June 3, 2022 3:51 am
OAK BROOK, Ill. (AP) – Roger Valdiserri, who helped tell the story of some of Notre Dame’s greatest football teams as the school’s sports information director for three decades, has died. He was 95. Valdiserri’s family says he died of natural causes at a retirement community outside Chicago. The family said he was surrounded by his five children at the time of his death. Valdiserri was a native of Belle Vernon who graduated from Notre Dame in 1954. His first job at the school was an administrative assistant for football coaches Frank Leahy and Terry Brennan. He took over as the school’s sports information director in 1966 under coach Ara Parseghian. Notre Dame won the first of four national titles in football during Valdiserri’s tenure that season.
June 2, 2022 3:55 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Bryan Reynolds hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4. The Pirates completed their first sweep at Dodger Stadium in nearly 22 years. Rodolfo Castro went 2 for 2 with four RBI in three innings and the Pirates’ defense turned four double plays. The NL West-leading Dodgers lost their third in a row for the first time since dropping four straight from May 11-14 against the Pirates and Phillies. They were swept for the first time this season.
June 2, 2022 2:48 am
The WPIAL baseball playoffs ended late Wednesday night with West Allegheny’s 8-inning win over Peters Township. WA led 2-0 and 4-1 before Peters Township pulled even in the sixth. The teams worked through weather delays of 40 minutes, then 36 minutes before Anthony Ranieri singled home Brady Miller with the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth. Peters Township got the leadoff man aboard in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t bring in the tying run.
West Greene came up a run short in a bid to set a new WPIAL record as the five-time defending champions lost to Union in the 1A softball championship game. The Pioneers, Sto-Rox and Hempfield are the only schools to win five straight WPIAL softball titles. The PIAA baseball & softball playoffs begin on Monday with West Greene softball (in District 6), Burgettstown baseball (in District 9) and Peters Township baseball (in District 3) all opening on the road. Once the brackets are released, we’ll post links here. Our first round coverage will be based on the time schedule set by the PIAA.
Baseball WPIAL Brackets — Click Here — Softball WPIAL Brackets — Click Here
Tuesday, May 31
Baseball Third Place
2A Riverside 6, Burgettstown 4
5A Bethel Park 6, Thomas Jefferson 0
Baseball Championship
6A Mt. Lebanon 2, Upper St. Clair 1
Wednesday, June 1
Baseball Championship
5A West Allegheny 5, Peters Township 4 (8)
Wednesday, June 1
Softball Championship
1A Union 3, West Greene 2
June 2, 2022 2:13 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Stephon Tuitt’s NFL career is over. The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman has retired from the NFL at age 29. Tuitt said feels called to move on from the game following the death of his younger brother in June 2021 and Tuitt’s own recent graduation from Notre Dame. Tuitt had 34 1/2 sacks in eight seasons with the Steelers. He did not play last season after his brother Richard Bartlett III was killed in a hit and run in Georgia.
June 2, 2022 3:58 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Filip Chytil scored twice in the second period and the New York Rangers routed the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and Frank Vatrano each had a goal and an assist, Chris Kreider also scored and Alexis Lafreniere and Adam Fox each had two assists to help New York win its franchise-record seventh straight home playoff game. Igor Shesterkin stopped 37 shots. Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist, and Ondrej Palat also scored for Tampa Bay, which had won six straight and was playing for the first time since completing its second-round sweep of Florida on May 23. Tempers flared with less than two minutes remaining as several skirmishes broke out in one corner. Ten players received penalties – including two on the Rangers’ Barclay Goodrow – to put Tampa Bay on a power play to finish the game. Game 2 is Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
June 1, 2022 3:57 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Michael Chavis and Tucupita Marcano each hit two-run homers and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 to take their second straight series from the NL West leaders. The Pirates won four of five games against the Dodgers in May and conclude their LA visit on Wednesday. The Dodgers dropped just their fifth series of the season after wasting several chances. They failed to capitalize on seven walks and a hit batter. Trea Turner blasted a two-run homer to extend his hitting streak to 23 straight games, tops in the majors this season.
June 1, 2022 4:01 am
DENVER (AP) – J.T. Compher scored twice, Cale Makar had a goal and two assists and the Colorado Avalanche held off the Edmonton Oilers 8-6 in Game 1 of the Western Conference final.
The Avalanche’s eight goals were tied for the most in a playoff game in franchise history. Both teams needed to use backup goaltenders. Edmonton’s Mike Smith was pulled after giving up six goals and Darcy Kuemper left with an upper-body injury. Twelve Avs recorded at least a point and six had multi-point games.
May 31, 2022 3:54 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Michael Perez hit a tying single in the ninth inning and pinch-runner Michael Chavis scored the go-ahead run on first baseman Freddie Freeman’s error to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a wild 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The loss snapped the Dodgers’ four-game winning streak. The Pirates have won three of four against the Dodgers this month. Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton earned his 100th career victory.
May 31, 2022 3:57 am
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – The New York Rangers couldn’t have picked a better time to finally beat the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. The Rangers are in the Eastern Conference finals after taking Game 7 of their second-round series with the Hurricanes, 6-2. Chris Kreider scored twice and Igor Shesterkin stopped 36 shots to help the Rangers become the only road team to win a game in the series. Kreider and Adam Fox provided power-play goals to put the Blueshirts ahead, 2-0 eight minutes into the game. Ryan Strome, Filip Chytil and Andrew Copp also tallied for the Rangers, who will face the Lightning in the next round. Mika Zibanejad set up three goals. Tony DeAngelo and Max Domi had third-period goals for the Hurricanes, who finished the game without goaltender Antti Raanta and forward Seth Jarvis because of injuries. The Rangers host the Lightning in Game 1 of the conference finals on Wednesday.
May 31, 2022 2:34 am
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma is back to try to defend its national championship at the Women’s College World Series. The top-seeded Sooners will face Northwestern in their World Series opener Thursday in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma has won four of the past eight national titles under coach Patty Gasso. Unseeded Texas faces #5 UCLA in the first game of this year’s tournament. #14 Florida, runner-up to Oklahoma a year ago, takes on Oregon State Thursday evening, followed by #7 Oklahoma State and Arizona. Hear WCWS Championship Series June 8-10 on WJPA-AM (1450).
