Newgarden Goes Back-to-back At Indy 500

May 27, 2024 4:02 am

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Josef Newgarden put his cheating scandal behind him to become the first back-to-back winner of the Indianapolis 500 since Helio Castroneves 22 years ago and give Roger Penske a record-extending 20th win in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The Tennessean passed Pato O’Ward on the final lap of Sunday’s rain-delayed race to become the first driver to win consecutive 500s since Castroneves did it for Penske in 2001 and 2002. And just like last year, Newgarden stopped his Chevrolet-powered car on the track and climbed through a hole in the fence to celebrate with fans in the grandstands. O’Ward slumped his head over his steering wheel in bitter disappointment. He was trying to become the first Mexican in 108 runnings to win the Indy 500.

WPIAL Championship Week Schedule Set

May 24, 2024 7:00 am

The WPIAL baseball & softball playoffs have worked their way through to the championship and state qualifier games. Thursday morning, the League finalized the schedule for Championship Week. Baseball finals will be played at Wild Things Park, third-place games (state qualifiers) at W&J’s Ross Memorial Park. The softball championships are set for PennWest-California’s Lilley Field with third-place games at three different sites (Gateway, North Allegheny & Jeff-Morgan). We’ll have four games on WJPA-AM (1450) and online during the week, including Avella, Burgettstown and Carmichaels in baseball state qualifiers, Bentworth and Chartiers-Houston in softball championships. In addition, GreeneSports.net & WJPA Sports Network will produce broadcasts for all six softball championships for the WPIAL & NFHS Network (subscription required. The complete WPIAL Championship Week schedule, along with broadcast and bracket links, is listed.

WPIAL Bracket Links:   Softball    Baseball

Tuesday, May 28
Baseball Finals
1:00 pm 1A #2 Eden Christian vs. #4 Bishop Canevin
4:00 pm 3A #1 Riverside vs. #7 Avonworth
7:00 pm 5A #4 Bethel Park vs. #7 Penn-Trafford

Baseball 3rd Place
1:00 pm 3A #4 South Allegheny vs. #14 Burrell (both to PIAA)
3:15 pm 2A #2 OLSH vs. #4 Burgettstown (winner only), WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here
6:00 pm 4A #2 Thomas Jefferson vs. #4 Montour (both to PIAA)

Softball 3rd Place
3:00 pm 5A #4 Penn-Trafford vs. #11 Latrobe at Gateway (winner only to PIAA)
3:00 pm 4A #4 Chartiers Valley vs. #11 Blackhawk at North Allegheny (winner only to PIAA)
3:30 pm 1A #2 Carmichaels vs. #5 West Greene at Jeff-Morgan (both to PIAA)
5:00 pm 3A #1 Avonworth vs. #2 Ligonier Valley at Gateway (both to PIAA)
5:00 pm 2A #3 Laurel vs. #5 OLSH at North Allegheny (winner only to PIAA)

Wednesday, May 29
Softball Finals Watch/Listen Here
12:00 noon 3A #3 South Park vs. #4 Mohawk
2:00 pm 1A #1 Union vs. #3 Chartiers-Houston, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here
4:30 pm 6A #2 Seneca Valley vs. #5 Norwin

Baseball Finals
1:00 pm 2A #1 Serra Catholic vs. #3 Seton-La Salle
4:00 pm 4A #6 North Catholic vs. #9 Indiana
7:00 pm 6A #1 Mt. Lebanon vs. #3 North Allegheny

Baseball 3rd Place
4:00 pm 1A #6 Avella vs. #8 Carmichaels (winner only), WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here

6:30 pm 5A #1 West Allegheny vs. #6 Franklin Regional (winner only to PIAA)

Thursday, May 30
Softball Finals Watch/Listen Here
11:45 am 2A #1 Neshannock vs. #2 Bentworth, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here

2:15 pm 5A #1 Armstrong vs. #10 Thomas Jefferson
4:30 pm 4A #1 Elizabeth-Forward vs. #2 Hampton

Pirates Beat The Atlanta Braves

May 26, 2024 7:20 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mitch Keller pitched into the seventh inning, Nick Gonzales delivered an RBI double and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1. Keller kept Atlanta in check for 6 2/3 innings to win his fourth consecutive start. The right-hander gave up one run on six hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Keller is 4-0 with a 1.30 ERA in four starts in May. Bryan Reynolds had two hits for the Pirates, who have won two straight and 6 of 9. Atlanta’s Reynaldo Lopez gave up three runs, two earned in 4 2/3 innings. Lopez remains winless since mid-April despite a 1.75 ERA.

Two-Time PGA Winner Grayson Murray Has Died

May 26, 2024 7:25 am

(AP) – Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray has died at the age of 30. The PGA Tour and his management company GSE Worldwide confirmed the death Saturday. There were no immediate details how Murray died. He opened with a 68 at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial. The next day he was 5 over for his round when he withdrew with two holes to play. Murray won the Sony Open this year with a 40-foot birdie putt in a playoff. He also won the Barbasol Championship in 2017. Murray made his Masters debut in April.

Pirates Beat Braves 11-5

May 24, 2024 3:27 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Gonzales drove in a career-high four runs and Bailey Falter carried a shutout into the eighth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 11-5. Falter (3-2) had a 20-inning scoreless streak over three starts halted in the eighth when Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a three-run home, helping the Braves avoid their first shutout of the season. The 24-year-old left-hander allowed six hits, striking out four and walking one in his first victory since April 23. Edward Olivares had three of the Pirates’ 14 hits and Andrew McCutchen, Connor Joe and Gonzales had two apiece. Ray Kerr (1-1) was tagged for five runs and seven hits in four innings in his first major league start following 33 career relief appearances.

Guardians Become 1st Team To Hit 3 Straight Homers

May 25, 2024 5:48 am

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — José Ramírez and the Cleveland Guardians became the first team in the majors to hit back-to-back-to-back home runs this season during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels. The three homers came with two outs and extended the Guardians’ lead to 9-2. After Andrés Giménez got aboard with a base hit, Ramírez followed with a two-run shot to center for his second homer of the game. It was the 24th multihomer game of Ramírez’s career and his first since last July. It is the first time Cleveland has had three straight homers since June 18, 2019, at Texas.

Pirates Blow Another Lead, Fall To Giants…Again

May 24, 2024 2:35 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Prized rookie Paul Skenes allowed one run over six solid innings but the San Francisco Giants rallied against the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen for a 7-6 win. Matt Chapman hit a three-run homer off Hunter Stratton in the eighth for San Francisco. Brett Wisely delivered a go-ahead single off Aroldis Chapman five batters later as the Giants overcame a big deficit for the second time in less than 24 hours. Skenes allowed one run on six hits with three strikeouts in his third career start.

NCAA, Leagues Back $2.8 Billion Settlement

May 24, 2024 4:35 am

The NCAA and five major college sports conferences have agreed to settle antitrust allegations for nearly $2.8 billion over the next 10 years. The deal also calls for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start steering millions of dollars directly to college athletes as soon as fall 2025. If approved by a judge, the payouts will go to thousands of former and current college athletes who were not allowed to earn money from endorsement and sponsorship deals dating to 2016. The Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference and Pac-12 were the defendants along with the NCAA.

 

NHL; Oilers Beat Stars In Western Conference Final Opener

May 24, 2024 4:36 am

DALLAS (AP) — Connor McDavid scored 32 seconds into the second overtime and the Edmonton Oilers overcame their captain’s double-minor penalty in the first extra period and beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. The Stars were 0 for 3 on power plays in regulation, then couldn’t capitalize on four minutes with a man advantage after the high-stick penalty against McDavid in the opening seconds of the first overtime. Leon Draisaitl extended his playoff-opening points streak to 13 games with a goal, while Zach Hyman had a goal and an assist for the Oilers. Stuart Skinner stopped 31 shots. Tyler Seguin scored both goals for the Stars. Game 2 is Saturday night.

Softball Semifinals Wednesday

May 22, 2024 2:44 am

Ella Richey homered in the first, Sydney English had three hits including a single in the seventh that led to the winning run, and Meadow Ferri fanned nine Carmichaels batters as Chartiers-Houston won a back-and-forth battle in the Class 1A semifinals. Richey’s home run in the first stood until the Mikes scored twice in fifth. Carys McConnell drove in both Carmichaels runs.

West Greene managed just three hits in the other 1A semifinal, the Pioneers losing to #1 Union.  The Scotties scored six times in the sixth inning to end the game. Emmaline Beasell had a double for the Pioneers in the loss.

Lexie Hames stuck out 18 Canon-McMillan batters and allowed just one hit, a bunt single, as #2 Seneca Valley ended the Big Macs’ season. The Raiders led 3-1 into the sixth and blew the game open with four runs in the inning.

WPIAL Bracket Links:   Softball    Baseball

Wednesday–Softball Semifinals
1A #1 Union 10, #5 West Greene 0
1A #3 Chartiers-Houston 3, #3 Carmichaels 2
6A #2 Seneca Valley 7, #6 Canon-McMillan 1