May 2, 2024 9:27 am
The high school baseball & softball seasons are sprinting to the finish line. So far, 11 baseball and 9 softball teams from the Washington/Greene County area have locked up WPIAL playoff berths. Six more Washington County teams (3 baseball, 3 softball) are still in contention. Numbers in both categories will change on Thursday. Canon-McMillan softball can clinch a playoff spot with a home win against Baldwin, a team much improved since the Big Macs put an early-season 21-3 beatdown on the Highlanders. We’ll have today’s game on WJPA-AM (1450) with free video/audio stream on the WJPA Sports Network. Airtime is set for 4 pm. CM could still qualify after a loss but the Big Macs would need to pull a pair of upsets in their final two games to get in.
The 1A Section 2 softball title will be decided today when Chartiers-Houston (11-0) hosts Carmichaels (9-1), resuming their April 16th suspended game tied, 5-5, entering the 14th inning. CHHS won the other regular season meeting, 6-5, three days later.
Canon-McMillan’s baseball team faces Central Catholic with the winner qualifying and the loser eliminated from contention. PCC won both games against CM earlier this week.
Softball–Clinched: Bentworth, Charleroi, Chartiers-Houston, McGuffey, Trinity, Carmichaels, Jeff-Morgan, Waynesburg, West Greene. Alive: Beth-Center, Burgettstown, Canon-McMillan
Baseball–Clinched: Avella, Burgettstown, Charleroi, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, McGuffey, Ringgold, Trinity, Carmichaels, Waynesburg, West Greene. Alive: Beth-Center, Canon-McMillan, Wash High
May 2, 2024 4:31 am
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Ross Stripling threw six strong scoreless innings to earn his first win in nearly two years, and the Oakland Athletics hit two home runs to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 to complete their first series sweep of the season. Abraham Toro and Tyler Nevin both went deep to help the A’s to their fourth straight victory. Kyle McCann added two hits and an RBI. Stripling allowed three hits, had two strikeouts and retired the final seven batters he faced to gain his first win since Oct. 1, 2022. Five Oakland relievers combined for three innings to complete the A’s fourth shutout of the season.
May 2, 2024 4:33 am
WNBA teams have started experiencing the Caitlin Clark effect and the top overall draft pick hasn’t even played her first game. To capitalize on Clark’s popularity, the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have moved games against the Indiana Fever to bigger arenas. When Clark played road games in college last season at Iowa, they were either sellouts or set attendance records at every single one. The two-time reigning WNBA champion Aces relocated their game on May 25 from the 12,000-seat Michelob Ultra Arena to the 18,000-seat T-Mobile Arena. The Mystics game against Indiana on June 7 will be played at Capital One Arena — Washington’s former home.
May 2, 2024 4:35 am
PHOENIX (AP) — WNBA star Brittney Griner says she thought about killing herself during her first few weeks in a Russian jail after her 2022 arrest on drug-related charges. Griner spoke for the first time about her monthslong detention in Russia during an hourlong interview that aired Wednesday night on ABC. Her memoir, “Coming Home,” is set to be released on May 7. Griner was detained after arriving at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges allegedly containing oil derived from cannabis. She says she had suicidal thoughts “more than once” but decided against it.
May 1, 2024 4:33 am
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — JJ Bleday hit a go-ahead home run with one out in the fifth and a two-run drive in the seventh for his first career multi-homer game, leading the Oakland Athletics past the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2. Mitch Spence struck out two over three scoreless innings for the win in relief of starter Alex Wood. The left-hander is still winless over four starts in Oakland since joining the club as a free agent Feb. 2 — and he is yet to pitch more than 5 2/3 innings having made seven 2024 starts. Connor Joe homered in the first and singled in the fifth for the Pirates.
May 1, 2024 4:38 am
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Punches were thrown when a brawl broke out between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers. The fracas ensued after Jose Siri grounded out against Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe leading off the eighth inning. Uribe and Siri exchanged words near first base and things quickly became heated. With an umpire standing between them trying to keep the peace, Uribe threw a punch at Siri, who then took a wild swing at the reliever as both dugouts and bullpens emptied quickly. The animosity between Siri and the Brewers had been building all night. He took a long look at his home run in the third off Freddy Peralta, who drilled Siri with a 3-0 fastball in the sixth. That led to Peralta and Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy getting ejected.
May 1, 2024 4:34 am
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, sidelining the three-time AL MVP indefinitely. The Angels believe Trout will be able to return this season, general manager Perry Minasian said while announcing the injury Tuesday. Trout is batting .220 with a major league-leading 10 homers, 14 RBIs and six stolen bases, but he will be sidelined by a major injury for the fourth consecutive season. Trout had an MRI after playing in the Angels’ 6-5 victory over Philadelphia on Monday. Trout’s latest injury is another major blow to the Angels, who lost Shohei Ohtani to free agency in the offseason.
April 30, 2024 9:37 am
A handful of area baseball teams clinched playoff berths Monday with three others eliminated from contention. Four softball teams locked up playoff spots and one other clinched a share of their section title. Canon-McMillan baseball hosts Central Catholic this afternoon at McDowell Lane Field and on WJPA-AM (1450). Our coverage begins at 3:50 pm on-air and online. Here’s a rundown of where things stand for teams in the Washington & Greene County area heading into action on Tuesday.
Baseball: Canon-McMillan needs one win to clinch a 6A playoff berth. Trinity has clinched a 5A spot and would share the section title with a win tonight vs. Bethel Park. Ringgold topped Albert Gallatin Monday, clinching a 4A berth. Waynesburg has clinched a 3A berth and can still win section title outright. McGuffey lost to Yough and dropped into a tie for the final spot with the Cougars. Burgettstown, Charleroi and Chartiers-Houston all clinched 2A berths Monday. Wash High and Beth-Center will battle next week for the final berth. Fort Cherry and West Greene clinched 1A spots with wins Monday, joining Avella and Carmichaels in the post-season. Eliminated: Bentworth (2A), California (1A), Jeff-Morgan (1A), Mapletown (1A).
Softball: Canon-McMillan can clinch a 6A berth with a home win Thursday vs. Baldwin. With a loss, the Big Macs would be in serious peril. Trinity won a share of the 5A Section 4 title with a victory at Bethel Park Monday. McGuffey clinched a 3A berth with a walk-off win over Keystone Oaks Monday. Waynesburg also clinched despite losing to Seton-La Salle. Bentworth and Charleroi have clinched 2A playoff spots, the Bearcats with the inside track to the Section 3 title. Burgettstown hosts Beth-Center next Monday, likely with the final spot going to the winner. Wash High is alive but struggling to field enough players. The Little Prexies haven’t played in nearly two weeks. Chartiers-Houston, Carmichaels and West Greene have all clinched 1A spots. Jeff-Morgan needs one more win to clinch and will look to get that and eliminate Mapletown this afternoon. The Maples have to win out to qualify. Eliminated: Peters Township (5A), Ringgold (4A), Fort Cherry (2A), Avella (1A), California (1A).
April 30, 2024 4:33 am
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Tyler Nevin homered for the second straight game and the Oakland Athletics beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1. Nevin added a single and a sacrifice fly as the A’s won for the fourth time in their last five games. The Pirates had a season-low two hits while losing for the fifth time in six games. Pittsburgh’s first game in Oakland since 2016 was played in front of 3,528 fans. The Athletics have announced plans to play at least the next three seasons in Sacramento while their new stadium in Las Vegas is built. Oakland starter Joe Boyle (2-4) struggled with his command, throwing just 45 of his 91 pitches for strikes, but the right-hander limited Pittsburgh to one run and one hit in five innings with four strikeouts and four walks.
April 30, 2024 4:36 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have signed Travis Kelce to a new two-year, $34.25 million contract. That’s according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition on anonymity because the terms of the deal had not been released. The new deal ensures Kansas City will have its star tight end as it tries to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach says Kelce will remain the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. The 34-year-old Kelce is already the Chiefs’ career leader in receiving yards. And his relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift has taken him to a new level of celebrity.
