WJPA Sports

Brooklyn Hess threw out a runner trying to score in the bottom of the third, then scored the eventual game-winning run in the top of the fourth as Chartiers-Houston rallied past Bristol in Monday’s PIAA Softball 2A semifianls. Bristol used a lead-off walk and a pair of singles to build a 2-0 lead in the third. With two out, Luciana Snyder singled sharply through the box. Hess charged, gloved and threw home in plenty of time to end the inning. Lauren Rush opened the Bucs’ 4th with a single. After failing to bunt twice, Aubree Randolph tripled to left center, scoring Rush. A strikeout and a pop up brought Hess to the plate. An at-bat that started hitting left-handed ended with Hess switching sides and popping up between the circle and the third-base line. A little contact between the shortstop and third baseman resulted in the ball dropping, with Randolph scoring to tie the game. Hess promptly stole second and scored on Zaylee Fonner’s base hit to give the Bucs a 3-2 lead. Bristol got the lead-off batter aboard in each of the next three innings but could not tie the game. The Warriors had scored in double digits in 22 of their 24 games but ended up stranding eight base-runners, three in the fifth inning. Three of Chartiers-Houston’s five hits came in the decisive fourth frame.  The Bucs will take on Laurel for the PIAA softball title, Friday at Nittany Lion Softball Park at Penn State. We’ll have the game on-air and online. Listen Here

Monday, June 8
PIAA Softball Quarterfinals Softball Brackets
2A Chartiers-Houston > Bristol, 3-2  Watch/Listen Here

ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Harris II hit a three-run double in the seventh inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 to complete a three-game sweep. Reynaldo López earned the win with a scoreless seventh, and Tyler Kinley ended a bases-loaded threat in the eighth when he got Ryan O’Hearn to ground out. Braves rookie Didier Fuentes stranded two runners in the ninth for his first career save. Harris came up as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh and the Braves trailing 2-0. With light rain falling, he drove the first pitch from reliever Evan Sisk into the right-field corner to clear the bases. The major league-leading Braves, who were limited to three hits, have won eight of 10.

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — J.T. Poston has won the Memorial, just not the way anyone would have imagined. Poston returned Sunday morning to complete the third round and built a four-shot lead. But that was gone on the turn and it turned into a mad scramble. Poston made a 7-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 72 to force a playoff with Ryan Gerard. He won on the second extra hole when Gerard three-putted from some 55 feet. Gerard was mistake-free most of the day until missing a 6-foot par putt. The victory gives Poston a spot in the next three majors.

NEW YORK (AP) — Police scuttled an NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks warned fans to get to Monday’s matchup at least two hours early as part of enhanced security measures with President Donald Trump attending the game. Trump is a longtime Knicks fan who confirmed Friday that he would attend the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999. Part of the fallout from Trump’s visit was the cancellation of a Game 3 watch party outside MSG. The NYPD said the decision was made in coordination with the Secret Service. Also, the Knicks are warning fans to bring as little as possible to Game 3 and encouraging them to arrive early as part of enhanced security measures with Trump attending the game.

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Denny Hamlin went from the rear to first again Sunday, winning at Michigan International Speedway to earn his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victory from the pole position. Just like last week’s win at Nashville Superspeedway when the Joe Gibbs Racing car was penalized for jumping the start, Hamlin qualified first at Michigan but dropped to the back at the green flag because of a penalty for unapproved adjustments to his No. 11 Toyota. He took the lead for good on a three-wide pass during a restart with 38 laps remaining, sweeping into first around Daniel Suarez and Carson Hocevar.