August 8, 2025 1:52 am
The 73rd PONY League World Series is underway at Lew Hays PONY Field. First round action Friday included Simi Valley, CA and South Hills, PA scoring come-from-behind wins to advance in the winners’ bracket. For South Hills, the 4-2 win over Bronx, NY is the first-ever for the program. The Host Area champions return to action Saturday (5:00 pm) against Monterrey, Mexico. Eliminations begin mid-afternoon Sunday. Division Finals are scheduled for Tuesday evening with the 73rd PONY League World Series Championship Game set for Wednesday night. Hear all of the action on WJPA-AM (1450) and online LISTEN HERE!
Friday, Aug. 8 — Bracket
Game 1: Simi Valley CA 6, Chinese Taipei 5 Tristan Theobald singled in two runs, then scored the game-winner as Simi Valley rallied past Chinese Taipei, 6-5. The West Zone scored three times in the sixth inning, with all the action in the inning coming with two out. Ean Devine and Braedon Halverson singled, putting runners at the corners. Theobald lofted a bloop single to shallow center, plating Devine and Halverson, and ended up at third on a throwing error. Riely Loggins doubled to give Simi Valley the lead. Halverson pitched a scoreless seventh inning to save the win for Kade Monica. Yi-Le Li took the loss, charged with all three runs after retiring the first eight batters he faced. En Chen had three hits, including a home run for Chinese Taipei. Halverson had three singles for Simi Valley.
Game 2: South Hills, PA 4, Bronx, NY 2 Johnny Parris stroked a two-run double to the wall in right, lifting South Hills past Bronx Friday night. Trailing 1-0, Brody Cole doubled and moved to third on Gavin Stock’s base hit. One out later, Parris gave the Host Area champions a lead they’d not give up. Two batters later, Parris scored on an infield throwing error. In the sixth, Parris grounded softly to short with the bases loaded to drive in South Hills’ final run. Jonah Koontz pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to get the win. Stock worked the final 1.1 innings to earn the save.
Saturday, Aug. 9
12:00 noon Washington County vs. Grosseto, Italy
2:30 pm Corpus Christi, TX vs. Bay County, MI
5:00pm South Hills vs. Monterrey, Mexico
Sunday, Aug. 10
12:00 noon Barranquilla, Colombia vs. Corpus Christi/Bay County winner
2:30 pm Elimination: Chinese Taipei vs. Bronx
6:00 pm Elimination: Washington County/Grosseto vs. Corpus Christi/Bay County
August 9, 2025 3:42 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Reynolds had a two-out, two-run triple in the eighth inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied to beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Friday night. Isiah Kiner-Falefa drew a one-out walk off Tony Santillan (1-4), and Tommy Pham singled with two outs to put runners on the corners. Reynolds tripled to right on Santillan’s first pitch. Kyle Nicolas (1-0) pitched the eighth for the victory, and Dennis Santana worked the ninth for his seventh save. Pirates starter Mitch Keller allowed two runs on six hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. Reds rookie Chase Burns stuck out 10 in six innings, and allowed a run on three hits. He topped 100 mph five times while striking out the side in the first.
August 9, 2025 3:39 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Detroit Lions safety Morice Norris was in stable condition after he was attended to for about 20 minutes and taken off the field in an ambulance Friday night against Atlanta, with the preseason game ending early. The Lions released a statement, saying: “Morice Norris is in stable condition and has feeling and movement in all his extremities. He will remain at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta overnight for observation.” Norris was hurt with 14:50 to go trying to tackle Nathan Carter. When play resumed, Atlanta’s Emory Jones took a snap and held the ball as players from teams stood at the line of scrimmage as the clock continued to run. Finally, with 6:31 left, an official said the game was suspended with Detroit up 17-10.
August 8, 2025 4:41 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes struck out eight in six shutout innings, Bryan Reynolds and Henry Davis homered and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 7-0. Skenes (7-8) allowed seven hits, the highest mark of his career, and remained undefeated against Cincinnati in four career starts. His record streak of allowing six or fewer hits to open an MLB career ended at 46 games. The longest such streak to begin a career (excluding openers), according to OptaStats, had belonged to Shohei Ohtani, who went 31 starts from 2018-21 for the Los Angeles Angels. Skenes extended his scoreless streak to 27 2/3 innings; he last allowed a run June 8 against Philadelphia. He lowered his ERA to a MLB-best 1.94.
August 8, 2025 4:45 am
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers won’t make his Steelers debut in Pittsburgh just yet. Coach Mike Tomlin says Rodgers and other top starters will sit out the preseason opener against Jacksonville. Tomlin believes their experience means they don’t need as much preseason action. Rodgers, who joined the Steelers in June, was open to playing but Tomlin feels it’s unnecessary for now. The first-team offense struggled early in training camp but has improved. Rookie quarterback Will Howard is out with a hand injury. The Steelers signed Logan Woodside, a backup with ties to Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, to take some of the reps while Howard recovers.
August 8, 2025 4:42 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and most of the starting lineup for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles took a night off. The Eagles used their contentious short-yardage play, the tush push, to help them beat the Cincinnati Bengals 34-27 in the preseason opener for both teams. Without Hurts in the lineup, quarterback Tanner McKee got a helpful shove for a score. McKee, a sixth-round pick out of Stanford, played into the second half and finished 20 of 25 for 252 yards and two touchdown passes. The Eagles remain the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl.
August 7, 2025 4:21 am
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers isn’t ruling himself out of Pittsburgh’s preseason opener against Jacksonville. Rodgers, who last appeared in an exhibition game two years ago, says he’s on board to play if coach Mike Tomlin asks. The 41-year-old last played in the preseason in 2023 during his first season with the New York Jets. The short-term loss of rookie quarterback Will Howard, dealing with a hand injury, might complicate things. Rodgers has been mentoring Howard since signing with the Steelers in June. Rodgers says he’s seen progress in recent days as he grows more comfortable in the system.
August 7, 2025 2:49 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Dominic Smith hit a go-ahead double in the ninth inning, and the San Francisco Giants rallied for a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Jung Hoo Lee hit a one-out double down the right-field line off Dennis Santana (3-4). Smith, pinch hitting for Christian Koss, brought Lee in with another double to right to make it 3-2 and Patrick Bailey extended the lead with an RBI single. Giants reliever Ryan Walker (4-4) struck out the side in the eighth, including Oneil Cruz with two on and two outs. Randy Rodríguez pitched a perfect ninth for his third save. In the top half, Isaac Mattson gave up a leadoff single to Bailey, a one-out single to Rafael Devers and another single to Willy Adames before departing with the bases loaded. Matt Chapman tied it with a sacrifice fly. Nick Gonzales put the Pirates ahead with a two-out single to left in the first. Jerar Encarnacion tied it in the fifth with a 442-foot drive to left off a fastball from Andrew Heaney, his second home run of the season after hitting one in an 8-1 win Tuesday. The Pirates have RHP Paul Skenes (6-8, 2.02 ERA) on the mound Thursday to start a four-game home set against Cincinnati. RHP Brady Singer (9-8, 4.36 ERA) will start for the Reds.
August 7, 2025 4:22 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Jen Pawol is set to become the first woman to umpire in Major League Baseball when she works games this weekend between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. Pawol will work the bases in Saturday’s doubleheader at Truist Park and the plate on Sunday, MLB told The Associated Press. Pawol, a 48-year-old from New Jersey, worked spring training games in 2024 and this year. MLB’s move comes 28 years after the gender barrier for game officials was broken in the NBA, 10 years after the NFL hired its first full-time female official and three years after the men’s soccer World Cup employed a female referee. The NHL still has not had any women as on-ice officials.
August 5, 2025 2:18 am
The PONY League World Series returns to Lew Hays PONY Field Friday afternoon. Action begins at 4:30 pm with a doubleheader of first-round games wrapped around opening ceremonies. Saturday and Sunday schedules both begin at 12 noon. The 10-team field starts to be trimmed with eliminations games mid-afternoon Sunday. Host Area champion South Hills is on the Friday night schedule while Host Washington County begins play at noon Saturday against a team from Italy, making its first-ever appearance. Division Finals are scheduled for Tuesday evening with the 73rd PONY League World Series Championship Game set for Wednesday night. Hear all of the action on WJPA-AM (1450) and online LISTEN HERE!
Friday, Aug. 8 — Bracket
4:30 pm Simi Valley, CA vs. Chinese Taipei
7:30 pm South Hills, PA vs. Bronx, NY
Saturday, Aug. 9
12:00 noon Washington County vs. Grosseto, Italy
2:30 pm Corpus Christi, TX vs. Bay County, MI
5:00pm South Hills/Bronx winner vs. Monterrey, Mexico
Sunday, Aug. 10
12:00 noon Barranquilla, Colombia vs. Corpus Christi/Bay County winner
2:30 pm Elimination: Simi Valley/Chinese Taipei vs. South Hills/Bronx
6:00 pm Elimination: Washington County/Grosseto vs. Corpus Christi/Bay County
