WJPA Sports

Fort Cherry scored four times over the first two innings on the way to a 4-1 win over Riverview, putting the Rangers into the WPIAL baseball finals for the first time since their 1986 championship run. Ryan Huey got the win, allowing just one run and three hits over 6.2 innings. The left-hander also drove in one run and scored another for The Fort who will take on Neshannock next week with the 2A title on the line. The Rangers also clinched a berth in the PIAA tournament.

Canon-McMillan trailed 4-0 before getting the bats going, then scored three times in the bottom of the seventh but stranded the potential game-tying run as the Big Macs were eliminated. North Allegheny scored the eventual winning run in the top of the seventh when a two-out flyball was lost in the stadium lights.

Softball semifinals take center stage Thursday. Chartiers-Houston & Bentworth meet in the 2A semis, Carmichaels & West Greene in a 1A semi with Jeff-Morgan playing top seed Union in the other.  We’ll have the CHHS/Bentworth game for you on WJPA-AM (1450), online and we’re producing the NFHS Video as well (subscription required under WPIAL agreements).  Watch/Listen Here 

Wednesday, May 20–Baseball Semifinals — WPIAL Baseball Brackets 
2A #1 Fort Cherry > #4 Riverview, 4-1  Watch/Listen Here
6A #3 North Allegheny > #2 Canon-McMillan, 4-3  Watch/Listen Here

Thursday, May 21–Softball Semifinals — WPIAL Softball Brackets
3:45 pm 2A #2 Chartiers-Houston vs. #3 Bentworth at Pleasant Valley, WJPA-AM (1450)  Watch/Listen Here
3:45 pm 1A #5 Jeff-Morgan vs. #1 Union (live on GreeneSports.net)
5:45pm 1A #2 Carmichaels #3 West Greene at Pleasant Valley (live on GreeneSports.net)

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Iván Herrera hit a three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning — one of four homers by St. Louis — as the Cardinals rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. Herrera’s 410-foot shot off of Mason Montgomery (1-1) was his first career walk-off RBI. It is the fifth walk-off win of the season for St. Louis, which improved to 7-1 in extra-inning games. JJ Wetherholt, Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson also homered as the Cardinals improved to 5-0 this season against their Central Division rivals. George Soriano (2-0) pitched a perfect 10th inning for the win.

NEW YORK (AP) — James Harden’s struggles to defend Jalen Brunson down the stretch stuck out as a big factor in the Cleveland Cavaliers blowing a 22-point fourth-quarter lead and losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals in overtime. Brunson scored on several possessions in a row off the dribble with Harden guarding him. Coach Kenny Atkinson said he trusts Harden and never considered sitting the 11-time NBA All-Star on defense. Harden also struggled with the ball in his hands, shooting 5 of 16 overall and 1 of 3 from 3-point range and turning the ball over six times.