefferson (5-2, 9-3). McClain Finn chipped in with two hits and a run.

Matt Robaugh had a double, triple, knocked in a run and scored twice for the Hillers (1-5, 3-8). Luke Lacock had a double, solo home run and scored twice.

n Johnny Lampe went 3-for-3 with a double and five RBI as West Greene swatted Monessen, 13-1 in a five-inning Class A, Section 2 game.

Corey Wise and Ian VanDyne each had two hits for the Pioneers (4-0, 6-3).

Jack Sacco had two doubles and RJ DiEugenio each had a double.

n Trenton Carter went 2-for-3 and knocked in three runs to help Carmichaels take an 11-1 victory from Frazier in a Class A Section 2 game.

Chris Barrish had a double among his two hits, drove in two and scored twice for the Mikes (5-1, 6-1). Nick Ricco had a double, scored twice and knocked in a run. Jacob Fordyce doubled, singled and walked.

Brock Alekson doubled in a run for Frazier (1-5, 2-7).

n AJ Kuzior tripled, singled and drove in three runs to help Burgettown crush Clairton 18-0 in a three-inning Class 2A Section 4 game.

Jackson LaRocka doubled and drove in three for the Blue Devils (7-0, 9-1).Maddox Gratchen had two RBI and scored three times and Nathan Klodowski knocked in two runs.

Clairton fell to 0-8 in the section.

n Brenden Kelleher pitched a six-hitter with nine strikeouts, Tommy Webster homered and Western Beaver defeated Avella 8-3 in Class A Section 1.

Gavin Frank had two hits and scored a run for Avella (2-5, 2-7), which had its two-game winning streak snapped.

n James Shoman threw a two-hit shutout as Yough won at Waynesburg 12-0 to move into a first-place tie in Class 3A Section 4.

Yough (4-2, 5-4) took advantage of nine walks and five errors by Waynesburg (4-3, 4-7). Lincoln Pack had a double for the Raiders.

n Anthony Govern scored on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Kadin Keefer in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving Southmoreland a 2-1 win over Charleroi in Class 3A Section 4.

The game was scoreless until the sixth when Southmoreland (4-2, 5-3) pushed across a run. Charleroi (3-3, 5-3) tied it in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Jace Pager.

n Mike McCready tripled and pitched a four-hitter as Greensburg Central Catholic defeated Mapletown 14-1 in five innings in Class A Section 2.

Max Kallock was 3-for-3 with a triple, three runs and three RBi for GCC (5-2, 6-2). A.J. Vanta was 3-for-3 for Mapletown (0-5, 2-6).

n McGuffey scored four runs in the first inning but was blanked the rest of the way as Brownsville rallied for a 5-4 win in Class 3A Section 4.

Brownsville (2-5, -35) scored three times in the third and single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

Austin Hall hit two triples for McGuffey.

n Colton Brightwell pitched a three-hitter and Bentworth scored five times in the first inning en route to an 11-1 win over Beth-Center in a key Class 2A Section 1 game.

John Scott, Zane Woodhouse and Lucas Burt doubled for Bentworth (4-2, 4-3).

Ethan Varesko and Riley Henck had doubles for Beth-Center (3-3, 3-5).

High school softball

Regan Miller belted two home runs and drove in six, powering Trinity to an 11-7 win over visiting Moon in a Class 5A Section 4 game Monday.

The win keep Trinity as the lone unbeaten in the section at 7-0, and 11-1 overall.

Moon (1-7, 1-8) made the game interesting for about a half-inning. The Tigers scored five times in the top of the fifth inning to cut Trinity’s lead to 7-6. In the bottom of the fifth, Miller smacked a two-run homer – her second of the game – and Amber Morgan added a run-scoring single and later scored on a sacrifice fly to push Trinity’s lead to 11-6.

Miller finished the game with three hits and three runs.

n The top of Waynesburg’s batting order was in perfect order as the Raiders rolled to a 14-4 six-inning win over host Mt. Pleasant in Class 3A Section 3.

Kylee Goodman, Paige Jones, Kendall Lemley, Hannah Wood and Lily Rush – the top five batters in the Raiders’ order – combined for 12 hits, nine runs and 10 RBI as Waynesburg improved to 4-2 in section and 6-3 overall.

Lemley, the winning pitcher, homered and went 3-for-4. Rush homered and drove in four, Woods was 3-for-4, Jones doubled and scored three times and Goodman doubled. Morgan Stephenson also had a double for the Raiders, who are tied for second place in the section.

n Chartiers-Houston wasted no time, scoring 12 runs in the first inning and going on to a 16-0 win over Fort Cherry in three innings in Class 2A Section 1.

Meadow Ferri threw a two-hit shutout with six strikeouts and added a double at the plate. Ella Richey had a home run for the big hit for section-leading Chartiers-Houston (7-0, 9-1). Nicolette Kloes and Bella Hess doubled.

n Brooke Perri fired a two-hit shutout and Samantha Booher drove in four as Canon-McMillan beat Baldwin 10-0 in a five-inning Class 6A Section 1 game.

Perri struck out five and did not issue a walk as the Big Macs improved to 3-1 in section and 3-2 overall.

Booher, Aybriana Buswell and Olivia Ford doubled for C-M.

n Lexi Six went 2-for-2 with a home run, triple and three RBI as West Greene won 17-6 in six innings over host Monessen in Class A Section 2.

West Greene (6-0, 6-3) led 7-0 in the fourth inning, but Monessen (0-4, 0-5) scored two runs in the fourth and four in the sixth to close to within 7-6.

The Pioneers then erupted for 10 runs in the sixth inning.

London Whipkey and Olivia Kiger each had three hits for West Greene. Kiger drove in three runs. Anna Durbin and Katie Lampe tripled, and Ali Goodwin and Taylor Karvan doubled.

n Carmichaels scored four runs in the third inning and Sophia Zalar drove in two runs as Carmichaels overcame its own miscues to hold on and defeat Washington 7-6 in Class 2A Section 1.

The Mikes (4-1, 6-2) were held to five hits and committed an uncharacteristic six errors, but took advantage of 11 walks by Washington pitching.

Savannah Johnson homered, doubled twice and drove in four runs for Washington (0-4, 0-5).

n Morgan Bucci’s single scored Karlie Russell with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Ringgold rallied to beat Uniontown 8-7 in Class 4A Section 2.

Ringgold (2-6, 3-8) trailed 7-1 in the fifth inning as Uniontown (0-5, 0-5) forged the lead on the strength of four home runs. The Rams rallied, scoring two in the fifth, one in the sixth and three in the seventh to force extra innings. Ringgold’s Cassie Kunkel hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh to tie the score.

Kunkel also had a triple, as did Amy Peterson and Olivia Vecchio for the Rams. Peterson also doubled.

n Deirdre Flaherty hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning as Mt. Lebanon edged Peters Township 8-5 in Class 6A Section 1.

Flaherty hit two home runs and drove in four for Lebo (4-1, 6-3).

Sami Bewick had a big game for PT (1-4, 4-6), going 3-for-3 with a home run, double and three RBI.

n Maddie Cavenaugh filled up the statistics sheet in South Fayette’s 11-3 non-section win over Brashear.

Cavenaugh went 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, a home run and was the winning pitcher with five innings of relief.

Haley Nicholson had three hits, including two doubles, as the Lions improved their record to 6-7.

n Class 4A Section 2 co-leader Elizabeth Forward scored five runs in the fifth inning and went on to a 9-6 win over Belle Vernon.

Winning pitcher Shelby Telegdy went 4-for-5 to lead EF (5-1, 8-1).

Maren Metikosh and Lexi Daniels homered for Belle Vernon (3-3, 4-4-1). Mia Zubovic had a triple and Ashley Joll and Gracie Sokol doubled.

n Morgan O’Brien sparked a 15-hit attack with a double and four RBI as OLSH defeated Burgettstown, 16-1, in a five inning Class 2A game in Section 1.

Juliette Vybiral went 3-for-3, scored twice and knocked in two for OLSH (6-1, 6-1). Winning pitcher Justene Giles went 1-for-1, walked twice and knocked in two runs.

Aubry Krivak doubled in a run for Burgettstown (3-3, 5-6).

Pony baseball

Trent Stephens went 3-for-3, Wyatt Stevenson belted a two-run homer and Burgettstown defeated Chartiers-Houston Daddea 12-6 in a Founders Pony League game.

Noah Kimberland had a double to back the winning pitching of Jayden Roach.

Brody McCreary was 2-for-3 for C-H.

College softball

California University resumed its suspended doubleheader against Gannon from April 11 on Monday and posted a split in PSAC West action at Lilley Field, winning 7-2 in the opener before falling 5-2 in Game 2.

The Vulcans move to 20-9 this season with a 10-2 mark in league play.

In the NBA

Jayson Tatum scored 29 points, Jaylen Brown had 22 and the Boston Celtics completed a four-game sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, becoming the first team to reach the second round of the playoffs with a 116-112 victory Monday night.

Marcus Smart added 20 points and 11 assists for the No. 2-seeded Celtics, who made easy work of what was thought could be a tough series. Boston will wait for the winner of the series between Milwaukee and Chicago. The defending champion Bucks hold a 3-1 lead in that series.

Kevin Durant had 39 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, breaking free after the Celtics had defended him well in the first three games. But he couldn’t get the Nets the win they needed to extend what instead goes down as a massive failure of a season.

Seth Curry scored 23 points for the Nets.

n Ja Morant was rookie of the year in 2020, vowing he would get better from there.

And he’s done exactly that.

The Memphis Grizzlies guardwas announced as the NBA’s Most Improved Player. Monday.

He is the first Grizzlies player to receive the award – and the first player in league history to have won both rookie of the year and most improved.

“It’s definitely big-time,” Morant said.

Morant set career bests in scoring (27.4 points per game), rebounds (5.7), steals (1.2) and field-goal shooting (49.3%). His scoring average last season was 19.1 per game, and he made the big jump while playing basically the same amount of minutes.