Softball/Baseball Wednesday/Thursday/Friday

May 15, 2024 2:28 am

Canon-McMillan scored a run in the top of the first, built a 3-0 lead and held on to knock off #6 North Allegheny in the 6A softball quarterfinals. Trinity baseball trailed 3-1 with two out, nobody on the seventh, got RBIs from Jonah Williamson and Cameron Schofield to tie the game, then scored three times in the 11h to upset #5 Plum in the 5A first round.

Softball quarterfinals dominate the Thursday schedule with a pair of games on the WJPA Sports Network. We have a pair of 2A quarterfinals from North Allegheny starting at 2:45 pm when #2 Bentworth takes on #7 Shenango, followed by #6 Charleroi facing #3 Laurel, last year’s runner-up.  The League set the baseball quarterfinal sites/times with the 5A Trinity / Bethel Park game moved to Tuesday because the other quarterfinal in that bracket isn’t set yet. WPIAL Bracket Links:   Softball    Baseball

Wednesday–Softball Quarterfinals
6A #6 Canon-McMillan 3, #3 North Allegheny 1

Wednesday–Baseball First Round
4A  #2 Thomas Jefferson 11, #15 Ringgold 3
5A #12 Trinity 6, #5 Plum 4 (11 inn.)

Thursday–Softball Quarterfinals
2:45 pm 2A #2 Bentworth vs. #7 Shenango at North Allegheny, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here
4:00 pm 1A #3 Chartiers-Houston vs. #6 Jeannette at West Mifflin
4:45 pm 2A #6 Charleroi vs. #3 Laurel at North Allegheny, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here
5:00 pm 1A #2 Carmichaels vs. #7 South Side at Montour
7:00 pm 1A #8 Jeff-Morgan vs. #1 Union at North Allegheny

Friday–Softball Quarterfinals
4:00 pm 1A #5 West Greene vs. #4 Frazier at Peterswood Park

Monday–Baseball Quarterfinals
1:45 pm 1A #3 Fort Cherry vs. #6 Avella at Peterswood Park, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here
4:30 pm 1A #7 West Greene vs. #2 Eden Christian Academy at Peterswood Park
4:30 pm 2A #6 Chartiers-Houston vs. #3 Seton-La Salle at West Mifflin
6:00 pm 1A # 8 Carmichaels vs. #1 Union at Burkett Complex
6:45 pm 2A #4 Burgettstown vs. #5 Greensburg Central Catholic at Peterswood Park, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here

Tuesday–Baseball Quarterfinals
4:15 p 5A #12 Trinity vs. #4 Bethel Park at W&J’s Ross Memorial Park, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here

Olivares & Gonzales Homer In Pirates Win In Chicago

May 16, 2024 4:38 am

CHICAGO (AP) — Edward Olivares and Nick Gonzales homered, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 5-4. Olivares hit a two-run homer in the first inning. He also doubled and scored in the sixth against Cubs starter Justin Steele. Gonzales hit a solo drive in the fourth, and Jared Jones threw six solid innings. Colin Holderman gave up a sacrifice fly to Christopher Morel in the eighth, but the Pirates opened the four-game series on a winning note after losing six of eight. They dropped two of three to the Cubs in Pittsburgh over the weekend.

Angels Acquire Roansy Contreras

May 17, 2024 4:40 am

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have acquired right-hander Roansy Contreras from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash. The Pirates designated the 24-year-old Contreras for assignment on Saturday to create room on the roster for Paul Skenes ahead of the prized pitcher’s major league debut against the Cubs. Contreras was acquired as part of the trade that sent pitcher Jameson Taillon to the Yankees in January 2021. He has struggled most of the past two seasons and was out of options. A starter for much of his first three seasons, he has been working out of the bullpen this year. He is 1-0 with a 4.41 ERA in 12 appearances. Contreras is 9-12 with a 4.83 ERA in 30 starts and 23 relief outings over four big league seasons.

NHL; Rangers To Eastern Conference Final With Win Over Carolina

May 17, 2024 4:42 am

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Chris Kreider had a third-period hat trick to help the New York Rangers erase a two-goal deficit and beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 to close out the second-round playoff series in six games and advance to the Eastern Conference Final. Kreider single-handedly erased the Hurricanes’ 3-1 lead entering the final period. He had the winner when he tipped in Ryan Lindgren’s pass to make it 4-3 at the 15:41 mark. Barclay Goodrow added an empty-netter. Martin Necas, Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho scored for Carolina, which had won two straight after falling into a 3-0 hole.

Steelers 2024 Schedule Is Out

May 16, 2024 4:37 am

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers’ schedule for the 2024 season has been released. They will open the 2024 season in Atlanta against the Falcons. Their first home game will be played on Sunday, Sept. 22 against the Los Angeles Chargers. They will have a bye in week 9 and then face a touch stretch beginning in week 11. The Steelers will host the Ravens November 17 and then visit the Browns the following Thursday. After that they visit Cincinnati, Philadpehia and Baltimore before hosting the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs on Christmas day. The will close out the regular sason at home against the Bengals. The Steelers play four prime-time games.

Brewers Pound Pirates

May 16, 2024 2:22 am

MILWAUKEE (AP) — William Contreras went 3 for 5 with four RBIs and hit one of Milwaukee’s five homers off Martín Pérez in the Brewers’ 10-2 blowout of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The NL Central-leading Brewers won two of three from the Pirates before beginning a season-long, nine-game trip Friday at Houston. Gary Sánchez, Sal Frelick, Joey Ortiz and Jackson Chourio also homered off Pérez. The Brewers tied a franchise record for homers off a single pitcher in one game. Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 4, homered and scored both the Pirates’ runs.

Steelers Set To Play The Kansas City Chiefs On Christmas Day

May 15, 2024 5:46 pm

(WPXI) – The Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.  NFL Insider Ian Rapoport confirmed the Christmas Day games ahead of Wednesday night’s schedule release.  The game is set for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Wednesday, Dec. 25, and will be aired on Netflix.  This will be the Steelers’ third Christmas Day match-up. They haven’t lost a game on Christmas in program history, beating the Baltimore Ravens 31-27 at home in 2016 and the Houston Texans 34-6 in 2017 on the road.  In addition to the Steelers vs. Chiefs match-up, the Ravens will play the Texans this year.

Softball/Baseball Early Round–Tuesday/Wednesday

May 14, 2024 2:03 am

Run-rule wins for Charleroi, Jeff-Morgan and West Greene moved those three softball teams into Thursday’s quarterfinals. Burgettstown, McGuffey and Waynesburg each lost close games and were eliminated from the softball brackets.  Baseball winners include Avella, Burgettstown, Chartiers-Houston, Carmichaels and West Greene while Wash High and Beth-Center were eliminated despite each getting at least the tying run to the plate in the final innings.  WPIAL tournament play continues on Wednesday with 4A & 5A first-round baseball plus 6A softball quarterfinals.  The WJPA Sports Network will have live coverage of the Canon-McMillan / North Allegheny softball & Trinity / Plum baseball games.  WPIAL Softball Bracket Link WPIAL Baseball Bracket Link

Bentworth (2A SB), Chartiers-Houston (1A SB), Carmichaels (1A SB) and Fort Cherry (1A BB) all have first-round byes. These three softball teams will play quarterfinal games on Thursday. Fort Cherry baseball will first see action in the quarterfinals on Monday.

Tuesday–Softball
1A #5 West Greene 11, #12 Leechburg  1
1A #8 Jeff-Morgan 10, #9 Carlynton 0
2A #6 Charleroi 11, #11 Greensburg Central Catholic 0
2A #4 Serra Catholic 11, #13 Beth-Center 3
2A #7 Shenango 5, #10 Burgettstown 4
3A #9 Yough 2, #8 McGuffey 1

3A #4 Mohawk 8, #13 Waynesburg 5

Tuesday–Baseball
1A #6 Avella 5, #11 Springdale 3
1A #8 Carmichaels 9, #9 Carlynton 1
1A #7 West Greene 6, #10 Leechburg 2
2A #5 Greensburg Cent. Catholic 3, #12 Wash High 2

2A #6 Chartiers-Houston 7, #11 Freedom 4
2A #8 Laurel 7, #9 Charleroi 2
2A #4 Burgettstown 10, #13 Jeannette 3
2A #7 Riverview 2, #10 Beth-Center 0
3A #4 South Allegheny 7, #13 McGuffey 0

3A #11 Neshannock 6, #6 Waynesburg 1

Wednesday–Softball
3:45 pm 6A #6 Canon-McMillan vs. #3 North Allegheny at Boyce-Mayview, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here

Wednesday–Baseball
2:00 pm 4A #15 Ringgold vs. #2 Thomas Jefferson at Boyce-Mayview
6:45 pm 5A #12 Trinity vs. #5 Plum at Gateway, WJPA-AM (1450) Watch/Listen Here

Pirates Fall To Brewers

May 14, 2024 4:31 am

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Sal Frelick homered for the first time this season, Joe Ross and three relievers combined on a three-hitter, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3. Pittsburgh’s Nick Gonzales hit his first homer of the year, and Connor Joe also went deep for the Pirates. Gonzales’ last homer was July 2 against the Brewers. Frelick hadn’t homered since Aug. 7 of last season, against the Pirates. Frelick also made two diving catches in center field.

McConnell-Miller Named Head Coach Of Carnegie Mellon Women’s Basketball Program

May 15, 2024 2:09 am

Kathy McConnell-Miller has been named the new head coach of the Carnegie Mellon Women’s Basketball program. McConnell-Miller, who has coached at the high school, college and professional levels, will assume leadership of the Tartans on May 31st.  After graduating from the University of Virginia and playing four years of college basketball, McConnell-Miller began her coaching career at the University of Pittsburgh in 1991 as an assistant coach.  She later served as an assistant at Rutgers University and the University of Illinois.  Most recently, McConnell-Miller has been at the helm of the Trinity Area High School Girls Basketball program. In her five years with the program, McConnell-Miller helped the Hillers become one of the most competitive teams in Western Pennsylvania.  (Photo & story courtesy of CMU)