June 19, 2021 3:59 am
Richard Bland, a 48-year-old Englishman who won his first tournament just a month ago, is tied atop the leaderboard at 5 under at the midway point of the U.S. Open. Co-leader Russell Henley is only slightly better known. A toughened-up Torrey Pines course that punishes mistakes as richly as it rewards birdies, has brought some other surprise players into the mix. But more than a few big-hitting stars – Matthew Wolff (4 under), Jon Rahm (3 under), Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau (even-par) – are out to prove they can play tough courses, too.
June 17, 2021 3:27 am
West Greene played in three straight PIAA championship games from 2016-2018, winning the last two over Williams Valley. The Pioneers lost in the state semifinals to DuBois Central Catholic in 2019, then everyone lost the 2020 season to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, having beaten DCC in Monday’s semifinals, West Greene is heading back to Penn State for the PIAA 1A Softball title game, and we’ll be there to bring home the action Friday morning.
The Pioneers won their record-tying fifth straight WPIAL softball title two weeks ago after a narrow semifinal win over South Side Area. West Greene used a pair of one-run wins in the opening rounds of the state tournament before crushing DuBois Central Catholic, 12-1, to earn the return ticket to Beard Field at Nittany Lion Softball Park.
Softball Brackets WPIAL PIAA Baseball Brackets WPIAL PIAA
PIAA Final, Beard Field, Penn State University
Friday, June 18
10:45 am — West Greene vs. District 11 champion Tri-Valley – WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here!
June 18, 2021 3:51 am
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) – Brayden Point kept up his scoring touch with a tiebreaking goal late in the second period, Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 27 shots and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders 2-1 Thursday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup semifinals. Yanni Gourde also scored to help Tampa Bay improve to 6-1 on the road in the playoffs. Cal Clutterbuck scored for the Islanders, and Semyon Varlamov finished with 23 saves. Game 4 is Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum, with Game 5 back in Tampa on Monday night.
June 18, 2021 3:52 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) – The opening round of the U.S. Open had to be suspended due to darkness with 36 players left on the course. The start of the round was delayed 90 minutes due to fog before giving way to bright sunshine on brutally-tough Torrey Pines. Russell Henley shot a 4-under 67 in the morning wave and is tied with Louis Oosthuizen, who will have to play his final two holes Friday morning. Francesco Molinaro and Rafa Cabrera Bello are one back after opening with 68s. A group of five players, including two-time U.S. Open champion and Masters champ Hideki Matsuyama, are two back.
June 18, 2021 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Dwayne Haskins wants to put a very forgettable run with Washington in the past. The 24-year-old first-round pick is eager for a fresh start in Pittsburgh and the opportunity to carve out a role in a crowded quarterback room that’s headlined by two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers signed Haskins to a futures contract in January, giving him a second chance after he flamed out in the nation’s capital in less than two seasons. He was 3-10 as a starter in two seasons in Washington.
June 17, 2021 3:47 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Paolo Espino got his first major league win at age 34, Josh Bell hit a two-run homer and the Washington Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 for a three-game sweep. Espino allowed three hits in five scoreless innings. He struck out two, walked none and threw 39 of his 53 pitches for strikes, a 74% strike rate. Washington has won four straight, matching its longest winning streak of the season. The Pirates extended their skid to 10 games. Espino made his fifth career big league start in the rotation spot of Max Scherzer, who’s on the 10-day injured list.
June 17, 2021 3:49 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) – The Montreal Canadiens aren’t going to go away quietly in the Stanley Cup semifinals. The Habs have evened the series at a game apiece as Carey Price stopped 29 saves in a 3-2 win over the Golden Knights in Las Vegas. Price improved to 9-4 in the playoffs, his most victories in a postseason. Eight of those wins have come in Montreal’s last nine games. Paul Byron, Joel Armia and Tyler Toffoli scored for Montreal, with Byron making it 3-0 with 2:45 left in the second period. The Habs have won 21 straight playoff games when scoring at least three goals. Alex Pietrangelo scored twice for Vegas and Marc-Andre Fleury made 20 saves. The Knights had won five in a row since dropping the first two games of their second-round series in Colorado. Game 3 is Friday night in Montreal.
June 16, 2021 3:45 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Yan Gomes connected for a grand slam and Trea Turner got four hits, leading Patrick Corbin and the Washington Nationals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-1. The Nationals won their third in a row and sent Pittsburgh to its ninth straight loss. Corbin pitched 8 1/3 innings, allowing one run and eight hits. He struck out seven and walked one while going at least eight innings for the first time since Aug. 21, 2019. Gomes’ slam finished a five-run first inning against Tyler Anderson.
June 14, 2021 3:22 am
Rain forced a late start then a nearly 40-minute delay in game but West Greene responded well to the down time, pushing 12 runs across after the break to roll past DuBois Central Catholic. With the win, the Pioneers will make their fourth PIAA title game appearance in the past five seasons.
The season came to an end for Canon-McMillan as the Big Macs gave up 10 runs over a three inning span, losing to North Penn, 10-0, in five innings. The Big Macs managed just four singles and a walk while striking out a dozen times against Coastal Carolina recruit Mady Volpe.
Softball Brackets WPIAL PIAA Baseball Brackets WPIAL PIAA
PIAA Final, Beard Field, Penn State University
Friday, June 18
11 am — West Greene vs. District 11 champion Tri-Valley
June 16, 2021 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – New Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada intends to build off the strengths of two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger while also placing a renewed emphasis on the run game. The Steelers promoted Canada after Randy Fichtner’s contract wasn’t renewed following a first-round playoff loss to the Browns. They hope Canada injects some life into an offense that sputtered down the stretch last season. The run game that finished last in the NFL in 2020 is expected to feature rookie Najee Harris this season. The Steelers hope the former Alabama standout they drafted in the first round will provide an immediate boost.
