April 23, 2024 4:40 am
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sebastian Aho and Jordan Martinook scored 9 seconds apart late in the third period to help the Carolina Hurricanes complete a comeback from three goals down to beat the New York Islanders 5-3. That gave Carolina a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series in improbable fashion. Aho struck first by redirecting Andrei Svechnikov’s shot at the right post behind Semyon Varlamov with 2:15 remaining to tie the game at 3. Then Martinook scored off Varlamov’s left skate for the 4-3 lead. Kyle Palmieri, Bo Horvat and Anders Lee scored as the Islanders led 3-0 early in the second period. Meanwhile in Boston, Auston Matthews scored on a breakaway to snap a third-period tie and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 to knot their first-round playoff series at one game apiece. Ilya Samsonov stopped 27 shots for Toronto. The Leafs had lost eight straight games to Boston over 534 days dating to November, 2022. Max Domi and John Tavares also scored for the Maple Leafs. They haven’t beaten the Bruins in a playoff series since 1959. Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak scored for Boston. Linus Ullmark started as part of a goalie rotation even though Jeremy Swayman won Game 1 on Saturday. Ullmark made 30 saves.
April 22, 2024 12:02 am
WPIAL baseball schedules have two weeks remaining for the three largest classifications while the three smallest have three weeks left in the regular season. The top four teams in each section will qualify for the playoffs along with any unbreakable ties. The WPIAL Baseball Committee is scheduled to meet on May 10 to set the pairings for this year’s tournaments. Here’s a snapshot for each team in the Washington-Greene County area:
Baseball: 6A Canon-McMillan (4-5) is tied for third with Central Catholic, one of the two teams still on the Big Macs’ schedule. CM plays last-place Baldwin three times this week, then faces Central Catholic next week.
5A Trinity (3-3) is tied for third in Section 2 with four games against co-leaders Bethel Park (4-2) and South Fayette (4-2) still on the schedule. Peters Township (2-4) is a game back of the tie for the final playoff spot with a series remaining with Connellsville (3-3) and another with Upper St. Clair (2-4).
4A Ringgold (1-5) is two games back of a tie between Uniontown (3-3) and Albert Gallatin. The Rams still have games with AG and with last-place Laurel Highlands.
3A Waynesburg (6-0) remains atop Section 4, halfway through section play. The Raiders still have two-game sets with Mt. Pleasant (5-1), Southmoreland (2-6) and McGuffey (3-3). The Highlanders have dropped to fifth place, a game back of Greensburg Salem. McGuffey has a two-game series with winless Brownsville this week, then series with Yough (4-2) and Waynesburg to close section play.
2A Section 1: Chartiers-Houston (5-0) is in first place, a half-game up on Burgettstown (3-1). Charleroi (4-2) and Wash High (3-3) currently hold the last two playoff spots, a game up on Frazier, Beth-Center and Bentworth have two wins apiece. Two-game series this week include CHHS vs. Wash High, Burgettstown against Bentworth and Charleroi vs. Frazier. There are also a couple make-up games on Thursday: Burgettstown at Chartiers-Houston and Charleroi at Beth-Center.
1A Avella (6-1) and Fort Cherry (5-1) lead the way after splitting their two-game set last week. Carmichaels (4-2) and West Greene (4-2) are tied for third, a week ahead of their home-and-home series. Avella plays Carmichaels this week, then California next week. Fort Cherry finishes with West Greene then the bottom two teams in the league. California (2-5) is 2.5 games off the playoff pace with Jeff-Morgan (1-6) and Mapletown (0-5) barely still alive heading into their series this week.
April 22, 2024 12:01 am
Bentworth, Chartiers-Houston and Trinity lead their respective softball sections heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. The top six teams in Class 6A, along with the top four teams in every other section will qualify for the playoffs along with any unbreakable ties. The WPIAL Softball Committee is scheduled to meet on May 9 to set the pairings for this year’s tournaments. Here’s a snapshot for each team in the Washington-Greene County area:
Softball: 6A Canon-McMillan (3-3) has dropped three straight and fallen to 6th place with more than half of its schedule yet to play. The Big Macs have five games this week including a home-and-home set with Hempfield (7-1).
5A Trinity (4-2) won three of its four games this week, all against teams in playoff spots at the moment. Peters Township (1-4) has lost four in a row since beating Trinity April 8. The Indians are a game back of Bethel Park for the final playoff spot with five games left in the regular season.
4A Ringgold (2-5) swept Albert Gallatin last week and played its way into a tie for the final playoff berth. The Rams face unbeaten Uniontown then face a second meeting with Laurel Highlands (2-5) to end the week.
3A McGuffey (3-1) sits a game back of section leader South Park thanks to the Highlanders’ three-game win streak since losing to the Eagles. Waynesburg (3-2) is a half-game back of McGuffey. The Raiders won three of four last week, all against teams below them in the standings. McGuffey and Waynesburg haven’t seen each other yet but play twice in a week starting Tuesday at McGuffey Community Park in Claysville.
2A Bentworth (6-0) has not allowed a run in section play, while averaging 10+ runs a game. Sydney Gonglik has thrown three straight no-hitters including a 7-inning perfect game against Wash High last Wednesday. Charleroi (4-2) and Beth-Center (3-2) are tied for third, a half-game up on Burgettstown (3-3). Wash High (1-6) and Fort Cherry (0-8) trail the field.
1A Chartiers-Houston (5-0), West Greene (4-1) and Carmichaels (3-1) lead the way with Mapletown (4-2) and Jeff-Morgan (3-2) just a step behind. Avella (0-6) and California (0-7) are facing elimination. CHHS and Carmichaels met Tuesday, playing 13 innings before play was suspended to May 2. The teams met Friday with the Bucs winning at Carmichaels. Each team has four games scheduled this week except California (3), thanks in large part to the weather issue that have plagued area teams since opening day.
April 22, 2024 4:34 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Wilyer Abreu had three hits and drove in two runs and the Boston Red Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 to complete a three-game sweep. Abreu’s RBI single off Martín Pérez (1-1) in the third gave the Red Sox the lead for good. Abreu added another RBI single in the sixth as Boston improved to 10-3 on the road. Reese McGuire added a pinch-hit two-run single for the Red Sox. Ke’Bryan Hayes had two of Pittsburgh’s seven hits. The Pirates have dropped six straight following a promising 11-5 start.
April 22, 2024 4:36 am
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is on the verge of another victory. He just has to wait one day because of the rain. Scheffler chipped in for eagle and was comfortably ahead in the RBC Heritage when storms arrived. Heavy rain stopped play for 2 1/2 hours. By the time play resumed, there was no way to finish. Scheffler was 20-under par and leading by five shots. Wyndham Clark finished with a 65 and posted 15 under. Patrick Cantlay and J.T. Poston also are at 15 under but didn’t finish the 18th hole. Scheffler has three holes left to play.
April 21, 2024 6:28 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kutter Crawford allowed one run in six strong innings and the Boston Red Sox defeated the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2. Crawford struck out six and walked three. The 28-year-old right-hander gave up a season-high seven hits after not allowing more than three hits in any of his previous four starts. Boston entered the series having lost seven of 10 games before taking the first two of the three-game set. Pittsburgh lost its fifth straight game after opening the season 11-5. Kenley Jansen picked up his fifth save, striking out the side in the ninth. Pirates ace Mitch Keller (2-2) was tagged for four runs and allowed five hits and four walks in six innings.
April 21, 2024 6:34 am
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — It may look like an NHL team has just fallen into Salt Lake City’s lap. But local organizers say the Arizona Coyotes’ relocation to Utah is the product of a yearslong effort to beckon professional hockey and other elite sports to the capital city. The move marks a coming-of-age moment for Salt Lake City as a pro sports hub in the Mountain West. It gives the midsize market its second major professional sports franchise and a chance to prove that it can sustain multiple pro teams year-round. Hockey fans outside of Utah are not yet convinced the city can support its new team.
April 20, 2024 4:06 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brayan Bello allowed one hit in six innings as the Boston Red Sox breezed past the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-1. Bello struck out seven against two walks. The lone hit he surrendered was a leadoff double by Jack Suwinski in the bottom of the second. The right-hander retired the last 11 batters he faced as the Red Sox bounced back from a dismal homestand by handing the Pirates their fourth straight loss. Boston hit four home runs, including a two-run shot in the fifth by Rob Refsnyder that chased Pittsburgh starter Quinn Priester.
April 20, 2024 4:10 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading into another long summer. Pittsburgh missed the playoffs for a second straight year despite a late surge that brought the club to the brink of the postseason. General manager/director of hockey operations Kyle Dubas says the responsibility for the club’s failure lies with him. Dubas has a lengthy to-do list in the offseason. The first order of business will be locking up longtime captain Sidney Crosby to a new deal. Crosby is entering the final season of the 12-year deal he signed in 2012. The 36-year-old remains one of the NHL’s best players, piling up 94 points in his 19th season.
April 19, 2024 4:25 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Aroldis Chapman has been suspended two games and fined an undisclosed amount for his “inappropriate actions” against the New York Mets on Monday night. Michael Hill, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president for on-field operations, says Chapman’s suspension begins Friday when the Pirates are scheduled to host Boston. Chapman could appeal, which would delay the punishment until that process is complete. Chapman was ejected by plate umpire Edwin Moscoso after Harrison Bader doubled in the eighth inning of the Pirates’ 6-3 loss to the Mets. Pirates manager Derek Shelton says Chapman “evidently said something that the umpire did not like.”
