June 2, 2023 4:42 am
DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic got a triple-double in his NBA Finals debut, Jamal Murray scored 26 points and the Denver Nuggets had little trouble with the cold-shooting Miami Heat on the way to a 104-93 win in Game 1 of the title series on Thursday night. Jokic finished with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who waited 47 years to make the finals and didn’t disappoint. Aaron Gordon scored 16 and Michael Porter Jr. added 14 for Denver, which trailed for all of 34 seconds and eventually led by as many as 24. Bam Adebayo finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which shot 41 percent.
May 31, 2023 11:49 pm
Trinity softball is the last team from the two-county area with a shot at a WPIAL title following Wednesday’s losses by California baseball and Carmichaels softball. Trinity is set to face defending champion Armstrong Thursday afternoon at PennWest-California’s Lilley Field. We’ll have the game on WJPA-AM (1450) and online, starting with our pregame at 2:20 pm.
California committed five errors in the first four innings, rallied late but fell short in the 1A baseball championship game. The Canevin first and fourth innings should have ended in three batters but two errors in the first allowed a pair of runs, three more miscues plated two more in the fourth. Bishop Canevin then banged out five singles in the fifth and added a final run in the sixth. Kris Weston delivered a sac fly in the Cal first, Caden Powell doubled home a run in the fifth and Dom Martini hit into a force play to pull California with 8-3 going to the final innings. The Trojans used a hit batter, a walk and a two run double to score two but the rally died on a ground out to end the game. California will travel into District 5 to play champion Southern Fulton in the state playoffs.
Carmichaels softball built 5-1 and 8-5 leads only to see defending champion Union score five times in the fifth, forcing the Mikes to take home silver medals in the 1A softball bracket. Carmichaels will enter the state tournament in the upper half of the bracket, meaning longer road trips as the Mikes advance.
Washington County is sending four teams to the state playoffs that begin Monday: Burgettstown & California baseball, Chartiers-Houston and Trinity softball. Carmichaels and Waynesburg softball will represent Greene County in the PIAA tournaments. Sites/times for those games are expected to be released Friday morning. Click for WPIAL Softball WPIAL Baseball State Softball State Baseball
WPIAL Championships
Wednesday, May 31
1A Baseball #6 Bishop Canevin 8 #4 California 5
1A Softball #1 Union 10, #2 Carmichaels 8
Thursday, June 1
5A Softball #3 Trinity vs. #1 Armstrong, 2:20 pm at PennWest-California’s Lilley Field WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here!
–winner hosts D-3 4th place (Solanco/Greencastle-Antrim), loser at D-3 runner-up (Northern York/Mechanicsburg)
PIAA Playoffs
Monday, June 5 (sites/times to be announced)
1A Baseball California to play D-5 champion Southern Fulton
2A Baseball Burgettstown to play D-9 champion Redbank Valley
1A Softball Chartiers-Houston to play D-10 champion Cambridge Springs
1A Softball Carmichaels to play D-9 champion DuBois Central Catholic
3A Softball Waynesburg to play D-10 champion Jamestown
June 1, 2023 4:41 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bryan Reynolds drove in three runs and made a leaping catch against the wall, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the San Francisco Giants 9-4 to climb back above .500. Former Giants Andrew McCutchen and Connor Joe each went 3 for 4 with an RBI as the Pirates (28-27) won consecutive games after dropping below .500 for the first time since they were 1-2. Pittsburgh is 8-19 following a 20-8 start. Mitch Keller (7-1) improved to 4-0 in his last five starts, allowing four runs and 10 hits in six innings with eight strikeouts.
May 30, 2023 10:01 pm
Andrew Bredel had three hits, a pair of runs driven in and tossed a complete-game five-hitter to lead Burgettstown past New Brighton and into the PIAA playoffs. Brodie Kuzior also had three hits, including a pair of doubles and an RBI, and Riley Kennedy doubled twice, drove in a run and score one as the Blue Devils return to the state tournament, looking to improve on last year’s semifinal appearance. Burgettstown will travel into District 9 to play champion Redbank Valley Monday, site/time to be announced.
Seanna Riggle hit an inside-the-park home run, breaking a 5-all tie in the top of the seventh, giving Chartiers-Houston a one-run win over Frazier and a third-place finish in the WPIAL bracket. Lauren Rush blasted a two-run home run in the first and delivered an RBI single and scored, putting the Bucs in front 5-1. Frazier plated four runs in the fifth to tie the game, setting the stage for Riggle’s sprint around the bases. Meadow Ferri got the win, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out 14 batters. Chartiers-Houston will travel into District 10 to play champion Cambridge Springs Monday, site/time to be announced.
WPIAL Championship Week continues with title games and third-place match-ups through Thursday. Meanwhile, the state playoff brackets have started to fill out with several western Pennsylvania districts completing their tournaments on Memorial Day. Four Washington County baseball/softball teams, along with a pair of Greene County softball squads, will be in action this week. California baseball, Trinity and Carmichaels softball have WPIAL Championship dates awaiting them. Chartiers-Houston & Waynesburg softball teams have state tune-up games on the schedule. You can hear all four Washington County teams on WJPA-AM and online. Click for WPIAL Softball WPIAL Baseball State Softball State Baseball (first round state playoffs are Monday, June 5)
WPIAL Third-Place Games
Tuesday, May 30
2A Baseball #4 Burgettstown, 5, #3 New Brighton 1
–Burgettstown to play at D-9 champion Redbank Valley
1A Softball #4 Chartiers-Houston 6, #3 Frazier 5
–Chartiers-Houston to play at D-10 champion Cambridge Springs
3A Softball #4 Burrell 3, #3 Waynesburg 0
–Waynesburg to play at D-10 champion Jamestown
WPIAL Championships
Wednesday, May 31
1A Baseball #4 California vs. #6 Bishop Canevin, 12:50 pm at Wild Things Park WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here!
–winner hosts D-10 runner-up Saegertown, loser at D-5 champion (Southern Fulton/Meyersdale)
1A Softball #2 Carmichaels vs. #1 Union, 12 noon at PennWest-California’s Lilley Field
–winner hosts D-5 runner-up (semis Tuesday, Finals Thursday), loser at D-9 champion DuBois Central Catholic
Thursday, June 1
5A Softball #3 Trinity vs. #1 Armstrong, 2:20 pm at PennWest-California’s Lilley Field WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here!
–winner hosts D-3 4th place (semis Tuesday, 3rd/4th place Thursday), loser at D-3 runner-up (finals Thursday)
May 31, 2023 4:46 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Connor Joe homered against his former team and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat San Francisco 2-1 to snap a five-game losing streak against the Giants. The Pirates moved back to .500 (27-27) after falling under for the first time since they were 1-2. Pittsburgh has gone 7-19 after starting the season 20-8. Dauri Moreta (2-1) relieved Oviedo in the fifth and was credited with the win following a scoreless inning. David Bednar retired the side in order in the ninth with two strikeouts for his 10th save in 11 chances. Sean Manaea (2-3) allowed just an unearned run in four innings of relief.
May 30, 2023 4:51 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pittsburgh’s Jack Suwinski hit two home runs into San Francisco Bay on Monday during a 14-4 loss to San Francisco, joining Barry Bonds as the only players to reach McCovey Cove twice in a game since Oracle Park opened 24 seasons ago. Suwinski’s hit solo homers in the seventh against Anthony DeSclafani and in the ninth off Brett Wisely, a position player who took the mound in one-sided game. Bonds homered twice into the water beyond the right-field wall against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 10, 2000, and off the Florida Marlins on May 18, 2022.
May 30, 2023 4:55 am
DALLAS (AP) — William Karlsson scored two goals and had an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights advanced to their second Stanley Cup Final with a 6-0 rout over Dallas. The Stars had extended the Western Conference Final to six games after losing the first three. William Carrier, Keegan Kolesar and Michael Amadio each had a goal and an assist for the Knights. Jonathan Marchessault also had a goal. Carrier, Marchessault and Karlsson were part of the inaugural 2017-18 Knights season that ended in their Cup Final. Adin Hill stopped 23 shots for his second career playoff shutout — both against the Stars. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against Florida will be Saturday night in Las Vegas.
May 30, 2023 4:52 am
BOSTON (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 28 points and Caleb Martin gave Miami 26 points and 10 rebounds in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to help the Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 and turn back Boston’s attempt at an unprecedented comeback. The Heat recovered after blowing a 3-0 lead in the series and advanced to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons. They will face the Western Conference champion Nuggets. Game 1 is in Denver on Thursday night. Miami is the first No. 8 seed to play for a championship since the 1999 New York Knicks. Top-seeded Denver has been waiting since sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers on May 22. Game 6 hero Derrick White scored 18 for Boston.
May 29, 2023 4:10 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Eugenio Suárez hit a three-run home run in the 10th inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 for their sixth win in seven games. The Mariners took a 3-1 lead with the help of solo home runs by Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh, but blew it in the eighth with an error and a wild pitch that allowed the Pirates to rally to a 3-all tie. Suárez entered the 10th inning 0 for 3 before hitting his sixth homer, to deep left field off Robert Stephenson (0-3). The once NL-leading Pirates have lost four of five and have not won a series in May.
May 29, 2023 4:11 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Former Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell says he smoked marijuana before playing some NFL games during his career. Bell told Barstool Sports’ “Steel Here” podcast he would smoke and then run for 150 yards and two touchdowns. The 31-year-old Bell hasn’t played in the league since the 2021 season. The running back also blasted then-New York coach Adam Gase on the podcast, saying he was a “terrible” play caller during his brief tenure with the Jets.
