Local roundup
Hriblan hurls no-hitter as Albert Gallatin romps over Laurel Highlands Craig Hriblan pitched his first career no-hitter and helped his own cause with a double and a single, as Albert Gallatin romped over host Laurel Highlands, 13-0, in a five-inning Section 2-AAA high school baseball game Saturday.
Hriblan struck out nine and walked four in shutting down the Mustangs’ offense to improve his record to 3-0 and the Colonials’ mark to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the section.
“He was dominant,” AG coach Dan Palm said. “That’s the best I’ve seen him pitch. Three of the outs were grounders right back to him.”
Laurel Highlands’ best chance at a base hit came leading off the bottom of the fifth when Brian Lipchinsky hit a hot smash down the line, but Colonial first baseman Derek Victor snagged the ball and ran to the bag to record the out.
Albert Gallatin took advantage of some wildness by losing pitcher Greg Palladino to score seven runs in the first innings, all with two outs. Scott Piper drove in the only run Hriblan would need with a single, and the Colonials then drew three consecutive walks to open the floodgates.
Albert Gallatin tacked on another run in the second, put up three more in the fourth and Sean McCahill capped the game’s scoring with a two-run homer in the fifth.
Greg Moore drove in two runs with a pair of singles for the Colonials, and Josh Null smashed a triple. Null threw a no-hitter himself exactly one year ago Saturday against Uniontown.
Both teams continue section play Tuesday with Albert Gallatin hosting Connellsville and Laurel Highlands (3-6, 2-4) traveling to Uniontown.
Carmichaels 8, Mapletown 1 – Jeff Lapkowicz highlighted a six-run fourth inning with a two-run double as Carmichaels knocked off Mapletown in a Section 1-A high school baseball game Friday.
Jared Lapkowicz pitched six scoreless innings to record the win.
He allowed just two hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts. Shayne Busti gave up one run on one hit with one walk and two strikeouts in finishing up in the seventh.
Coach Dave Bates’ Mikes (7-2, 4-1) scored two runs in the second.
The game-breaking sixth featured singles by Jamie Kowalczyk, Jared Lapkowicz, Donnie Hewitt and Niko Buday in addition to Jeff Lapkowicz’s double.
Kowalczyk had two of Carmichaels’ eight hits.
Losing pitcher Justin Corso walked four and struck out four in a complete-game effort.
Jesse Boord broke up the shutout with an RBI single in the seventh for coach Jay Donley’s Maples (4-5, 1-4).
Cameron (W. Va.) 13, West Greene 1 – Mike Cain went 2-for-3 with a two run home run and a walk off grand slam in the fifth inning as Cameron ten-runned West Greene in a non-section game at home.
Casey Hughes was the winning pitcher, while Joe Welch (0-2-1) went home with the loss.
West Greene (5-4-1, 3-2) plays at home against Waynesburg on Monday.
Avella 18, Jefferson-Morgan 4 – Tim Sziminski was 4-for-5, including a grand slam in 13-run fifth inning, as winless Avella surprised host Jefferson-Morgan in a five-inning Section 1-A game.
The Eagles (1-7, 1-4) took a 1-0 lead in the second, the Rockets (2-5, 2-3) went up 2-1 in the bottom of the frame, and Avella scored twice in the third and fourth innings to grab a 5-2 advantage.
Jefferson-Morgan sliced the margin to one with a two-run bottom of the fourth.
The Eagles then took control in the fifth when they parlayed five hits, five walks, two hit batsmen and two J-M errors into a 13-run explosion.
Winning pitcher Terry Jacobs pitched all five innings for Avella.
Losing pitcher Eric Cox surrendered five runs in four innings of work.
John Mascola doubled and singled for the Rockets.
Beth-Center 19, Frazier 6 – Garrett Balas tagged two doubles, while Tristan Pinkney, Roger Myers and Beau Nicklow each doubled as Beth-Center downed Frazier in a Section 7-A matchup.
Todd Chisler (1-1) hurled the win for B-C. He struck out seven and walked four in seven innings.
Steve Erdely went 3-for-3 for Frazier with three singles.
Shaler 4, Connellsville 2 – Jason Goodwin slapped two singles and an RBI and scored one run, but Connellsville came up short as they fell to Shaler in non-section action.
Ryan Firestone smacked two singles while Chris Pepe had an RBI single.
Travis Henry took home the loss for Connellsville.
The Falcons (6-6) travel to Albert Gallatin on Tuesday.
High school softball
Carmichaels 3, West Greene 2 – Sarah Pavel had three hits, including a triple, and scored the tying and winning runs as Carmichaels survived an eight-inning Section 1-A battle against visiting West Greene on Friday.
Winning pitcher Courtney Newland went the distance, allowing only two unearned runs in the sixth inning when the Lady Pioneers (3-7, 1-4) took a 2-1 lead. Newland gave up just three hits and no walks with four strikeouts.
Losing pitcher Rebecca Burns gave up six hits and three walks with five strikeouts while also tossing a complete game.
The Lady Mikes (7-2, 5-1) trailed by one going into the bottom of the sixth, but pulled even when Pavel reached on an error and eventually scored on Eva McNett’s RBI ground out.
Pavel and Arielle Workman started the winning rally in the eighth with consecutive two-out singles. A wild pitch moved the runners up and Pavel raced home with the game winner on McNett’s infield single.
California 12, Geibel Catholic 1 – Lindsey Taylor drove in three runs with a double and two singles as California pulled away from host Geibel Catholic in a five-inning Section 6-A game.
The Lady Trojans (3-4, 1-3) scored twice in the first, the Lady Gators (2-4, 2-3) answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, but California put up two more in the second and eight runs in the fourth to all but put the game away.
Alison Edwards allowed three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in earning the win.
Amanda McKula had two hits and Marijo Bilitski contributed a two-run triple for the Lady Trojans.
Beth Novotny and Annie Kozel each had a double for Geibel. Carrie Gessner was the losing pitcher.
Connellsville 11, Albert Gallatin 0 – Ashley Whipkey fired a one-hitter as Connellsville picked up its fourth straight shutout victory, over Albert Gallatin in Section 3-AAA action on Friday.
The Lady Falcons jumped out early as Rachel Means and Lindsay O’Donnell started the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back singles.
In the second inning, RaeAnn Basinger singled and scored one a double by Dena Leighty.
Leighty scored on an error, as Connellsville extended the lead to 4-0.
In the third, Albert Gallatin starter Jen Tressler walked Kerri Hiles. She later scored on an RBI groundout by Whipkey.
Whipkey fanned seven batters.
Tressler worked three and one-third innings, struck out one and walked two.
Connellsville erupted in the fourth as Leighty led off with a double and Means drove her in with a triple.
O’Donnell and Hiles each picked up an RBI and scored in the fourth.
Albert Gallatin broke up Whipkey’s no-hitter in the fifth inning when Tiffany Duley reached on an error.
Belle Vernon 4, Elizabeth-Forward 3 – Belle Vernon broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the top of the sixth and hung on for a one-run victory over host Elizabeth-Forward in a key Section 7-AA game.
Kayla Nuccetelli had a two-run single in the deciding inning for the Lady Leopards (7-2, 4-2), whose only other hits were singles by Elyse Biddle, Sarah Jolley and Jillian Kunka.
Jenna Resnik knocked in three runs with a home run and a single for the Lady Warriors (3-7, 3-3). Losing pitcher Kathi Kite walked four and struck out five, and had one of E-F’s five hits.
Winning pitcher Megan Flower had three strikeouts and no walks.
Belle Vernon took over sole possession of third place with the win.
Geibel Catholic 10, Brownsville 8 – Carrie Gessner (3-4) tagged a triple, double and picked up the win on the mound as Geibel downed Brownsville in a non-section contest.
Gessner allowed 11 hits, struck out four and walked two in six innings. She was also 3-for-4 on the day.
Teammate Bethany Novotony added a double.
The Lady Gators play Frazier on Monday at 4 p.m.
Steel Valley 8, Mount Pleasant 1 – Grace Ritenour slapped a solo shot, but Steel Valley proved to be too much for Mount Pleasant as they downed the Lady Vikings in Section 3-AA action.
Sarah Chlebowski was the losing pitcher for Mount Pleasant.
The Lady Vikings (1-5, 1-8) host Steel Valley in a rematch on Monday.
Monessen 10, Frazier 0 – Michelle Shanaberger doubled for Frazier, but Monessen came away with the win Friday in Section 6-A.
Ashley Thorpe took home the loss on the mound for Frazier.
Amanda Como doubled for Monessen and Casey Dalfonso got the win.
Connellsville 1, California 0 – Christina Groves had the game’s only extra base hit for Connellsville with a double as the Lady Falcons defeated California in non-section action.
Kerri Hiles and Ashley Whipkey combined for eight strikeouts and allowed only one hit.
Losing pitcher Allison Edwards came away with the loss, but retired the first nine Connellsville batters, threw a two-hitter, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.
The Lady Trojans fall to 3-5.
Beth-Center 12, Bentworth 8 – Stacey Greenawalt slapped a home run, double and went 4-for-5 on the afternoon as Beth-Center defeated Bentworth in Section 6-A action on Friday. She also drove in three runs and scored three runs.
Going into today’s contest, Bentworth and Beth-Center were both undefeated at 4-0 in Section 6-A.
Winning pitcher Chelsea Stotka (10-2) went 3-of-4 at the plate with three singles, while Alyssa Zrimsek was the losing pitcher.
Beth-Center’s Courtney Kurowski was 3-for-5 with a triple. She scored two runs and drove in two. Teammate Alish Holt tripled and scored two runs, while Breanne Palette was 2-for-5 and Amanda Bolin was 2-for-4.
Beth-Center visits Ringgold on Monday in non-section play.
Boys’ tennis
Mount Pleasant 5, McGuffey 0 – Vance Rumbaugh got things rolling for Mount Pleasant, as he claimed the first singles match with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Bill Haines, as the Vikings blanked McGuffey in section 1-AA action.
Brian Hauser picked up the victory over Craig Nagel in the No. 2 singles match (6-4, 6-0) and Eric Snyder coasted past John Michalko (6-0, 6-1) in the third singles match.
Andy Cenker and Mike Whipkey teamed to defeat Adam Winestock and Brad Nagel in the No. 1 doubles match by the score of 6-1, 6-2.
Mount Pleasant made it a clean sweep in the second doubles as the team of Dan Vikartosky and Andy Mullen downed Charlie Richey and Mike Valerio (6-0, 6-0).
The Vikings (7-0, 10-0) will host the section doubles tournament on Monday.
College golf
Waynesburg Invitational – Waynesburg College’s Matt Gibson beat Thiel College’s Lucas Munson in a one-hole playoff to win the Waynesburg Invitational at the Greene County Country Club on Thursday.
Grove City won the team title, beating out the Yellow Jackets and Thiel.
Gibson and Munson each shot a 76 on the par-72 course to force the extra hole. Grove City’s Alex Intihar was third with a 78.
Following Gibson for the Jackets were Waynesburg Central graduates Jamie White (82) and Eric Churney (86), and Ben Stuart (87).
Westminster College won the women’s match by finishing 60 strokes ahead of second-place Thiel.
The Lady Titans’ Kayla Pursifull took medallist honors with a 46 in the nine-hole event. Waynesburg’s Stefanie Basey and Laurel Highlands graduate Sara Bonchosky of Westminster each carded a 49 to tie for second.
Westminster has now won four of the five team events it has entered this season.
College baseball
Waynesburg 6, Westminster 5; Westminster 5, Waynesburg 4 – Waynesburg played its way into next week’s conference tournament by winning one game of a doubleheader at Westminster Saturday in Presidents’ Athletic Conference baseball action.
Only four teams qualify for the tournament, which will be hosted by top-seeded Bethany next week.
The Yellow Jackets clinched a spot with a 6-5 win in the first game over the Titans, but dropped the second game, 5-4 in extra innings, to wrap up the conference schedule with a 7-8 record.
In the first game, Westminster erased Waynesburg’s 4-0 third-inning lead with a pair of two-run third and fourth innings.
The teams see-sawed with a one-run innings the rest of the way culminating with freshman shortstop Landon Sinclair
plating senior outfielder Eric Holt
with a game-winning sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning.
Freshman relief pitcher Matt Cherpak
earned the win by pitching the final 1 2/3 innings. Cherpak escaped a jam in the bottom of the seventh inning when the Titans had runners on second and third and one out. He forced Tony Deane to ground out and struck out Mark Francazio to end the game.
Senior starting pitcher Dan Coghlan
pitched 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts, no walks, five runs, and nine hits. Relief pitcher Pat Boyle suffered the loss after entering the game in the sixth inning for starter Brenton Gilmore.
Freshman Chad Litten
and senior Matt Cross
led the Jackets with two hits apiece, while Sinclair managed three RBI on just one hit. Sinclair’s lone hit came in the first inning with an RBI single plating Holt, who also reached base with an RBI single.
Sinclair broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning with his first of two sacrifice flies in the game when he scored Litten.
Yeckel’s RBI single in the sixth tied the game back up at five before Sinclair’s game-winner in the seventh.
Kevin Gesacion, Brian Goettler and Ben Yeckel led the Titans with two hits apiece.
In the second game, freshmen Nate Wigfield and
Mike Majetic
and sophomore Jim Morris
accounted for all of the Jackets’ six hits with two apiece.
The Jackets tied the game, 4-4, in the top of the fifth inning with three runs, including Joe Vincent
steal at home and Morris advancing home on a passed ball.
Westminster (14-18, 6-9 PAC) prevailed in the ninth inning when Brian Andrews plated Brooke LeViere on a sacrifice fly off Waynesburg reliever Landon McKenzie.
Cross started the game pitching eight innings of seven-hit ball with three strikeouts and four walks.
Waynesburg, as the No. 4 seed, opens the PAC Tournament at No. 1-seeded and tournament-host Bethany on Thursday.
Westminster 20, Waynesburg 3 – Though a light drizzle rain delayed Waynesburg’s final regular season home game of the season, the opposition really poured on the runs when the game finally got underway. A combined total of 46 players entered Friday’s Presidents’ Athletic Conference game at Madison Field between Waynesburg and Westminster, as the visiting Titans cruised to the win in nine innings on Friday.
The loss, and a Grove City win, bumps Waynesburg (12-14, 6-7 PAC) to fourth place in the league with two games to go. Westminster (13-17, 5-8 PAC) can eliminate the Jackets from next week’s four-team PAC Tournament if it sweeps Saturday’s doubleheader against Waynesburg in New Wilmington beginning at 1 p.m.
The Titans took a 3-0 lead in the first inning with five of the first six batters reaching base on singles off Waynesburg freshman starting pitcher Adam Sattler.
Sattler (3-3) absorbed the loss giving up eight runs on 10 hits in just two innings.
In the second inning, Westminster scored five runs with two outs, including Brooks LaViere’s solo home run after the Jackets turned double play. After two singles by Kevin Gesacion and Brian Goettler and a Tony Deane walk, Westminster’s Brian Andrew hit a grand slam.
Freshman infielder Nate Wigfield
led the Jackets with two hits and a run scored, while five Titans had multiple-hit games, including LaViere (5 for 5), Gesacion (4 for 6), Andrews (3 for 4), Goettler (2 for 3) and Ben Yeckel (2 for 4). Andrews finished with six RBI.
Though Waynesburg came back from an 8-0 deficit earlier in the week against Frostburg State, the Titans protected the lead allowing only Waynesburg runs in the second, third, and eighth innings.
The lone highlight of the day for Waynesburg was freshman designated hitter Mike Majetic
hitting his first career home run, a towering shot well over the right field bleachers, in the second inning off Westminster starting pitcher Anthony Cunningham.
Cunningham earned the win pitching eight innings, giving up nine of 10 Jacket hits, three runs (one earned) and one walk, while fanning seven batters.
Four pitchers saw action, including freshman and Mapletown graduate Drew Denham
with 3 2/3 innings, freshman Chad Johnston
with 1 1/3 innings, and junior Nate Torboli
pitching the eighth and ninth innings.
Overall, Waynesburg surrendered 23 hits, 20 runs (all earned), and 14 walks. Johnston struggled the most with control yielding eight walks, including five base-on-balls against six consecutive batters in the Titans’ four-run eighth inning.
Shippensburg 4, California (Pa.) 3; Shippensburg 8, California (Pa.) 3 – The California University men’s baseball team traveled to Shippensburg on Friday with a chance of capturing the PSAC-West title from the Raiders.
Shippensburg led the Vulcans by one game in the standings with a four-game series scheduled this weekend.
The Vulcans had already secured a PSAC championship tournament place, but were still hoping to put the squeeze on Shippensburg for the West title.
The Raiders took the early lead in the game as they scored four runs over the first three innings before the Vulcans crossed home plate. Cal tallied one run in the fourth inning and two runs in the fifth to get to within one run.
In the top of the seventh inning, Mike Larson singled with two outs to put the tying run at first base. Tim Donnelly then drove the ball to deep left field and Jeremy Hess made a game saving catch as he caught the ball before it went over the fence for a home run.
Larson picked up the loss for the Vulcans pitching a complete six-inning game giving up four earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts. Evan Englebrook with the winning pitcher for the Raiders.
Jason Smith and Adam Balan each had two base hits for Cal.
In a rain-delayed second game, the Raiders scored two runs in the bottom of the first off starting pitcher and Connellsville graduate Nick Damico.
Shippensburg then added a single run in the fourth and put the game away with four runs in the fifth inning.
California scored all three of its runs in the top of the seventh and had two men on base and two outs when rain delayed the game for almost an hour. When play resumed, the Raiders were able to get a strikeout to end the game.
Damico was the losing pitcher and Randy Dicken got the win for the Raiders. Mike Larson had two hits for the Vulcans including a double and Justin Pifer added a two-base hit.
California drops to 13-5 in PSAC-West play and 27-19 overall, while Shippensburg goes to 16-2 in conference play and 40-7 overall.
The PSAC State Tournament will begin next weekend at Shaner Field in State College with Shippensburg and California representing the PSAC-West as the one and two seeds.
Teams for the East have yet to be determined.
California (Pa.) 5, Shippensburg 4; Shippensburg 5, California (Pa.) 3 – After dropping two games to Shippensburg on Friday, the California University PA men’s baseball team rallied back on Saturday and split a doubleheader by winning the first game and losing in the nightcap.
In game one, Tim Donnelly slapped a home run and scored a run in a 5-4 victory.
Winning pitcher Ian Hoisel scattered four hits, allowed one run and struck out two. Jim Samolovitch also pitched for the Vulcans. He struck out seven and allowed three earned runs.
In the second game, California fell 5-3 at Falconi Field.
Patrick Sadler tagged three hits, including a double, while Donnelly had a triple.
Women’s softball
California (Pa.) 10, Edinboro 0; California (Pa.) 7, Edinboro 1 – The California University softball team solidified its grip on first place in the PSAC-West with two wins over visiting Edinboro Saturday at Lilly Field.
The Vulcans took control of the first game in the bottom of the first inning as Cal’s first three batters had hits including Becky Meyzk’s two-run double and an RBI single by Angie Day.
California added a single run in the third inning and broke the game open in the fourth inning when Cal sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs with Jennifer Doty getting the big hit, a two-run single.
Maggie Fricko limited Edinboro to just one hit and one walk while striking out five Lady Scots to post her 12th win of the season. Jen Ronald had the lone hit for Edinboro, a single in the fourth inning.
Rendon went 3-for-4 for Cal, while Day and Doty each had two hits.
In the second game, California again took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first as the Vulcans collected four straight doubles following a groundout by leadoff hitter Rendon.
The Vulcans added three more runs in the bottom of the second as pitcher Mezyk hit a three-run homer run, her tenth of the season.
California added a single run in the fourth, while Edinboro scored its only run of the doubleheader in the top of the seventh.
Holly Hutchinson had a leadoff double and scored on an error.
Mezyk picked up the complete game win, her 13th of the season giving up five hits and no earned runs with six strikeouts.
California goes to 27-7 overall and 15-3 in conference action, while Edinboro drops to 8-26 and 3-15. The teams play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. today at Edinboro.
The Vulcans look to host the PSAC Championship tournament starting next Friday.
Thiel 6, Waynesburg 5; Waynesburg 9, Thiel 0 – Waynesburg shutout Thiel for 12 innings in its Presidents’ Athletic Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday, but split the twin bill in the Yellow Jackets’ only home games of the season. Waynesburg gave up a six-run fourth inning in a 6-5 loss in game one before a 9-0 win in the second game.
Waynesburg (4-18, 2-8 PAC), the No. 6 seed in next week’s PAC Tournament, will travel to No. 3 seed Westminster for the opening round on Wednesday at New Wilmington beginning at 4:30 p.m.
In the second game, the Yellow Jackets’ junior pitcher Shana D’Aurora
hurled a complete-game five-hit shutout in the win with three walks and three strikeouts.
Waynesburg scored runs in the first and second innings before two-run innings in the third and fourth and a three-run sixth, as the Jackets out-hit the Tomcats 13-5. Three Waynesburg players had three hits apiece, led by freshman Kristen Hemingway
, who went 3 for 3 with two runs scored and three RBI.
Hemingway doubled home classmate Sheena Morgan
in the third inning before sophomore and Mount Pleasant graduate Mindy Hall
singled home senior Nicole January.
Hall and January were the other two three-hit Jackets.
Hemingway also plated senior and Waynesburg Central graduate Kari Mariner
in the fourth inning with a single before scoring on a January single.
Waynesburg’s other big hit in the game came when sophomore Trista Murphy
hit a two-run double in the sixth scoring January and Hemingway.
No Thiel player recorded more than one hit, while Megan Viebranz suffered the loss, pitching 3 2/3 innings with eight hits, four runs and three walks.
In the first game, January, Hall and Morgan collected two hits apiece for Waynesburg, but Thiel’s six-run fourth inning gave the Tomcats a 6-1 lead and proved to be too much.
The Jackets tacked on a run in the fourth inning and three in the sixth.
Tina Cale highlighted the Tomcats’ big inning with a three-run, bases-clearing double. All but one of the runs in the inning were unearned for Waynesburg starting pitcher Sarah Langsdorf
after she retired the first two Tomcats in the inning.
Langsdorf finished with three strikeouts and five walks, while surrendering six runs on 10 hits.
Hall led Waynesburg with two RBI, including an RBI double in the fourth scoring January and a one-run single in the sixth plating Sarah Pingley.