Apr 21, 2023 7 min read

High school softball

Hana Suhoski belted a three-run homer in Trinity’s 13-3 triumph at Connellsville in Class 5A Section 4 play Friday.

The Hillers (6-0, 10-1) have a two-game lead in the section race with four games remaining.

Suhoski had three hits, as Trinity led 5-0 after two innings and never looked back. Teammate Mirranda Rinehart tripled. Amber Morgan had two hits for the visitors.

Winning pitcher Taylor Dunn stuck out three and didn’t walk a batter.

Connellsville’s Kirra Davis had two hits, including a solo home run. Teammate Arley Wilson doubled.

• Jefferson-Morgan maintains the fourth spot in Class A Section 2 following a 13-3 victory against California.

The Rockets (4-4, 6-5) scored three runs in the first to jump on top of the Trojans (1-5, 2-7) early.

Payton Farabee had two doubles and Ava Wood added a third extra-base hit for Jefferson-Morgan.

Harley Harkins homered for California.

Kayla Larkin was the winning pitcher.

• Belle Vernon hit four home runs, including a grand slam by Mia Zubovic, in a 13-2 win at Laurel Highlands in Class 4A Section 2.

Teammates Gracie Sokol, Olivia Kolowitz and Maten Metikosh also homered. Sokol had three hits and four RBI. Kolowitz, Lexi Daniels and Talia Ross had multiple hits.

Kolowitz struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter.

The Leopards (6-1, 9-3) are in second place in section play behind Elizabeth Forward (8-0, 11-0).

Kayla Howell and Zoe Robson homered for the Mustangs (2-6, 2-7).

• Canon-McMillan suffered a 3-2 setback in Class 6A Section 1 to North Allegheny on a walk-off single by the Tigers’ Meghan McDonough.

Hailey Swope had a two-run single for the Big Macs (3-6, 4-7).

Brooke Bumer struck out two but suffered the loss.

• Fort Cherry took the lead early and cruised to a 22-1 victory over Beth-Center in Class 2A Section 3.

The Rangers (4-4, 5-6) scored nine in the first, seven in the second and six in the third. The Bulldogs scored their lone run in the second.

Kaylee Weinbrenner, Cadence Fehl-Gariglio and Trista Fehl-Gariglio tripled for Fort Cherry. Teammate Heather Coughenour doubled.

Abby Hall struck out three in earning the win.

• Waynesburg scored one run in each of the first three innings and Kendall Lemley pitched a two-hit shutout in the Raiders’ 3-0 triumph over Brownsville in Class 3A Section 4.

Lemley had three strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter. The Falcons’ Ava Clark struck out 14 without issuing a walk.

Waynebsurg’s Kayleigh Varner had two doubles. Teammate Hannah Wood doubled.

The Raiders improved to 6-0 in section play and 9-2 overall.

• Justena Giles fired a no-hitter and Our Lady of the Scared Heart took sole possession of first place in Class 2A Section 3 with an 8-0 win over visiting Bentworth.

Giles struck out 12 and walked two. The Chargers (6-1, 8-2) scored six runs over the first two innings.

The loss dropped Bentworth (5-2, 5-4) into a tie for second place.

• Thomas Jefferson scored nine runs in the third inning and went on to a 16-4 win over host Peters Township in Class 5A Section 4.

TJ is in second place in the section at 4-2 and 9-4 overall.

Makenzie Morgan had a double for PT (1-5, 3-8).

High school baseball

Dominic Cumer hit a grand slam in the eighth inning and Chartiers-Houston rallied for a 7-3 non-section victory at Carmichaels on Friday.

The Bucs (10-2) trailed by one in the seventh before Luke Camden hit a solo homer to force extra innings. Cumer was 3-for-5 with a double and four RBI.

Jake Mele had two hits for C-H, including a double. Teammate Ryan Opfer added two hits. Paul Williamson also doubled.

Keegan Kosek pitched 11/3 innings of one-hit ball with two strikeouts for the win.

Ambrose Adamson had a double for the Mikes (8-3) in the second inning.

• Avella scored six runs in the first inning and that was all the offense Bryce Wright would need in the Eagles’ 10-5 non-section win at Cornell.

Wright had six strikeouts and walked two in earning the victory. Teammate Isaiah Bradick had three hits, including a double. Colton Burchianti doubled and singled for the visitors.

Brayden Fuller had a two-base hit for the Eagles, who are tied for first place in Class A Section 2 with California at 6-2.

Avella plays third-place Carmichaels (4-2) next week on Tuesday and Wednesday.

• McGuffey scored seven runs in the first two innings and held off Burgettstown, 9-4, in non-section play at Wild Things Park.

The Highlanders’ Reno Presto, Jacob Ross, Brogan Meighan and Logan Carlisle had multiple hits.

Andrew Bredel doubled and tripled for the Blue Devils (6-2). Teammate Eric Kovach had two hits, including a double. Carson Thalcevic tripled for Burgettstown.

McGuffey improved to 8-3.

• Derek Turcheck’s two-run triple in the top of the seventh helped Waynesburg to a 5-3 victory at Albert Gallatin in non-section play.

The Colonials had a 3-2 lead heading into the sixth. The Raiders (5-5) scored an unearned run for a 3-3 tie.

Trenton Zupper was the winning pitcher in relief. He had three walks and three strikeouts in three innings.

Turcheck, Alex VanSickle, Mason Switalski and Lincoln Pack had multiple hits for the Raiders.

• Ethan Ridgeway pitched a complete-game four-hitter and Chartiers Valley scored scored three times in the fifth inning for a 4-3 come-from-bhind win over Trinity in non-section play.

Matthew Robaugh hit a solo home run and Gibson Havanais doubled for Trinity (5-3). The Hillers led 3-1 entering the fifth. Ridgeway did not strike out a batter and walked only one.

In the NBA

Trae Young scored 32 points in his best game of the playoffs and the Atlanta Hawks gave themselves a glimmer of hope, beating the Boston Celtics 130-122 Friday night to close the gap to 2-1 in the opening-round series.

Young hit a step-back 3-pointer from the corner with 2:21 left and knocked down another huge basket on a floater in the lane with 45 seconds remaining after Jaylen Brown missed a 3-pointer that would’ve tied it for the Celtics.

In golf

Wyndham Clark and Beau Hossler shot a 5-under 67 in alternate-shot play on Friday to maintain a one-shot lead through the second round of the Zurich Classic.

Defending champions Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele made the biggest move of the day, rocketing up the leaderboard with a 9-under 63 – the best score of the round by three strokes. They were at 14-under 130 through 36 holes, two shots behind Clark and Hossler.

• Talor Gooch upstaged the more-fancied names on the LIV Golf tour by shooting a 10-under 62 to take a four-stroke lead after the first round of the inaugural Australian tournament at The Grange.

The 31-year-old American started with a par on his opening hole in the shotgun-start format – the par-3 12th – but then had 10 birdies, including five in a row.

Richard Bland and Dean Burmester shot 66s and were tied for second.