Pirates Skid Now At 6

May 28, 2021 3:51 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Chicago Cubs took advantage of some heads-up baserunning by Jose Baez to edge the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3. Baez got in a rundown between home and first after a routine grounder, buying time for Willson Contreras to score all the way from second. Baez reached second on the play then scored on a single by Ian Happ to help the Cubs win for the ninth time in 11 games. Gregory Polanco, Bryan Reynolds and Michael Perez homered for Pittsburgh. The Pirates have dropped six in a row and 8 of 9.

WPIAL Championships, State Qualifiers Set

May 27, 2021 2:43 am

SOFTBALL–CLICK for WPIAL Brackets–West Greene (1A) and Canon-McMillan (6A) will play for WPIAL softball titles after tough, hard-fought semifinal wins.  The Pioneers topped South Side Area and are back in the finals for a fifth consecutive season.  West Greene has won four straight WPIAL titles and clinched a state tournament berth with the win. The Big Macs let a pair of two-run leads get away but got a clutch two-out hit to down Norwin, putting the Big Macs in the title game for the first time since 2014, the last of three straight trips to the championship game.  The Big Macs also clinched a state tournament berth with the win.

BASEBALL–CLICK for WPIAL Brackets— All four baseball teams from the two-county area came up short in semifinal games Tuesday. McGuffey, Peters Township, Carmichaels and Jeff-Morgan saw their WPIAL title hopes dashed but will all play in third-place games next week.  Peters Township and Carmichaels have clinched state playoff berths while McGuffey and Jeff-Morgan must win their consolation game to advance.

WPIAL Third-Place Consolations at W&J’s Ross Memorial Park
Tuesday, June 1

2:00 pm 1A #6 Jeff-Morgan vs. #1 Eden Christian (winner only advances to PIAA)
7:00 pm 2A #3 Carmichaels vs. #4 Serra Catholic (both teams have qualified for PIAA)

Wednesday, June 2
1:00 pm 3A #4 McGuffey vs. #2 Avonworth – WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here! (winner only advances to PIAA)
5:00 pm 5A #13 Peters Township vs. #3 West Allegheny WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here! (both teams have qualified for PIAA)

WPIAL Championships at California University’s Lilley Field
Wednesday, June 2

12:00 n 1A #1 West Greene vs. #3 Union

Thursday, June 3
12:00 n 6A #6 Canon-McMillan vs. #1 Bethel Park, Thursday WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here!

Penguins Face Big Questions

May 29, 2021 1:47 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Penguins have serious issues with their goaltending following a first-round playoff loss to the New York Islanders. Goalie Tristan Jarry allowed 21 goals in six games, including three in a 3-minute span of Game 6 that helped the Islanders take the series. Jarry has two years left on his contract but his future could be elsewhere. Captain Sidney Crosby says he hopes the team’s core group stays together going forward but changes could be coming. The Penguins are just 3-13 in their last 16 playoff games.

NHL; Montreal Stays Alive With OT Win

May 28, 2021 3:53 am

TORONTO (AP) – The Montreal Canadiens will play at least one more game this postseason.  The Canadiens have forced Game 6 in their Stanley Cup first-round series by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3 in overtime. Nick Suzuki scored 59 seconds into OT after the Habs blew a 3-1 lead in the third period.  Jake Muzzin extended the game by scoring twice in a 5:02 span.  Joel Armia provided two goals for the Canadiens, who will host Game 6 on Saturday.  Montreal’s Carey Price finished with 32 saves.

Another Early Exit For Penguins

May 27, 2021 3:52 am

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) – Brock Nelson scored twice in New York’s three-goal second period and the Islanders advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6. The Islanders will face Boston in the next round. Anthony Beauvillier had a goal and two assists, and Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock also scored to help the Islanders beat the top-seeded Penguins in the first round for the second time in three years. Ilya Sorokin stopped 34 shots to move to 4-0 with a 1.95 goals-against average in the series. He had seven saves in the first period, 15 in the second and 12 in the third to finish with 150 in his four starts.

Pirates Losing Skid Hits 5

May 27, 2021 3:50 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Trevor Williams pitched six innings and singled twice against his former team, helping the streaking Chicago Cubs top the stumbling Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1. Chicago won for the fifth time in six games and stayed a half-game back of NL Central-leading St. Louis. David Bote hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, and Kris Bryant had three hits and two RBIs. Williams permitted one run and three hits in his first win since April 17. Pittsburgh dropped its fifth straight game. Rookie Wil Crowe recorded just four outs.

HS Semifinals Tuesday, Wednesday

May 25, 2021 2:59 am

SOFTBALL–CLICK for WPIAL Brackets–West Greene (1A) and Canon-McMillan (6A) are the last remaining softball teams from our two-county area.  The Pioneers topped South Side Area and are back in the finals for a fifth consecutive season.  West Greene has won four straight WPIAL titles and clinched a state tournament berth with the win. The Big Macs have a semifinal date with Norwin Wednesday, a game we’ll have for you on WJPA-AM (1450) and online.  The Big Macs are back in the semifinals for the first time since 2014, the last of three straight trips to the final four.  This is Norwin’s third straight semifinal berth. Canon-McMillan must win today to return to the state playoffs for the first time in seven years.

BASEBALL–CLICK for WPIAL Brackets— All four baseball teams from the two-county area came up short in semifinal games Tuesday. McGuffey, Peters Township, Carmichaels and Jeff-Morgan saw their WPIAL title hopes dashed but will all play in third-place games next week.  Peters Township and Carmichaels have clinched state playoff berths while McGuffey and Jeff-Morgan must win their consolation game to advance.

Wednesday, May 26 — Semifinals
6A #6 Canon-McMillan vs. #2 Norwin, 1:50 pm at West Mifflin – WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here!

WPIAL Championship at California University’s Lilley Field–June 2-3
1A #1 West Greene vs. #3 Union, date/time to be determined

WPIAL Third-Place Consolations at W&J’s Ross Memorial Park–June 1-2
5A #13 Peters Township vs. #3 West Allegheny, date/time to be determined
3A #4 McGuffey vs. #2 Avonworth, date/time to be determined

2A #3 Carmichaels vs. #4 Serra Catholic, date/time to be determined
1A #6 Jeff-Morgan vs. #1 Eden Christian, date/time to be determined

Pederson’s 2 Homers Lead Cubs Over Pirates

May 26, 2021 3:52 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Joc Pederson hit two home runs, Jake Arrieta beat Pittsburgh for the third time this season and the Chicago Cubs defeated the Pirates 4-3. Pederson hit a solo shot in the third inning, and his two-run blast in the fifth tied it at 3. It was the 16th multi-homer game of Pederson’s career, and he doubled his season homer total to four. Arrieta put the Cubs in a 3-0 hole after two innings but settled down to raise his record to 3-0 against Pittsburgh in 2021. He has a 15-6 lifetime record versus the Pirates.

Wash/Jeff Heads to NCAA D3 Baseball Regional

May 26, 2021 12:15 am

Washington & Jefferson College will be the #2 seed at the High Point, NC Regional starting Thursday. In the second game of the tournament, the Presidents (36-1) will play #5 Birmingham-Southern (25-14). Salisbury (25-4) is the top seed in the bracket followed by W&J, LaGrange (24-8), Lynchburg (34-13), Birm-Southern and Marymount (20-5). The double-elimination bracket runs through Sunday with the winner earning a trip to the D3 College World Series in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Steelers Report For OTA’s

May 26, 2021 3:49 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided not to boycott offseason activities after all. A majority of the 90-man roster showed up for the start of organized team activities. The players hinted last month they may skip the voluntary OTAs due to concerns over health protocols and protections. Defensive end Cam Heyward said the team worked with the players to resolve any issues so the players would be at ease. Heyward added he expects 100% participation during the club’s mandatory minicamp in June.