Email the Sports Director bgregg@wjpa.com

WJPA Sports Archive

Rangers Beat Astros; Force Game 7

October 23, 2023 4:38 am

HOUSTON (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi remained perfect this postseason, and Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim homered early before a ninth-inning grand slam by Adolis García helped the Texas Rangers avoid elimination with a 9-2 win over the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series. The road team has won every game in this series going into the decisive Game 7 on Monday night in Houston. Cristian Javier is scheduled to pitch for the Astros against three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer. Javier beat Scherzer in Game 3 at Texas. Eovaldi, who also won Game 2, yielded two runs in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA in the playoffs this year.

Phillies Look To Clinch Another Trip To The World Series

October 23, 2023 4:42 am

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies try to clinch their second straight trip to the World Series when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series on Monday. The Phillies send Aaron Nola to the mound. Nola is 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA this postseason. Merrill Kelly starts for the Diamondbacks in a matchup of right-handers. Kelly lost Game 2 of the NLCS in Philadelphia. The Phillies lost last year’s World Series to Houston in six games.

WPIAL Soccer First Round–Saturday

October 22, 2023 2:19 am

John Scott scored in overtime, leading #7 Bentworth past Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the opening round of the WPIAL 1A Boys soccer playoffs. Andrew Vipperman scored in regulation for the Bearcats.  Nathan Mazon put up a shutout and Dylan Klinger’s 18th goal of the year was the game’s only tally as #1 Charleroi edged Beaver County Christian. #13 Beth-Center couldn’t solve Seton-La Salle netminder Nick Cherry as the Bulldogs were eliminated.

Trinity took #2 Hampton to overtime but the #15 Hillers couldn’t score in a 1-0 OT loss to the Talbots. Coleman Docherty scored with about three minutes left in the extra session.  #3 Moon built a 3-0 lead at the half and cruised by Ringgold to eliminate the Rams.

First round action continues Monday and Tuesday with quarterfinals set to begin Wednesday. The WPIAL Championship games will take place Nov. 2-4 at Highmark Stadium at Station Square.  Following first-round/quarterfinal matchups with bracket links. Click for WPIAL Soccer brackets

First Round Scores, Saturday
3A Boys Moon 4, #14 Ringgold 0
3A Boys Hampton 1, #15 Trinity 0 OT
1A Boys #1 Charleroi 1, Beaver County Christian 0
1A Boys #7 Bentworth 2, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 1, OT
1A Boys Seton-La Salle 6, #13 Beth-Center 0

First Round, Monday-Tuesday
2A Boys #13 McGuffey at #4 Avonworth, Monday, Oct. 23, 7 pm
1A Girls #3 Charleroi hosts #14 Riverside, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 7 pm
1A Girls #8 Chartiers-Houston hosts #9 Eden Christian Academy, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 7 pm
1A Girls #10 Waynesburg vs. #7 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 6 pm

Quarterfinals, Wednesday-Saturday (times to be determined)
1A Boys #1 Charleroi hosts #9 Eden Christian Academy
1A Boys #7 Bentworth vs. #2 Sewickley Academy (site to be determined)
4A Girls #3 Peters Township hosts #6 Fox Chapel, Thursday, Oct. 26
4A Girls #5 Canon-McMillan at #4 Seneca Valley, Thursday, Oct. 26
4A Boys #7 Canon-McMillan at #2 North Allegheny, Saturday, Oct. 28
4A Boys #6 Peters Township at #3 Butler, Saturday, Oct. 28

Presidents Crushed at CMU

October 22, 2023 10:24 am

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The Washington & Jefferson College football team dropped a 35-14 decision to host Carnegie Mellon University in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference game at Gesling Stadium in Pittsburgh. A strong rushing attack helped Carnegie Mellon record 265 yards on the ground. Willem Bouma spearheaded those efforts by matching the single-game CMU record with five rushing touchdowns. The Tartans defense sacked the Presidents four times and forced three turnovers in the victory. W&J outgained Carnegie Mellon in terms of total offense (403-371) with a large portion of those yards for W&J coming through the air. W&J junior quarterback Jake Pugh finished the night with 315 yards passing and two touchdowns. Pugh completed 17-of-36 pass attempts but was intercepted three times. Pugh now has 22 passing touchdowns in 2023. Pugh’s favorite target Saturday evening was sophomore Jacob Macosko who racked up 167 yards on just five catches. Two of those catches accounted for the Presidents’ touchdowns.  Carnegie-Mellon (7-1) stays one game back of Grove City while the Presidents fall to 5-2 on the year.

Penguins Fall To Blues On The Road

October 22, 2023 7:37 am

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Western Pennsylvania native Brandon Saad scored twice and Jordan Binnington stopped 31 shots as the St. Louis Blues beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2. Jake Neighbours and Colton Parayko also scored for the Blues, who won in regulation for the first time this season. Robert Thomas and Kasperi Kapanen, playing in his first game against his former team since being waived by Pittsburgh last season, each had two assists. Evgeni Malkin and Radim Zohorna scored while Tristan Jarry made 17 saves for the Penguins, who dropped both games on a brief road trip.

Steelers Activate WR Johnson, Place TE Freiermuth On IR

October 22, 2023 7:40 am

Diontae Johnson is back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team has activated the former Pro Bowl wide receiver off injured reserve, clearing the way for him to play Sunday when the Steelers (3-2) visit the Los Angeles Rams (3-3). Johnson hasn’t played since injuring his right hamstring early in the third quarter of a Week 1 loss to San Francisco. While Johnson is back, starting tight end Pat Freiermuth is out indefinitely. The team placed Freiermuth on injured reserve after he aggravated a hamstring injury during practice this week.

No. 3 Ohio State Tops No. 7 Penn State

October 22, 2023 7:39 am

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — All-American Marvin Harrison Jr. made 11 catches for 162 yards and a late touchdown as No. 3 Ohio State outlasted No. 7 Penn State 20-12. Penn State came in with the more heralded defense, but the Buckeyes held the Nittany Lions to a pair of first-half field goals and a touchdown with 29 seconds left when the game was already in hand. Penn State finally converted a third down on the late scoring drive, the first in 16 tries in the game. The Nittany Lions allowed a season-high 367 yards to the Buckeyes.

Pitt Edged By Wake Forest

October 22, 2023 7:38 am

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Wake Forest third-string quarterback Santino Marucci threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Hite with 7 seconds remaining to cap a dizzying turn of events in a 21-17 win over Pittsburgh. The teams combined for three touchdowns in the last 3:02, with Wake Forest (4-3, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) snapping a three-game losing streak. Marucci’s winning pass connected with Hite in the middle of the field as the tight end dove into the end zone. Christian Veilleux snapped out of Pittsburgh’s offensive doldrums by throwing 22 yards to Bub Means for a touchdown with 1:30 remaining but it wasn’t enough for the Panthers.

Phillies Push Diamondbacks To Brink Of Elimination

October 22, 2023 7:35 am

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona turned to Zac Gallen in its bid to take a lead back to Philadelphia in the NL Championship Series. The Diamondbacks’ ace labored against the Phillies for the second time in the series, putting his team on the brink of elimination. Gallen came up short in a battle of aces with Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler, and the Diamondbacks lost 6-1 to the Phillies in Game 5 of the NLCS. Wheeler shut down Arizona for the second game of the series, allowing five hits in six scoreless innings. Gallen was no match for his fellow ace for the second time in the NLCS, giving up a pair of homers and four runs in six innings. Unable to win with their ace, the Diamondbacks head back to Philadelphia for Game 6 on Monday trailing 3-2 in the series.

HS Football, Week 8 Scores

October 21, 2023 4:15 am

Canon-McMillan lost its non-conference game at Peters Township but the Big Macs clinched a 6A playoff berth when Seneca Valley lost to Central Catholic. The Big Macs will host Mt. Lebanon Friday night with the winner avoiding Central Catholic in the 6A semifinals.  Peters Township remains unbeaten and will host Bethel Park with the 5A Allegheny Six top spot going to the winner. Trinity lost a non-conference game and got locked in to the 4A Big Seven 4th spot when Thomas Jefferson beat Connellsville. Wash High turned the ball over three times and lost late to Keystone Oaks, the Little Prexies’ first loss of the season. The KO win also clinched a share of the 2A Century Conference title for McGuffey. The Highlanders won their non-conference tune-up at South Park and will host Wash High next week with the conference’s top position going to the winner. Waynesburg had a chance to clinch a playoff spot but lost at home to Sto-Rox. #1 Fort Cherry remained perfect and clinched at least a share of the 1A Black Hills title with a comfortable win at Carlynton. Burgettstown downed Avella, clinching a playoff spot in the process while the Eagles’ hopes ended. California clinched a share of the 1A Tri-County South title and kept Beth-Center from securing a bid to the post-season. Bentworth’s win over Carmichaels kept the Bearcats slim hopes alive. West Greene’s win locked the Pioneers into second and Jeff-Morgan third. Mapletown and Carmichaels were both eliminated with losses. Ringgold (24), Chartiers-Houston (9) and Charleroi (8) losing streaks were extended with losses.

Non-Conference
Peters Township 23, Canon-McMillan 10
Linsly 27, Trinity 3
McGuffey 31, South Park 14

4A Big Seven
Laurel Highlands 21, Ringgold 19

2A Century
Keystone Oaks 21, Wash High 14
Brentwood 44, Charleroi 15
Sto-Rox 18, Waynesburg 13

1A Black Hills
Ft. Cherry 42, Carlynton 0
Burgettstown 28, Avella 6
Cornell 39, Chartiers-Houston 0

1A Tri-County South
California 62, Beth-Center 6
Bentworth 20, Carmichaels 12
West Greene 31, Jeff-Morgan 16
Monessen 36, Mapletown 20