Bill Beckner stories, Page 78
Hempfield puts foot down, rallies past Norwin into Class 6A WPIAL finals
When Hempfield fell behind by four runs early under the weight of three Norwin home runs, pitcher Riley Miller had a short but succinct talk with her catcher, Ella Berkebile. She had that look in her eye. Enough was enough. “I told her, ‘Those are the last runs they’re getting,’”...
Latrobe baseball knocks off No. 1 Montour, advances to WPIAL Class 4A championship
Unshakable and driven, Latrobe pushed on in the WPIAL baseball playoffs with another upset. Down went No. 1. Here comes No. 5. Determined to make believers of the seeding committee, Latrobe came out swinging, loosening its grip on a sizable lead before finally holding off top-seeded Montour, 10-7, in a...
Franklin Regional grad follows junior college path to World Series
When he wasn’t seeing playing time right away at Coastal Carolina, Andrew Muraco began to take inventory on his college baseball future. The former Franklin Regional star redshirted his first year and started browsing for another opportunity. It didn’t have to be at a Division I program, but it had...
Westmoreland WPIAL softball playoff capsules: Games for Wednesday, May 24, 2023
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 6A Semifinals 3-Norwin (14-5) vs. 2-Hempfield (16-3) 2 p.m. Wednesday at Gateway Winner plays: Winner of 5-Pine-Richland (7-14)/1-Seneca Valley (16-1) in championship (time, date TBD) at PennWest University, California Players to watch: Madie Kessler, Norwin; Riley Miller, Hempfield Extra bases: Norwin returns to the semifinals for...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Penn-Trafford grad sets W&J golf record
When he left Penn-Trafford to begin a college golf career, Cade Patterson never could have imagined he would have his name etched in a program’s record book. Patterson, a sophomore at Washington & Jefferson, made school history when he carded the best finish by a Presidents’ player at the NCAA...
Latrobe’s promising playoff run continues with 4A quarterfinal win over Chartiers Valley
Dante Basciano was a bat boy on the 2017 Latrobe baseball team that won WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A titles. A wide-eyed tyke no longer, the Wildcats’ senior sees similarities between the current team and that historic one. “It’s the camaraderie and the way we are together,” he said. “You...
Hempfield preps for 3rd clash with Norwin, this time in playoffs
In the first game, Hempfield gambled, and it backfired as Norwin cranked a couple of home runs. In the rematch, the Lady Spartans exacted revenge with a throwback kind of win: Pitching and defense ruled the day. So what can fans expect in Round 3 when No. 2 seed Hempfield...
Westmoreland WPIAL softball playoff capsule: Games for Tuesday, May 23, 2023
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 3A Semifinals 2-Southmoreland (16-2) vs. 3-Waynesburg (16-3) 3 p.m. Tuesday at Peterswood Park, Venetia Winner plays: Winner of 4-Burrell (13-5)/1-Avonworth (19-1) in championship (date, time TBD) at Cal (Pa.) Players to watch: Taylor Doppelheuer, Southmoreland; Kendall Lemley, Waynesburg Extra bases: It’s a matchup of former section...
Latrobe alum Zach Kokoska having big month in High-A league
Zach Kokoska is burning up the Northwest League as he makes inroads to his dream of playing in the majors. The former Latrobe and Kansas State baseball star has been on an offensive tear of late, hitting safely in 14 of his last 18 games for the High-Class A Spokane...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Penn-Trafford grad Tyler Horvat earns PAC honors
One of the most versatile players in all of Division III baseball, Tyler Horvat has been the ultimate dual-threat player for Washington & Jefferson. The senior pitcher and outfielder earned two major awards from the Presidents’ Athletic Conference because of the respect he demands. The Penn-Trafford alum was named player...
Westmoreland high school notebook: Big 56 honors baseball, softball players
The Big 56 Conference, a website that recognizes accomplishments of teams and athletes in the WPIAL’s largest classification, announced its all-section teams. Local first-team players picked in Class 6A Section 2 baseball included junior Keegan Carr and senior Justin Weaver of Norwin and junior Carson Shuglie of Hempfield. Class 5A...
Seton Hill CF Jack Whalen makes SportsCenter’s No. 1 play with diving catch
Jumpin’ Jack Flash continues to make his mark at Seton Hill. And he’s only a freshman. Jack Whalen made a outstanding, over-the-shoulder catch in Saturday’s Atlantic Region elimination game against East Stroudsburg and the play was the No. 1 highlight on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10. The center fielder out of...
Westmoreland County athletes of the week: Southmoreland’s Makayla Etling, Yough’s Gavin Roebuck
Makayla Etling School: Southmoreland Sport: Softball Class: Sophomore Claim to fame: Etling helped lead the Scotties to an amazing comeback in the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals. She went 4 for 5 with two triples and a two-run homer that came in the team’s seven-run seventh inning of a 15-14 win...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Memorial basketball tournament returns to Jeannette
The third annual Tre Cunningham Memorial Basketball Tournament will return to Jeannette on June 22-24. But this year’s event, presented by the Jeannette Educational Foundation, will feature much more than the usual boys high school varsity games. Organizers plan to add 3-point and slam dunk contests. The slam dunk contest...
Playoff berth shows Norwin girls lacrosse trending in right direction
The positive comments from opposing coaches lets Norwin girls lacrosse coach Courtney Kloos know she and her team are doing something right. That and the fact the Lady Knights (4-11) returned to the WPIAL postseason. “Despite some heavy competition in the section, our team refuses to give up,” Kloos said....
Norwin girls track carries on proud tradition with strong season
Track and field teams like the Norwin girls do not compete for championships by simply showing up and stretching. No, it is a year-round commitment to training and a special discipline that helps the Lady Knights improve their times and distances and keep the program among the WPIAL’s elite. “The...
Erica Rodriguez delivers in clutch as GCC softball advances with win over Charleroi
Sophomore Erica Rodriguez got credit for an RBI earlier in the game when she was issued a bases-loaded walk. With her team’s season on the line in the seventh inning, she earned her next two RBIs. And Greensburg Central Catholic earned another trip to the WPIAL semifinals. With a full...
Southmoreland scores 7 in 7th in wild win over Yough
The stairway to seven began with a glimmer of hope and a confident approach. It ended with a crazy comeback, a roaring celebration and maybe a few bumps and bruises. Heavyweight fights tend to leave a mark. “We were down and bleeding and needed stitches,” Southmoreland softball coach Todd Bunner...
Undefeated Shaler dominates short-handed Franklin Regional
Strike out 16, club a couple of home runs and sell the underdog role, and watch any team sprint forward in a playoff bracket. That sure was the right mix for unbeaten Shaler on Wednesday in the WPIAL Class 5A softball quarterfinals. “Those are the staples,” coach Tom Sorce said...
Norwin softball hangs on for nervous win over Canon-McMillan, reaches semifinals
Bailey Snowberger said softball is a game of failure. Her Norwin teammate, Alyssa McCormick, mentioned how the sport hinges on teammates picking each other up. “One day you can go 0 for 4, the next you might go 4 for 4,” said Snowberger, a junior shortstop. “You never know what’s...
Westmoreland WPIAL softball playoff capsules: Games for Thursday, May 18, 2023
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 3A Quarterfinals 7-Yough (10-4) vs. 2-Southmoreland (15-2) 3 p.m. Thursday at Norwin Winner plays: Winner of 11-Ligonier Valley (9-7)/3-Waynesburg (15-3) in semifinals (date, time, site TBD) Players to watch: Mikaela Etling, Southmoreland; Adoria Waldier, Yough Extra bases: Yough rallied to get past Ellwood City in the...
Ligonier Valley softball rallies to upset Hopewell
For five-plus innings, it was an old-fashioned pitchers’ duel that seemed to set the game back to a time when the circle was 40 feet away from home plate instead of 43. A time when hits were sparse and foul tips were an accomplishment. But when offense finally showed up...
Burrell softball team handles Mt. Pleasant in first round
With the tight confines of Plum’s softball field, home run hitters often can have a blast sending bombs over the short fence. But the dimensions can mess with a pitcher. One false move, one flinch and the ball is gone. “I love playing here because of the turf,” Burrell senior...
Rising Stars Challenge adds underclassmen to Roundball Classic stage
For the first time, players other than seniors will play in the Roundball Classic. Nine all-star games are set for later this week at Geneva College’s Metheny Fieldhouse, but they will involve the top senior players from the WPIAL, City League and District 10. Organizers added three boys underclassmen games...
Westmoreland WPIAL softball playoff capsules: Games for Wednesday, May 17, 2023
WPIAL softball playoffs Class 6A Quarterfinals 3-Norwin (14-5) vs. 6-Canon-McMillan (7-11) 5 p.m. Wednesday at Gateway Winner plays: 2-Hempfield (16-3) May 24 (time, site TBD) in semifinals Players to watch: Bailey Snowberger, Norwin; Morgan Doyle, Canon-McMillan Extra bases: Norwin is hoping for a third matchup with rival Hempfield in what...
