Bill Beckner stories, Page 116
Norwin notebook: Baseball team finishes strong to earn playoff berth
The Norwin baseball team rallied to earn a WPIAL Class 6A playoff spot and a decent seed in the bracket. The fourth-seeded Knights (10-8) were scheduled to take on No. 5 Central Catholic (10-9) in the quarterfinals of the eight-team bracket May 23. The Knights were 4-6 at one point...
Hempfield softball loses ace freshman pitcher for season
If Hempfield makes a run to its eighth WPIAL softball title, it will finish it without freshman pitcher Riley Miller. The Spartans ace broke her left foot sliding into second base during the team’s 5-4 WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinal win over Norwin on Wednesday at Penn-Trafford. She is done for...
Smith’s pitching, pair of homers lead Penn-Trafford softball past Shaler
Mia Smith was concerned she might not pitch well Thursday because she had a shaky warmup session on an adjacent field at Plum. When game time arrived, though, the Penn-Trafford senior was practically unhittable. Funny how the best ones can lock in on the biggest stages. “Watch out when she...
Gambles pay off for Hempfield softball in walk-off win over rival Norwin
Top-seeded Hempfield played the percentages and, as a result, gets to play in the semifinals. Spartans first-year softball coach Tina Madison issued four intentional walks to Norwin — including two in the seventh inning with her team up by one run — and allowed the Knights to load the bases...
Westmoreland County WPIAL softball playoff preview capsules for May 19, 2022
WPIAL softball playoffs Capsule previews Class 5A Quarterfinals 10-Shaler (16-3) vs. 2-Penn-Trafford (16-2) 5 p.m. Thursday at Plum Winner plays: Winner of 11-Chartiers Valley (14-4) vs. 3-Trinity (16-2) on Tuesday in the semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Mallor Moran, Shaler; Kylee Picconi, Penn-Trafford Extra bases: Shaler was a...
Westmoreland County WPIAL baseball playoff preview capsules for May 19, 2022
Class 5A Quarterfinals 8-Penn-Trafford (14-6) vs. 1-Peters Township (19-1) 4:30 p.m. Thursday at West Mifflin Winner plays: Winner of Thomas Jefferson (14-6) vs. Chartiers Valley (10-11) on Monday in semifinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Dylan Grabowski, Penn-Trafford; Sam Miller, Penn-Trafford Extra bases: Penn-Trafford won its sixth one-run game...
Etling delivers winning hit for Southmoreland in Class 3A softball win over Derry
Southmoreland softball players jumped up and stood on the team bench during Tuesday’s playoff opener at Norwin. They were afraid to sit down because a small snake emerged from under the turf and slithered along the bench area before finally disappearing into the woods behind the dugout. Scotties freshman Makayla...
Westmoreland WPIAL baseball playoff capsule: Game of Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Class 6A First round 9-Hempfield (8-12) vs. 8-Seneca Valley (13-7) *4 p.m. Wednesday at Plum Winner plays: 1-Mt. Lebanon (13-7) on May 23 in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Brandon Coughlin, Sr., Hempfield; A.J. Capizzi, Jr., Seneca Valley Last year’s finish: Hempfield — Lost to North Allegheny, 4-0,...
Westmoreland WPIAL softball playoff capsules: Games for Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Class 6A Quarterfinals 8-Norwin (6-9) vs. 1-Hempfield (12-3) 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Penn-Trafford Winner plays: Winner of 5-Bethel Park (9-8) vs. 4-Seneca Valley (10-6), May 25 (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Angelina Pepe, Sr., Norwin; Margaret Howard, So., Hempfield Extra bases: Norwin overpowered No. 9 Baldwin in the first...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Palmer Jackson named all-ACC
Notre Dame junior golfer Palmer Jackson, a Franklin Regional alum, was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Team. Jackson has nine top-10 finishes in 11 tournaments and averages 70.15, which ranks 16th in the nation. He made national watch lists for the Hogan Award and Haskins Award and will play...
Norwin softball team, ‘coming in hot,’ beats Baldwin in playoff opener
Norwin softball had its team banquet the night before the playoff opener. Odd timing? For sure. But it also allowed the Lady Knight to spin forward instead of looking back. To offer pep talks and atta-girls rather than farewell hugs and nostalgia. This season isn’t over yet. “We’re coming in...
Westmoreland County WPIAL softball playoff preview capsules for May 17, 2022
WPIAL softball playoffs Capsule previews Class 5A First round 12-Latrobe (9-4) vs. 5-West Allegheny (12-4) 6 p.m. Tuesday at North Allegheny Winner plays: Winner of 13-Upper St. Clair (6-14) vs. 4-North Hills (14-3) on Thursday in quarterfinals (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Jenna Tallman, Sr., Latrobe; Elly Vicari-Baker, So.,...
Westmoreland County WPIAL baseball playoff preview capsules for May 17, 2022
WPIAL baseball playoffs Capsule previews Class 5A First round 12-Thomas Jefferson (13-6) vs. 5-Latrobe (12-7) 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hempfield Winner plays: Winner of 13-Chartiers Valley (9-11) vs. 4-Mars (14-5) on Thursday in quarterfinals Players to watch: T.J. Bucy, Sr., Thomas Jefferson; Logan Short, Sr., Latrobe Last year’s finish: Thomas...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Hempfield grads earn 1st-team honors for Seton Hill
Coming back to Seton Hill for a fifth season has brought Jenna Osikowicz riches: an NCAA Division II Atlantic Region title, a second straight PSAC West title and now, a second consecutive PSAC West Athlete of the Year award. An outfielder from Hempfield, Osikowicz also made the all-conference first team....
6 PSAC baseball teams headed to NCAA Atlantic Regional
Six baseball teams from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference made the field for the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament, including Seton Hill, Slippery Rock and Gannon. The double-elimination tournament begins Thursday. There are two Atlantic Region “pods.” The winners will meet in a Super Regional for a spot in...
Franklin Regional lineman Nesler takes up cause of disabled veterans
Inspired by what he heard and saw, Andrew Nesler set out to help — a good soldier wanting to pay back an army of them for their service. A junior football player at Franklin Regional, Nesler formed a fundraiser called “DefenseForDefense” aimed at raising money for disabled war veterans. The...
Softball playoff capsule: Baldwin vs. Norwin, Monday, May 16, 2022
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 6A First round 9-Baldwin (4-11) vs. 8-Norwin (5-9) 3 p.m. Monday at West Mifflin Winner plays: 1-Hempfield (12-3) at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Penn-Trafford Players to watch: Gabby Jaquay, Fr., Baldwin; Madie Kessler, Jr., Norwin Last year’s finish: Baldwin — Lost to Bethel Park, 9-1, in...
Westmoreland H.S. athletes of the week: Norwin’s Bailey Snowberger, Hempfield’s Chaz Ewer
Bailey Snowberger School: Norwin Sport: Softball Year: Sophomore Claim to fame: Snowberger, a shortstop, helped Norwin make a late push for a WPIAL Class 6A playoff spot. She led off Tuesday’s game with a triple, hustling to third and beating the throw, and finished with two hits and an RBI...
Ligonier Valley ace Maddie Griffin dealing with hand injury, could miss time in playoffs
Ligonier Valley ace softball pitcher Maddie Griffin could miss Wednesday’s WPIAL playoff opener, and possibly be out longer, because of an injury to her throwing hand. The senior right-hander, who tossed a 21-strikeout perfect game earlier this season, was hurt Monday during a game at Apollo-Ridge. Griffin hit a grounder...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Area players to take part in upcoming Roundball games
Basketball season ended months ago, but the Roundball Classic will bring together some of the top talent from the WPIAL this week. The nine senior all-star games will be Thursday through Saturday at Geneva College in Beaver Falls. Area boys selected are Nick Crum and Noah Wright of Penn-Trafford, Michael...
Penn-Trafford football pipeline to Division I just getting started
Winning can do a lot for a high school football program, not the least of which boost college recruiting and a school’s reputation within that realm. When teams win championships, college coaches show up. Teams that win must have legitimate talent, they deduce. That is the case at Penn-Trafford, where...
Norwin grad wins Atlantic 10 gold in heptathlon
Emily Brozeski won the heptathlon in record fashion May 8 at the Atlantic 10 track and field championships in Richmond, Va. The Duquesne sophomore and Norwin graduate captured gold with a school-record 5,122 points, posting first-place finishes in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and long jump. She took second in...
Norwin notebook: Track teams surge into WPIAL finals
The Norwin track and field teams advanced to the WPIAL Class 3A championship. The meet was set for May 11 at West Mifflin. At the semifinal meet, the girls earned commanding wins over Canon-McMillan (98-52), Bethel Park (124-26) and Belle Vernon (120-30). The boys topped Connellsville (121-29), Canon-McMillan (97-53) and...
WPIAL baseball seedings set up Westmoreland County clash in 1st round
When two second-place section teams received better seeds than his section-winning one, Yough baseball coach Craig Spisak didn’t kick up dust. After winning its second section title in four years, Yough was branded with a No. 5 seed in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A baseball playoffs, which...
Westmoreland baseball notebook: Franklin Regional playing well at right time
Franklin Regional won’t get the No. 1 seed like it did last year, but the Panthers have something most of the other teams in the WPIAL Class 5A playoff field don’t have: championship experience. The defending champions, who ran their winning streak to six with a 10-3 win over Kiski...
