Baseball/Softball Update, May 1

May 1, 2026 12:01 am

The baseball regular season ends Tuesday with plenty of playoff decisions still to be made. Avella, Bentworth and Canon-McMillan are the only teams from Washington/Greene Counties that do not have section games left to play. The Eagles and Big Macs have clinched playoff spots. The Bearcats are out of the race. We will carry as many impact games Monday/Tuesday as possible, including California/Chartiers-Houston & Keystone Oaks/Wash High Monday, both from EQT Park. Watch/Listen Here! Every softball game involving teams from the two-county area with bearing on the playoffs are in the books already. Here’s a rundown of the baseball/softball playoff picture for all 19 schools in the two-county area.

Baseball
Playoffs berth clinched (6 teams):
6A Canon-McMillan (share of section championship)
3A Charleroi
2A Burgettstown, California, Fort Cherry (section champion)
1A Avella
Eliminated:
Bentworth (2A), Beth-Center (2A), Mapletown (1A), West Greene (1A)
Alive (9 teams):
Carmichaels (1A)-clinch with a win vs. West Greene or two Jeannette losses to Jeff-Morgan
Chartiers-Houston (2A)-clinch with a win vs. California or a Frazier loss to Beth-Center
Jeff-Morgan (1A)-clinch with a win vs. Jeannette or with a Carmichaels loss to West Greene
McGuffey (3A)-clinch with two wins vs. Seton-La Salle + one loss by either Keystone Oaks (Wash High) or Waynesburg (Charleroi), or with one win + two losses by Waynesburg AND Keystone Oaks.
Peters Township (5A)-clinch with two wins vs. South Fayette + one Upper St. Clair loss (Chartiers Valley), or with one win + two USC losses + one Trinity loss (Moon)
Ringgold (4A)-clinch with one win vs. Laurel Highlands or with a Uniontown loss to Elizabeth-Forward.
Trinity (5A)-clinch with two wins vs. Moon + one Upper St. Clair loss (Chartiers Valley), or with one win + two USC losses + one Peters Township loss (South Fayette).
Wash High (3A)-clinch with two wins vs. Keystone Oaks, or with one win + two Waynesburg losses (Charleroi) + one McGuffey loss (Seton-La Salle)
Waynesburg (3A)-clinch with a win vs. Charleroi, or with a McGuffey loss (Seton-La Salle)

Softball
Playoff berth clinched (12 teams)
6A Canon-McMillan
5A Trinity
3A Charleroi, McGuffey
2A Chartiers-Houston (section champion), Bentworth (section champion), Burgettstown,  Wash High
1A Beth-Center, Carmichaels (section champion), Jeff-Morgan, West Greene
Eliminated:
Avella (1A), California (2A), Fort Cherry (2A), Mapletown (1A), Peters Township 5A), Ringgold (4A), Waynesburg (2A)

Penguins Season Ends With Overtime Loss

April 30, 2026 4:28 am

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cam York scored in overtime, sending the Philadelphia Flyers to the second round for the first time in six years. The Flyers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 in Game 6 on Wednesday night. Dan Vladar shined in net, stopping all 42 shots. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins aimed to become the fifth team in NHL history to win a series after trailing 3-0 but fell short. The Flyers, under coach Rick Tocchet, advance to face Carolina. This marks their first playoff appearance since 2020 and their first home series since 2018.

Pirates Fall To Cardinals; Losing Skid At 4

April 29, 2026 4:29 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rookie Nathan Church ended the game by robbing Nick Gonzales of what would have been a walk-off, two-run homer by making a leaping catch at the left-field wall, giving the St. Louis Cardinals a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ryan O’Hearn singled with one out in the ninth off Riley O’Brien and Marcell Ozuna struck out on three straight pitches. Gonzales drove a first-pitch slider to left, and Church jumped and caught the ball above the top of the 6-foot wall, ,373 feet from home plate.

George Pickens Signs $27.3 Million Franchise Tag With Cowboys

April 30, 2026 4:33 am

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens has signed his $27.3 million franchise tag. The move makes it almost certain the Pro Bowler will show up for mandatory offseason work while the club remains adamant it has no plans to trade CeeDee Lamb’s sidekick. Pickens informed the Cowboys just hours before the start of the NFL draft last week that he intended to sign the one-year tender. That development sparked trade speculation, but the Cowboys shut it down. The 25-year-old Pickens was acquired last year in a trade with Pittsburgh and went on to have a breakout season alongside Lamb.

Baseball/Softball Update, April 29

April 29, 2026 12:01 am

All impactful softball regular season games are in the books. Baseball is down to one week remaining with multiple playoff decisions yet to be made. This week has one more meaningful baseball game and we’ll have it for you on the WJPA Sports Network Wednesday night.  Chartiers-Houston hosts Frazier at EQT Park in a weather make-up game. A CHHS win clinches a playoff spot and eliminates Frazier. A loss by the Bucs would force them to win at least once next week against playoff-bound California. Our broadcast starts at 6:45 pm online. Watch/Listen Here! Following is a rundown of the playoff picture for teams from Washington/Greene Counties.

Softball
Playoff berth clinched:
6A Canon-McMillan
5A Trinity
3A Charleroi, McGuffey
2A Chartiers-Houston (section champion), Burgettstown,  Bentworth (section champion), Wash High
1A Beth-Center, Carmichaels (section champion), Jeff-Morgan, West Greene
Eliminated:
5A Peters Township, 4A Ringgold, 2A California, Fort Cherry, Waynesburg, 1A Avella, Mapletown

Baseball
Playoffs berth clinched:
6A Canon-McMillan
3A Charleroi
2A Burgettstown, California, Fort Cherry (section champion)
1A Avella
Alive:
5A Peters Township, Trinity
4A Ringgold
3A McGuffey, Wash High, Waynesburg
1A Jeff-Morgan, Carmichaels
Eliminated:
2A Bentworth, Beth-Center
1A Mapletown, West Greene

Pirates Fall To Cardinals For Third Straight Loss

April 29, 2026 4:23 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nolan Gorman homered and drove in three runs and Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker drove in three runs apiece to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to an 11-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera, the top two hitters in the Cardinals’ batting order, scored three runs each. Burleson, Walker and Masyn Winn each finished with two hits. Kyle Leahy (3-3) allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts. Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin hit a solo homer in the ninth inning. Ryan O’Hearn had two hits and three RBIs and Nick Gonzales had two hits and knocked in two runs.

Steelers Place UFA Tender On Aaron Rodgers

April 29, 2026 4:25 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers are giving themselves a little cover if quarterback Aaron Rodgers plays elsewhere in 2026. The club has the unrestricted free-agent tender on the four-time MVP. The move means they would receive a compensatory draft pick if Rodgers signs elsewhere during the 2026 season. General manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike McCarthy remain optimistic about Rodgers’ return after he led the Steelers to an AFC North title last winter. The tender doesn’t prevent Rodgers from signing with another team before training camp begins in July. Once camp begins, however, the Steelers would have exclusive negotiating rights. As part of the tender, Rodgers would be eligible for a 10% raise over his 2025 salary.

The Pens Are Halfway To Making History

April 28, 2026 4:23 pm

The Pittsburgh Penguins are halfway to history. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are aiming to become just the fifth team in NHL history to win a series after trailing 3-0. They’ve won two straight games to force Game 6 in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. The Flyers are among the four teams that have rallied to win a series after losing the first three games. They did it against Boston in the second round in 2010. Philadelphia ended up reaching the Stanley Cup Final that season, losing to Chicago. While Philadelphia aims to advance to the second round for the first time since 2020, there are two Game 5s on Wednesday night featuring series locked in a 2-2 tie

Steelers Are Giving Themselves A Little Cover Regarding QB Aaron Rodgers

April 28, 2026 4:25 pm

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers are giving themselves a little cover if quarterback Aaron Rodgers plays elsewhere in 2026. The club has the unrestricted free-agent tender on the four-time MVP. The move means they would receive a compensatory draft pick if Rodgers signs elsewhere during the 2026 season. General manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike McCarthy remain optimistic about Rodgers’ return after he led the Steelers to an AFC North title last winter. The tender doesn’t prevent Rodgers from signing with another team before training camp begins in July. Once camp begins, however, the Steelers would have exclusive negotiating rights. As part of the tender, Rodgers would be eligible for a 10% raise over his 2025 salary.

Staying Alive; Penguins Beat Flyers Again

April 27, 2026 4:27 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins kept their season alive, edging the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in Game 5 to send the best-of-seven series back to Philly. Connor Dewar, Kris Letang and Elmer Soderblom scored for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby shook off a shot to his left knee to pick up two assists. Game 6 is Wednesday in Philadelphia. Alex Bump and Travis Sanheim scored for the Flyers. Pittsburgh is trying to become just the fifth team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven.