May 12, 2002 7 min read

By the Herald-Standard The Geibel Catholic softball team had its playoff backs to the wall Friday afternoon, but winning pitcher Laura Campbell rose to occasion by hurling a no-hitter against visiting California and lead the Lady Gators to a 3-0 Section 6-A victory.

California defeated Geibel at home earlier in the week to clinch the second place in the section, so the Lady Gators entered the game needing a victory or the season would be over. The Lady Trojans and Geibel finish with 6-4 section records with California dropping to 11-6 overall and the Lady Gators improving to 8-6.

Campbell pitched her third no-hitter of the season and the team’s fourth, and flirted with a perfect game as well. She walked only one batter, but Stacey Scrip was thrown out trying to steal to allow Campbell to face the minimum 21 batters. Campbell struck out 17 out of a possible 21 outs.

Lori Moncheck provided offense for Geibel with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Caitlin Conko had the third RBI with Katie Andyjohn, Ashley Gardner and Annie Kozel scoring the runs.

Geibel and California now await where they will play when the softball committee meets Tuesday for its pairings meeting.

Beth-Center 3, Connellsville 2 – In a matchup of playoff-bound teams, the Lady Bulldogs scored three runs in the top of the second inning Friday for a non-section road victory. Beth-Center improves to 14-5 while Connellsville drops to 12-5.

Jamie Brady started the rally with a two out single. Her sister Jennifer followed with another single before Alisha Holt drove home both Bradys with a double. Holt advanced to third on the throw, then scored on a wild pitch.

Connellsville opened the scoring in the first inning when losing pitcher Kerri Hiles singled and moved to third on a two-base error. Hiles scored on Lori Hensel’s single. Hensel, who went 3-for-3, drove home Connellsville’s other run in the fourth inning.

Kristi Mazzaferri (13-5) struck out four and walked one in the win. Hiles struck out five and walked one.

Connellsville 7, Laurel Highlands 1 – The Lady Falcons clinched a share of the Section 3-AAA title with Elizabeth-Forward Friday afternoon after Connellsville began the game with four runs in the first inning.

Hiles struck out seven and allowed only two hits in the victory. One of those hits was Keri Smiell’s double, scoring Angie Shotter.

Waynesburg Central 6, Charleroi 1 – The Lady Raiders wrapped up a perfect Section 3-AA season Saturday with an easy home victory.

Waynesburg finishes the regular season 10-0 in the section and 16-1 overall.

Erin Cross (10-0) pitched three innings for the victory.

The big hit early for the Lady Raiders was Nikki Giachetti’s two-run single in the bottom of the first inning to spark a three-run rally.

The Lady Cougars finish the season 1-8 in the section and 1-11 overall.

Boys baseball

Brownsville 10, Waynesburg Central 6 – The Falcons and Raiders finished the Section 1-AA season Saturday when Matt Rechichar gave winning pitcher Jared Slusser breathing room with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Rechichar finished with three RBIs.

Waynesburg led 4-1, but Brownsville (4-6, 6-12) tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the third. The Raiders rallied for a 5-4 lead in the fourth before Brownsville moved ahead to stay with four runs in the fifth.

Mike Konosky doubled for the Raiders as Waynesburg closes with a 2-8 section mark.

Jason Rechichar, Brandon Williams and Slusser all doubled for Brownsville.

Geibel Catholic 7, Uniontown 1 – Ty Leonard was dominating on the mound Saturday, striking out 11 and walking only one to pitch the Gators to a non-section road victory.

Zach Leonard had a double and single with an RBI for Geibel Catholic. Phil Gratchic had two singles while Kerry Bell had the key hit for Geibel (9-6) with a two-run single in the fourth inning to give the Gators a 2-1 lead.

Earl Gilbert’s pinch hit single scored two runs in the sixth inning that sparked a four-run output.

Jason Hamborsky and Mark Greene both had two singles for Uniontown.

Laurel Highlands 9, Uniontown 1 – With the Section 2-AAA playoff slate already settled, the two rivals met in an exhibition game at Uniontown. Laurel Highlands led 3-0 after five innings before settling the contest with six runs in the top of the sixth inning.

Kevin Martin improved to 5-1 with the win. Dan Fuller had two doubles and two RBIs for the Mustangs. Santino Sloboda had a double and two singles for the winners.

Brandon Mallick broke up Martin’s no-hitter bid with an infield single in the fifth inning.

Laurel Highlands finishes the regular season 14-5 with Uniontown closing at 10-7.

Belle Vernon 4, Geibel Catholic 3 – The Leopards scored the winning run Friday on an infield throwing error with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning for a non-section home victory.

Belle Vernon’s Brian Horner had a perfect game through five innings, but Geibel broke the game open with three runs. Dan Chorba drove home the first run with the final two tallies coming on a fielder’s choice.

Franklin Regional 5, Connellsville 3 – In a game between two of the top teams in Class AAA, Joe Parschan’s three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday rallied the home team to a non-section victory.

Eric Luckey had two doubles for Connellsville (18-2) with Anthony Smith adding another double.

Connellsville 0, Penn Trafford 0 – Brent Wilson allowed only two hits in seven innings Friday, while the Falcon offense made the most of eight hits and five errors for a non-section road victory.

Chris Marsinko and Brandon Bryner doubled for Connellsville.

Men’s baseball

Mansfield 12, California (Pa.) 9 – The Vulcans season came to an end Friday when Mansfield scored seven runs in the final three innings in the PSAC Tournament to hand Connellsville graduate Nick Damico the loss. California finishes the season 28-16-1 overall.

Jim Booth led the offense with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Scott Van Sickle singled with two RBIs and a run scored.

Damico allowed seven hits, seven runs (four earned) and struck out three in four innings to finish with a 3-4 record.

Kutztown 2, California 1 – The Vulcans opened the double-elimination tournament with a close loss to the Golden Bears. Ryan Balan (7-1) lost his first game of the season, allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out two and walking five.

Brad McClelland had a pair of singles and drove in California’s lone tally and was also hit by a pitch. Booth also had two singles while Jason Foreman had the lone extra base hit of the game with a double.

Women’s softball

Lock Haven 6, California (Pa.) 1 – The Lady Vulcans allowed four unearned runs to score Saturday and winning pitcher Michelle Boone made the most of the support by scattering nine hits to bump California out of the NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament.

Boone (15-5) only struck out two and walked one, but was tough on the California hitters when she had to be to advance Lock Haven to the tournament championship against Bloomsburg.

Gabrielle Rendon, Kimmie Miller, who had the lone RBI, Amber Riegel and Carmichaels’ grad Abby McMinn all had two hits for the Lady Vulcans. Maggie Fricko (5-2) absorbed the loss. Carmichaels’ Daysha Grimes pitched 1-1/3 scoreless innings after Lock Haven moved out to a 5-0 lead.

California finishes the season with an overall record of 34-7.

Bloomsburg 2, California 0 – Amber Cowher was one out away from a no-hitter when Julie Wallace kept the Lady Vulcans’ hopes alive with a single, but Cowher held on to help Bloomsburg advance to the title game.

Cowher finished with 10 strikeouts, allowing only a walk and the late single. She also had to pitch through four errors.

Amber Riegal pitched good enough to win, giving up six hits and two earned runs.

California 4, Lock Haven 2 – The Lady Vulcans opened the tournament Friday behind Melissa Brooks’ strong pitching performance. Brooks allowed only one earned run, striking out nine and walking three.

Fricko and Debbie Tedesco both had two singles for California

Fricko, Riegal, Wallace and McMinn had RBIs for California as the Lady Vulcans advanced to Saturday’s winner’s bracket.