April 29, 2021 2:26 am
Softball teams had a full slate of games ahead of the early evening rain. Canon-McMillan couldn’t hold a late two-run lead, losing at Baldwin and dropping into fourth place in 6A Section 1. Trinity beat Moon for the second time this year, opening a two-game lead over the Tigers for the last 5A Section 4 playoff berth. Ringgold lost to Uniontown, forcing the Rams into a win-out situation with four games remaining. McGuffey swept a doubleheader from Brownsville to stay alive in 3A Section 3. OLSH rallied from three runs down to beat Burgettstown in 2A Section 1 while Chartiers-Houston run-ruled Fort Cherry. Bentworth’s win over Beth-Center keeps the Bearcats in the race for the fourth playoff berth in 2A Section 3. Avella lost to Greensburg Central Catholic, putting the Eagles into a must-win situation with three games left to play.
Wednesday, we learned that Sto-Rox would be unable to play the remainder of its 2A Section 1 schedule. The Vikings had only played three games. Because Sto-Rox had played one section opponent twice, the WPIAL has declared all unplayed section games as forfeits, games that can not be replaced on the Vikings’ opponents schedules.
Just after noon today, the WPIAL Office released news that Wash High is not able to complete its softball schedule due to several COVID shutdowns at the school over the past month. The Little Prexies had played only one game (vs. Charleroi) in 2A Section 3. The League has declared forfeits to the other section opponents for one game each and declared the second scheduled games as “no contest” leaving the door open for those schools to pick a replacement game so long as they do not exceed the PIAA-established 20-game maximum.
April 29, 2021 3:54 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Jorge Soler had two doubles among his three hits and drove in three runs to lead Kansas City over the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-6 and improve the Royals’ record to a major league-best 15-8. Soler’s doubles sparked three-run rallies in the first and sixth innings, the latter stretching the lead to 9-5. Kansas City won for the sixth time in seven games. Salvador Pérez also had three of Kansas City’s 12 hits. Hunter Dozier hit a two-run triple and Andrew Benintendi added a two-run double.
April 29, 2021 3:56 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin is nearing his return from a lower-body injury that’s kept him out since mid-March. Malkin skated alongside his teammates on Wednesday for the first time since being injured and will join Pittsburgh for a four-game road trip through Washington and Philadelphia. The Penguins have thrived in his absence, going 14-5-2 to move into second place in the East Division behind the Capitals.
April 27, 2021 2:21 am
Canon-McMillan thumped Baldwin, the Big Macs picking up their first section win of the season. Fort Cherry rolled Aliquippa, staying tied with Burgettstown and Chartiers-Houston heading into Wednesday’s home game with the Bucs, a game you can hear on WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here! Carmichaels crushed California, dropping the Trojans into a four-team logjam for 2A Section 3’s final playoff spot. Avella got by Jeff-Morgan, keeping the Eagles’ hopes alive.
On the baseball diamond, Chartiers-Houston beat Fort Cherry for a second straight day, keeping the Bucs tied with Burgettstown for second in 2A Section 4. Bentworth topped Beth-Center, picking up their first section win, while California beat Wash High for a second straight game. The Bearcats, Little Prexies and Frazier are battling for the final berth in 2A Section 1. Charleroi won a shootout with Southmoreland, pulling the Cougars within a game of the Scotties and Waynesburg for a 3A Section 4 berth. McGuffey 10-runned Brownsville for a second straight game, locking up the Highlanders first ever section championship. Ringgold’s second win over Elizabeth-Forward pulled the Rams into a four-way battle for ONE spot in 4A Section 3. Albert Gallatin downed Peters Township while Thomas Jefferson beat Trinity for the second time, putting TJ into third place in 5A Section 4 and leaving Trinity, Peters Township and Albert Gallatin fighting for a final playoff spot. Trinity has two games with AG and Peters remaining, needing to win at least three of those four to qualify. Canon-McMillan’s loss to Hempfield forces the Big Macs into a must sweep situation with Baldwin next Monday & Tuesday. Canon-McMillan also needs two losses for either Mt. Lebanon (vs. Upper St. Clair) or Upper St. Clair (vs. Mt. Lebanon or Norwin).
April 28, 2021 3:55 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pinch-hitter Wilmer Difo delivered the go-ahead single in the seventh inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Kansas City 2-1 to end the Royals’ five-game winning streak. Pittsburgh has won three straight games and 11 of of 16 since a 1-6 start, at 12-11 moving back above .500 for the first time since it was 1-0 in the opening week. Kansas City has lost seven straight games in Pittsburgh since 2009. Difo looped a single that dropped in front of a sliding Michael A. Taylor in center.
April 28, 2021 3:56 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Tuukka Rask turned aside 25 shots and the Boston Bruins edged the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1. David Krejci gave Boston the lead with a goal late in the second period. Brad Marchand and Taylor Hall scored in the third as Boston earned its fifth win over Pittsburgh in eight meetings this season. Jeff Carter scored late for the Penguins, whose four-game winning streak was halted.
April 27, 2021 1:42 pm
Mike Lange will be returning to the radio booth for Tuesday’s game between the Penguins and the Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena, but, don’t look for that to be a regular appearance, at least for now. The hall-of-fame broadcaster will be acting as a replacement for his replacement, Josh Getzoff. The 73-year-old Lange was on hiatus for the 2020-21 season as a precaution due to the pandemic and Getzoff has been handling play-by-play duties. Lange says he is now fully vaccinated but recently underwent an unrelated medical procedure that further delayed his return. Getzoff is expected to resume the play-by-play duties for Thursday’s road game against the Washington Capitals.
April 26, 2021 3:06 am
Spring sports were completely shutdown last year due to COVID protocols. Now, two weeks remain in the 2021 regular season with teams trying to complete schedules in preparation for a playoff run. On the baseball side, McGuffey downed Brownsville, 12-2, clinching a playoff spot and a share of the 3A Section 4 championship with three games left to play. Canon-McMillan lost to Hempfield, putting the Big Macs into a virtual must-win with three games left. Trinity lost to Thomas Jefferson and has five games left, all against the bottom teams in 5A Section 4–TJ, Albert Gallatin and Peters Township, the teams the Hillers are trying to catch in the race for two spots. Chartiers-Houston won at home against Fort Cherry. The Bucs can clinch a playoff berth with a win AT the Rangers’ home field Tuesday. Burgettstown’s win against Clairton keeps the Blue Devils a game in front of Chartiers-Houston. You can hear Chartiers-Houston at Fort Cherry (3:50 pm) and Thomas Jefferson at Trinity (6:50pm) Tuesday on WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here.
On the softball front, Trinity jumped on South Fayette and pulled even with the Lions, two games up on Moon for the final playoff spots. Chartiers-Houston rolled Aliquippa while Beth-Center knocked off California, creating a three-way scramble for the final 2A Section 3 playoff spot.
April 27, 2021 3:51 am
UNDATED (AP) – Jarrod Dyson doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 to complete a four-game sweep on the road for the first time in nearly 22 years. The Royals have won a season-high five straight and own the best record in the American League at 14-7. Detroit has the worst record in the majors at 7-16 after losing 10 of 11 games and is off to its worst start since 2003. Brad Keller earned the win after giving up two runs over six innings.
April 27, 2021 3:54 am
DALLAS (AP) – Sean Lee is retiring after the linebacker spent all of his 11 mostly injury-plagued seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. The 34-year-old says it is “my time to walk away.” Lee is eighth in team history with 995 tackles. He led all NFL linebackers through his first six seasons. That was despite missing all of 2014 after tearing a knee ligament in the offseason. A second-round pick out of Penn State in 2010, Lee is fourth among Dallas linebackers with 14 interceptions. His 22 tackles against the New York Giants in 2016 are a club record.
