Bill Beckner stories, Page 212

The accelerated progression of a pair of local freshman softball players at Penn State has been a combined effort. Chelsea Bisi watches Bailey Parshall pitch with the same southpaw flair she displayed so often at Belle Vernon. Parshall, in turn, looks on as Bisi hits gap shots and swats high...

It’s a curious pairing, if nothing else, playing No. 2 doubles for the Latrobe boys tennis team. But it also has proven to be a competitive one. Seniors Alex Bisignani and Brady Pevarnik are 6-0 playing together this season for the Wildcats, who are 4-2 overall and 4-1 in Section...

Hempfield softball doesn’t lose very often but when it does, especially by 10 runs, it comes as a surprise. The Spartans have been so good, so dominant, that they often get as much attention for a loss as they do a win. The Spartans’ 12-2, five-inning loss to Penn-Trafford on...

Asa Klimchock, who transferred to The Kiski School from Greensburg Central Catholic after his sophomore year, had a solid senior basketball season and has entered the recruiting ring. The 6-foot point guard averaged 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds a game as is drawing college interest from some Division...

Here’s a look at the Westmoreland Tribune-Review girls basketball all-stars and player of the year. Megan Kallock Sr., G, Greensburg Salem When Greensburg Salem needed a basket, it looked to Megan Kallock. The senior consistently provided instant offense for the Golden Lions, be it from the perimeter, driving the lane...

Marrek Paola Sr., C, Ligonier Valley The traditional post player, old-school basketball buffs say, is all but extinct. The low block is a lonely place nowadays as the tallest players work the perimeter more often, their backs away from the rim. But Marrek Paola proved the modern big man can...

There is something about Penn-Trafford softball and games against Hempfield at Seton Hill. The Warriors ended the mighty Spartans’ 46-game winning streak on the college turf a year ago, and they flat out thumped the three-time defending PIAA champions in the nonsection rematch. Using a lengthy, nine-run first inning to...

There doesn’t appear to be a sophomore slump coming over the area’s top AAU basketball program. With a year on the high-end national circuit under its belt, the newly branded Wildcats Select group is past rookie mode and ready for Round 2. The Wildcats, who field top players from Western...

Some of the rising stars in WPIAL basketball that will take the court next season will test their skills against talent from around the country next weekend in Colorado. Fifteen WPIAL players were selected to play in the USA Basketball 3x3 U-18 National Championships at the U.S. Olympic Training Center...

Not many college basketball players can say they played in two Division II Final Fours and led their team to the No. 1 ranking in the nation. But IUP senior Carolyn Appleby can say she’s done that — and much more. Appleby had quite the career for the Crimson Hawks...

Franklin Regional and Latrobe are new opponents in Section 1-5A softball so it took them some time to get used to one another Thursday in Murrysville. There were some early errors, a few runners left on base and plenty of foul balls hit into the pine trees and lower parking...

One of the top AAU girls basketball tournaments in the country will play out Saturday and Sunday at 25 gyms throughout WPIAL territory. The event is hosted by the local Western PA Bruins and will feature more than 250 teams — several thousand players — with out-of-state teams coming in...

Latrobe softball is running on battery power again, only the charge is coming from a slightly different pitcher-catcher combo than the Wildcats first envisioned. Senior catcher Makayla Munchinski returned to anchor the defense, and the team knew she would provide a productive bat in the order. Sophomore Jordan Tallman, meanwhile,...

Andy McNab has resigned as women’s soccer coach at Seton Hill after four seasons. McNab is leaving to coach the women’s team at Barton College in Wilson, N.C. He spent two years with the Griffins as an assistant. “Seton Hill is a special place where it is easy to build...

Saint Vincent has a coach for its newest varsity sport. The school added men’s volleyball, its 24th sport, and on Tuesday announced Derry native Scott Wisneski will lead the first-year program, which is expected to begin play for the 2019-20 season. Wisneski was an assistant for the Bearcats women’s volleyball...

Lydia DeFazio is taking the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference by storm this softball season. The sophomore first baseman/catcher at Mt. Aloysius was named AMCC Player of the Week after a dominating, four-game stretch for the Mounties (17-4, 4-0). A Penn-Trafford graduate, DeFazio went 13 for 15 — hitting safely in...

After another memorable season that lasted into March and generated more national interest in the program, the IUP women’s basketball team can reflect. The Crimson Hawks went 30-4 and reached the NCAA Division II Final Four for the second consecutive season. They climbed to the No. 1 ranking in the...

Chelsea Bisi started the softball season slowly as she adjusted to Division I pitching and worked her way back from a knee injury that cost her the majority of her senior season at Derry. The freshman at Penn State, though, has found her groove and has become one tough out...

Lydia DeFazio is taking the AMCC by storm this softball season. The sophomore first baseman/catcher at Mt. Aloysius was named AMCC Softball Player of the Week after a dominating, four-game stretch for the Mounties (17-4, 4-0). Her numbers have been astronomical. A Penn-Trafford graduate, DeFazio went 13 for 15, hitting...

Emma Nedley was once a wide-eyed youngster plopped in front of the TV watching college softball with innocent wonderment. She enjoyed the double plays. She appreciated the diving catches and smiled when the teams started chanting with excitement to start a rally. But she loved the home runs. That’s what...

MONDAY Baseball: Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette are no longer section opponents but the teams plan to renew their rivalry with a nonsection game at Clarkson Field in Jeannette. Penn-Trafford will take on Hampton in nonsection play at Hempfield Park. Southmoreland visits Greensburg Salem, and Yough goes to Norwin. Franklin...

Sophomore Emma Hoffner still plans to play Division I softball and clearly has the talent to do so. But the Hempfield all-state catcher is going to explore her options before making a firm commitment. Hoffner has opened her recruitment after initially verbally committing to St. Francis (Pa.) as a freshman....

JJ Matijevic will start his third season in the minor leagues in Double-A. The former Norwin and Arizona star was assigned to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Texas League, an affiliate of the Houston Astros. The 6-foot, 206-pounder who bats left-handed and throws right-handed, finished last season with the...

Gannon turned an inconspicuous Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference softball game into a home run derby. The Knights belted eight home runs on the way to a 15-0 win over Mercyhurst in five innings Thursday in Erie. It was the second game of a doubleheader. Mercyhurst (5-18, 1-1) won the first...

Sophomore Emma Hoffner still plans to play Division I softball, and has the talent to do so. But the Hempfield all-state catcher is going to explore her options before making a firm commitment. Hoffner has opened her recruitment after initially committing to Saint Francis (Pa.) as a freshman. Head coach...