May 7, 2024 12:01 am
Bentworth softball clinched its first section championship in more than a dozen years, downing OLSH, 12-1. Beth-Center topped Burgettstown, 12-7, to clinch a playoff spot. Carmichaels’ 10-0 win over Jeff-Morgan gives the Mikes a share of a section title with Chartiers-Houston. On the baseball side, Wash High beat Beth-Center, 8-1, clinching the Little Prexies first post-season berth since 2015. Burgettstown blanked Frazier, 10-0. That win, coupled with Charleroi’s 10-4 win over Chartiers-Houston, gives Burgettstown a second straight outright section title. Fort Cherry wrapped up its first section championship since 2012 with a 9-1 win over Jeff-Morgan.
Burgettstown softball qualifies if Bentworth beats Beth-Center. B-C’s baseball team clinches a playoff spot with a home win against Wash High. We’ll have that game for you on WJPA Sports Network with free video as well as radio coverage on WJPA-AM (1450) and online. Coverage from Fredericktown starts at 6:45 pm.
Baseball (*-Section champion)
Clinched: Avella, Burgettstown*, Carmichaels, Charleroi, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry*, McGuffey, Ringgold, Trinity, Wash High, Waynesburg and West Greene. Alive: Beth-Center. Eliminated: Bentworth, California, Canon-McMillan, Jeff-Morgan, Mapletown and Peters Township.
Softball (*-Section champion)
Clinched: Bentworth*, Beth-Center, Carmichaels*, Canon-McMillan, Charleroi, Chartiers-Houston*, Jeff-Morgan, McGuffey, Trinity*, Waynesburg and West Greene. Alive: Burgettstown. Eliminated: Avella, California, Fort Cherry, Mapletown, Peters Township, Ringgold and Wash High.
May 7, 2024 4:43 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Edward Olivares hit his first career grand slam and Mitch Keller pitched a five-hitter to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Olivares’ slam came off Tyler Anderson in the third inning to break a scoreless tie as the Pirates went on to their third consecutive victory following a five-game losing streak. The Angels lost for the 14th time in 17 games. Keller (3-3) allowed only one on Zach Neto’s solo shot in the fifth inning and threw 109 pitches in his second career complete game.
May 7, 2024 4:45 am
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jeremy Swayman stopped 38 shots, Brandon Carlo scored a goal just a few hours after his wife gave birth to their son and the Boston Bruins topped the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Monday night. Morgan Geekie, Mason Lohrei, Justin Brazeau and Jake DeBrusk also had goals for Boston, which improved to 5-0-0 against the Panthers this season. Matthew Tkachuk had the goal for Florida, which has rallied from a 1-0 deficit to win an NHL playoff series only twice in nine previous opportunities. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 24 shots for the Panthers.
May 6, 2024 4:41 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Oneil Cruz hit a two-run homer to highlight a four-run sixth inning, powering the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Colorado Rockies 5-3 for a series win. Cruz sent a slider from Ryan Feltner 429 feet to right-center, bouncing his fifth of the season off the roof of a bar beyond the stands to put Pittsburgh ahead 4-3 on Sunday. He also had a double for his first game with multiple extra-base hits in 35 games this season. The Pirates took the final two of the three-game set, their first series victory since winning two of three against Baltimore from April 5-7. The Rockies have yet to win a series.
May 6, 2024 12:01 am
WPIAL baseball and softball teams have reached the final week of the regular season, navigating significant weather challenges with some additional rains expected this week. All softball section games must be completed by the end of Wednesday, baseball the following day. WPIAL softball and baseball committees will meet late in the week to set the 12 tournament brackets with action expected to get underway early next week. Once brackets are released (Softball on Thursday, Baseball Friday), we’ll have them available on our Sports page with a daily schedule of Washington & Greene County teams posted as well. At the moment, Eight Washington County baseball teams along with seven more softball teams have clinched playoff spots. Three other teams are still alive (two baseball, one softball). Greene County will send three baseball and four softball teams to the post-season. Here’s a snapshot for each team in the Washington-Greene County area:
Baseball
Clinched: Avella (1A), Burgettstown (2A), Carmichaels (1A), Charleroi (2A), Chartiers-Houston (2A), Fort Cherry (1A), McGuffey 3A), Ringgold (4A), Trinity (5A), Waynesburg (3A) and West Greene (1A).
Alive: Beth-Center (2A), Wash High (2A). The Bulldogs and Little Prexies play their two-game series Monday & Tuesday, each needing one win to clinch a playoff spot. We’ll have both games for you on WJPA Sports Network with free video as well as radio coverage on WJPA-AM (1450) and online.
Eliminated: Bentworth (2A), California (1A), Canon-McMillan (6A), Jeff-Morgan (1A), Mapletown (1A) and Peters Township (5A).
Softball
Clinched: Bentworth (2A), Carmichaels (1A), Canon-McMillan (6A), Charleroi (2A), Chartiers-Houston (1A), Jeff-Morgan (1A), McGuffey (3A), Trinity (5A), Waynesburg (3A), West Greene (1A). Bentworth plays at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Monday in a game we’ll have for you on WJPA Sports Network with free video as well as radio coverage on WJPA-AM (1450) and online. The Bearcats blanked the Chargers, 7-0, in their first meeting and clinched the outright section championship with a win.
Alive: Beth-Center (2A), Burgettstown (2A). B-C (4-6) visits Burgettstown (5-6) today with with winner clinching a spot. Burgettstown beat Beth-Center in their first meeting and the Blue Devils have also received a forfeit win vs. Wash High. If B-C wins today, Burgettstown would also qualify if Bentworth beats Beth-Center tomorrow.
Eliminated: Avella (1A), California (1A), Fort Cherry (1A), Mapletown (1A), Peters Township (5A), Ringgold (4A), Wash High (2A).
May 6, 2024 1:08 am
Washington & Jefferson College will host the Presidents’ Athletic Conference baseball tournament as the League’s top seed. W&J posted a 16-4 regular season mark to claim a seventh-straight #1 ranking. The Presidents are seeking their fifth straight League title. W&J has won six of the last eight championships and 15 all-time. The Red & Black are 28-12 overall and will take on #6 Thiel (15-22, 10-10) in the tournament opener Wednesday (11 am). #2 Grove City (24-12, 15-5) will play #5 Westminster (18-20, 11-9). The opening round of the six-team tournament will conclude with #3 Waynesburg (23-16, 15-5) facing #4 Allegheny (26-12, 14-6). Action continues at W&J’s Ross Memorial Park through the championships on Saturday. WJPA Sports Network will have live coverage of all W&J games on WJPA-AM (1450) and online Click Here
Wednesday
11:00 am Game A #1 Wash & Jeff vs. #6 Thiel
2:30 pm Game B #2 Grove City vs. #5 Westminster
6:00 pm Game C #3 Waynesburg vs. #4 Allegheny
Thursday
11:00 am Game D Wash-Jeff / Thiel loser vs. Grove City / Westminster loser
2:30 pm Game E Wash-Jeff / Thiel winner vs. Waynesburg / Allegheny loser
6:00 pm Game F Grove City / Westminster winner vs. Waynesburg / Allegheny winner
May 6, 2024 4:42 am
DALLAS (AP) — Radek Faksa broke a tie in his return to the Dallas lineup, 20-year-old Wyatt Johnston scored in another Game 7 and the Stars beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 on Sunday night to wrap up the first-round series. After being out with an undisclosed injury since leaving the bench late in Game 2, Faksa scored 44 seconds into the third period with a backhander from the circle to the left of goalie Adin Hill. Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger made 21 saves. Brett Howden scored for Vegas. The Stars, the No. 1 seed in the West, move on to play well-rested Colorado in the second round. Game 1 is Tuesday night in Dallas.
May 6, 2024 4:43 am
McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Taylor Pendrith took advantage of Ben Kohles’ final-hole meltdown to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title. Kohles overtook Pendrith with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a one-shot lead, then bogeyed the 18th after hitting his second shot into greenside rough. After having to chip twice from the rough and already looking stunned, Kohles missed a 6-foot putt that would have forced a playoff. Pendrith two-putted for birdie on the 18th, holing a 3-footer for a 4-under 67 and 23-under 261 total at the TPC Craig Ranch. The 32-year-old Canadian won in his 74th career PGA Tour start. Playing just north of his birthplace of Dallas, Kohles shot 66 to finish a stroke back. He’s winless on the tour.
May 5, 2024 6:22 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pinch-hitter Jack Suwinski singled home Connor Joe with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Joe led off the ninth with a single and came home when Suwinski singled up the middle against Nick Mears. Jared Jones, Colin Holderman and David Bednar (2-2) combined for a one-hitter as the Pirates won for just the fourth time in their last 18 games. The Rockies managed just one baserunner, a double by Elias Diaz leading off the fifth.
May 5, 2024 6:26 am
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a dramatic three-horse photo finish, edging out Sierra Leone and Forever Young for the upset victory. It was the 10th Derby to be decided by a nose, the closest margin in horse racing. Sent off at 18-1 odds, Mystik Dan and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. rode the rail down the stretch with a short lead. Sierra Leone and Forever Young from Japan gave chase and pressured the leader to the wire in front of 156,710 at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Hernandez and trainer Kenny McPeek had teamed to win the Kentucky Oaks for fillies a day earlier with Thorpedo Anna. Mystik Dan ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.34 and paid $39.22 to win.
