Bill Beckner stories, Page 82
Hempfield rallies for walk-off win over No. 1 Seneca Valley
Early miscues, a nagging struggle to bunt runners over and a pile of strikeouts were an unsavory combination for Hempfield. Seneca Valley pitcher Lexie Hames and the top-ranked Raiders seemed to be in command and had the No. 3 Spartans right where they wanted them — with a two-run lead....
Westmoreland County softball notebook: Southmoreland riding high after string of shutout wins
Southmoreland picked Easter week to rise into the rankings. The Scotties (3-1, 2-0) jumped into the Trib top five in Class 3A after a pair of 2-0 section wins over Ligonier Valley (9 innings) and Mt. Pleasant. They had three straight shutouts heading into Wednesday’s game at Yough. They opened...
Cheyenne Piper steps seamlessly into ace role for Ligonier Valley
Cheyenne Piper understands the assignment because she has prepared for it. She has longed to fulfill it. The top pitching role at Ligonier Valley now belongs to her, and the steely junior behind the glasses could not be more focused. “It motivated me to keep working,” Piper said of taking...
Latrobe grad Bryce Butler makes Division I transfer decision, picks College of Charleston
Tasked with what he considered the toughest decision of his life — even tougher than giving up high school football when he blew out his knee as a freshman — Bryce Butler decided where he will play his final year of college basketball. More than 60 schools showed interest in...
Carson Shuglie’s grand slam powers Hempfield past Baldwin
Hempfield did not have classes Monday as Easter break wound to a close, so some baseball players arrived early for their home game against Baldwin. Carson Shuglie was among that group. The junior put the extra swings to use as the Spartans opened a three-game series against the Highlanders. Shuglie...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Latrobe grad Kiley Myers named MAAC pitcher of the week
Senior Kiley Myers was known for her aggressiveness and speed from the pitching circle when she played at Latrobe. Those traits followed her to college softball at Marist. Myers recently earned the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week after winning three straight starts. She pitched a three-hit shutout...
Westmoreland County athletes of the week: Southmoreland’s Amarah McCutcheon and Hempfield’s Peyton Murray
Amarah McCutcheon School: Southmoreland Sport: Softball Class: Junior Claim to fame: The standout shortstop came through in the clutch for the Scotties in a pitchers’ duel against Ligonier Valley. She hit a two-run, walk-off home run to beat the Rams, 2-0, for what she said was the most thrilling moment...
Westmoreland County high school notebook: Senior standouts set for Roundball Classic
Of the 200-plus players selected for the annual Roundball Classic senior all-star basketball games, 36 hail from Westmoreland County schools. Rosters were revealed last week for the games set for May 18-20 at Geneva College in Beaver Falls. Lilly Palladino of Penn-Trafford, Norwin’s Tori Sydeski and Sarah Penrod and Brooke...
Norwin boys volleyball has net-front talent to contend
Norwin is one of the top boys volleyball teams in the WPIAL this season. Just ask the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. The well-regarded outfit had Norwin ranked No. 2 in Class 3A two weeks into the season. The Knights hope to live up to the raised expectations. Coach Mike...
Norwin track teams ready to put in work, compete for championships
In the last five years, the Norwin track and field teams have a combined record of 47-3 with nine section titles between them. The girls have won five straight section championships. Another spring season is here, and Norwin again expects to compete with the top teams — with a caveat....
Norwin notebook: Softball team plays long ball in season’s opening weeks
The Norwin softball team continued its hot start with a 12-4 victory over Butler. Emma Novotnak homered and drove in three runs, Holy Cross commit Bailey Snowberger also homered, and Alyssa McCormick had three hits and three RBIs on March 29. The Lady Knights, who sat at 4-1, hit eight...
Franklin Regional grad Spencer Lee opens up about shocking NCAA loss
About three weeks ago, one match at the NCAA Championships knocked the college wrestling world off its axis. The nation watched as Iowa sensation Spencer Lee writhed under Purdue’s Matt Ramos, bending and trying to peel his opponent off and turn him as time ticked away, finally submitting for a...
With new head coach, veteran roster, Yough baseball hitting on all cylinders
Dan Palm said he was surprised but supportive when Craig Spisak resigned last year as Yough’s baseball coach to take the same position at Norwin. An assistant to Spisak since 2016, Palm saw the forest through the trees, and an opportunity with it. He decided to raise his game. Palm...
Westmoreland baseball notebook: Franklin Regional’s Williams right at home as freshman
Freshman baseball players usually need an adjustment period. Time to get used to older teammates, harsher critiques and varsity pitching. But Franklin Regional freshman Luke Williams seems like he has been here before. The shortstop is having a remarkable debut season for the WPIAL Class 5A No. 3-ranked Panthers (7-1)....
Southmoreland softball’s Todd Bunner pays tribute to late father, his coaching inspiration
Todd Bunner didn’t want to let dad down. Or his team. Divine intervention was something Bunner had always believed in, but was never in a situation where he had to call on it. The Southmoreland softball coach glanced to the sky with his top hitter up with an 0-2 count...
With ace Maddie Brown happy, healthy and sharp, Southmoreland blanks Mt. Pleasant
With his team’s fourth straight win freshly in the books — a 2-0 shutout of rival Mt. Pleasant in Section 3-3A —Southmoreland softball coach Todd Bunner gathered with his players in front of their dugout Wednesday and offered praise to his player of the game. “Maddie Brown,” Bunner said, “we’re...
Westmoreland County softball notebook: GCC taking no prisoners
With a number of starters returning in a potent lineup, Greensburg Central Catholic is expected to compete for the WPIAL Class 2A softball title. The Centurions did, after all, make the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA playoffs in Class A last season. The bump-up in class hasn’t been an issue so...
With star freshman playing in sister’s memory, Jeannette softball off to brilliant start
Asked what her late sister, Scarlett, would think about the Jeannette softball team winning again, Grace Stein paused and allowed a subtle grin to curl up on her face. “She would be so proud,” she said. “She was determined and never gave up.” Jeannette hangs Scarlett’s red Jayhawks’ game jersey...
Franklin Regional baseball bounces back to rout Gateway
Franklin Regional did not have much time to dwell on its first loss of the WPIAL baseball season. After a night game against neighboring Gateway — just a few miles up Route 22 — the Panthers welcomed the Gators for an after-school Section 1-5A rematch Tuesday. Swiftly and soundly, the...
Seton Hill baseball showing flair for dramatic with walk-off wins
Walk-off wins have become a hot commodity for the Seton Hill baseball team. Nobody has done it better lately, or with more flair, than the Griffins. They were at it again Sunday, earning two thrilling, extra-inning victories against visiting Pitt-Johnstown to stretch their winning streak to 11. (The streak has...
Rosters revealed for 2023 Roundball Classic
Rosters were revealed this week for the Roundball Classic senior all-star basketball games, set for May 18, 19 and 20 at Geneva College in Beaver Falls. Teams feature players from the WPIAL, City League and District 10. Players will wear their school uniforms. The nine-game schedule features two games Thursday,...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Franklin Regional grad Jake Williams belts walk-off for Yale
Jake Williams took a gap year after he left Franklin Regional and enrolled at Yale. Now, he is hitting gap shots for the baseball team. Williams, a junior, was a hero last week for the Bulldogs when he capped a four-hit game with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom...
Southmoreland’s Amarah McCutcheon delivers walk-off homer, spoiling stellar effort by Ligonier Valley ace
Having struck out three times, like a couple of her Southmoreland softball teammates had, Amarah McCutcheon admitted she didn’t have much expectation when she stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning. On this day, a foul tip was an accomplishment against Ligonier Valley ace Cheyenne Piper,...
Greensburg Central Catholic’s Miller to play soccer for Robert Morris
Greensburg Central Catholic soccer standout Kyler Miller accepted a preferred walk-on offer from Robert Morris, extending his playing career to the Division I level. The senior forward will have a roster spot and can earn scholarship money later. “It means everything to me,” he said about fulfilling his dream of...
Westmoreland County campus clippings: Injury ends career for Penn-Trafford grad Emma Armstrong
Emma Armstrong let the world know her softball career was over. The senior first baseman at Towson announced via social media last week that she tore her ACL and meniscus and is done for the season. The Penn-Trafford alum had started 26 of 27 games this year and was hitting...
